Video Sermon, February 28, 2010

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Sermon, January 31, 2010

 Sermon, Love & Temptation, delivered 1.31.10

          Readings, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30


There is an icon of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph).  Okay, there are MANY icons of the Holy Family.  But, the one that sticks out in my mind involves a fourth character.  In the bottom left hand corner, there is a craggy old man.  He is completely hairless, which shows off two little nubs on the top of his head.  This figure is pointing a finger at the baby Jesus.

The story around the icon is that Joseph is being tempted.  The Tempter is pointing and asking questions.   

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that when Joseph found out his fiancée, Mary, was pregnant, he thought about dismissing their engagement.  However, he was told in a dream that he must continue with his marriage.  The baby is going to be the Messiah.  Joseph was obedient to God’s will and he stayed in relationship.

Yet, here is an image of Joseph being tempted.  The story told about this icon is that the Tempter is asking Joseph questions, like, “An angel really didn’t talk to you?”  

The baby really isn’t who people say he is, can he?  

And, the worst of all, Mary isn’t really a virgin is she? 

The point is that temptation was speaking to Joseph to dissuade him from the love he has for the baby Jesus and for his wife, Mary.  The Tempter, in this image is placing “garbage” in his relationships with both God and Mary.  This garbage is designed to weaken and even sever his relationship. 

In our Gospel lesson for today, we hear of Jesus returning to his hometown, Nazareth.  To catch you up on the story, Jesus was baptized and a voice from the heavens announced that Jesus is God’s son.  Shortly after that, Jesus was driven to the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days.  He returns and starts preaching and doing miracles.  Stories of his baptism and of his miracles are being told in Nazareth.  They hear that Jesus is heading their way. 

Jesus returns home, and as was his custom, went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath.  He stood up to read and selected a passage from the prophet Isaiah.  The passage was foretelling of the coming Messiah, the anointed one (or, the Christ).  After reading this passage, he sat down and everyone in the place was looking at him.  It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.  Then, Jesus said, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

The crowd became rather patronizing to Jesus.  “Oh, how nice; Joseph’s son is telling us these wonderful things.  How special…” 

Jesus, sensing this, then went on to say that a prophet is not recognized in his hometown.  And, if that’s not shocking enough, he goes on to compare himself to the two greatest prophets of all time, Elijah and Elisha!  

This makes the crowd hostile.  He has crossed a line.  They were not willing to hear what he had to say.  The crowd gathered because one of their sons returned home.  They gathered because of the miracles they heard about.  They wanted to hear about life in Capernaum and how he changed water into wine.  But Jesus wasn’t going to give them any parlor tricks; no, he was declaring who he is and what his mission is. 

This made the hometown crowd angry.  “How dare he, a carpenter’s son, tell us these things.  Who does he think he is?!?”  They formed a mob and intended to throw Jesus off a cliff.  But, he disappeared into the crowd.  

I think the Tempter was working, like he tried to do with Joseph, on this very Jesus-friendly crowd.  The tempter was sowing questions into their minds.

No, this can’t be, isn’t he a simple carpenter’s son? 

He can’t say those things and get away with it. 

We must quickly put him to death before God punishes our entire community!


In our reading from the letter to the Corinthians, we hear about love.  
 
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  (1 Cor 13:5)

The Tempter sows seeds that are not patient; rather, the seeds are insistent – we must put him to death quickly, before God punishes us!

The seeds of the tempter are arrogant and rude.  Isn’t he a simple carpenter’s son?  By the way, do you really think he is Joseph’s son; I mean really…? 

This is the voice of the Tempter – questioning, always, in an envious way, in an arrogant and rude way. 

But this is not how it is with God.  God is love.  God loved the world so much that he sent us Jesus, the Christ, so that we may not die but instead live fully.  Love from God is patient and it is kind. 

Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.  (1 Cor. 13:5-9)

The Tempter insists on its own way.  The Tempter, who is not patient, sows seeds of irritability and resentment. 

These are the seeds of the Tempter – resentment, irritability, arrogance, hopelessness and apathy.  From those seeds grows “garbage” that gets in the way of loving one another. 

The seeds of love that God through Jesus sows are patient, kind, humble, accepting, and understanding.  Love believes all things, the Tempter wants us to have disbelief.  Love bears all things.  Love hopes all things.  Love endures all things. 

The good news is the Tempter will tire and go away for a while.  Love through Christ never ends.  God’s love is with us on our worst day; enduring it with us.  Unlike the Tempter who flees the moment things get tough, Jesus tells us, as he is ascending into heaven that he will be with us always. 


Is the Tempter is whispering things into your ear? 

Are sees of doubt and resentment being planted between you and the people you love the most? 

These seeds grow into garbage between you and others.  This garbage can grow between us and our bosses, our clients, our customers.  Garbage can grow between us and our children.  And, this garbage can grow between our partners and spouses.  The result of this garbage is destruction.  It destroys relationships, creates distrust, and is like a sickness. 

Yet, this garbage has an antidote.  It is love.  Love from God through Christ is in the form of forgiveness and pardon.  Saying sorry and accepting an apology.  Love endures all things.  Garbage doesn’t.  Love never ends; the garbage will eventually go out-with-the-trash.  God calls us to love and this love never, ever, ends. 

If you are having difficulty with this garbage in your life, let the light of God’s love shine in your heart.  I invite you to pray with me.

Loving God, out of love you created us.  You show us your love in the face of Christ Jesus.  We see your love in the face of our loved ones.  This love you have for us and the love we share with one another never dies.  I pray today that you remove the garbage in my relationships.  Help me to see your love in all my relationships.  Form me and change me by your love: form me to be patient, shape me to be kind, assist me to be humble, and help me to become understanding of others.  Help me to shine your love to all I meet.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Readings Job 38:1-7, 34-47, 42:1-10 and Mark 10:35-45

 

For my 40th birthday, we got a dog.  We wanted something like a lab and beagle mix.  After going to a second chance rescue adoption event, we came home with Unagi (u-naw-gi) a 7 month-old puppy.  Now, six months later, it turns out, we adopted a 45 pound Jack Russell!  He digs, jumps, runs, and is very head-strong. 

 

Unagi-doggie (his full name) lived on his own for a while before we adopted him.  He had to find his own food and protect himself from dogs and people.  This early puppy-hood experience effects his life today.  He trusts us but no one else.  He barks at the slightest thing (like a leaf falling – really, he does) and has a high level of anxiety.  

 

We're training him to show that Christi and I are the alpha-dogs in the relationship.  We're the alpha-dogs; he’s the beta-dog.  As alpha-dogs, we feed him, we protect him, we tell him where to run, sleep, and play.  On good days, Unagi understands this.  When he accepts his beta-dog status, he loses his anxiety, and gets to be a happy, relaxed, puppy-dog. 

 

On the other days, it’s a struggle of wills between us and him.  The question is at this point, whose will is stronger – Unagi’s or ours. 

 

My relationship with Unagi reminds me of my relationship with God.  I’m the beta-dog in that relationship… but sometimes it is a struggle of wills.  And, I know who’s going to win that struggle; and it’s not me. 

 

Our reading from Job today highlights this type of relationship.  Job challenged God. 

This morning, we hear God’s answer – “How did the foundation of the earth get made?  No doubt you know, mister know-it-all.  Who placed the cornerstone while the morning stars sang, and angels rejoiced?  Will lightening flash at your command?  Do you feed lions when they are hunger?  Do you help them hunt?” 

 

Job’s answer is something we can all learn from.  “I have talked about things that are far beyond my understanding.  I heard about you from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

 

He’s broken.  He took on the alpha-dog and lost.  We see Job laying face down in the dust and ash heap of what used to be his life.  Everything was taken from him, even his bull-headed-ness.  And now, all he can do is despise himself and lie in ashes. 

 

But, God is loving and compassionate.  After hearing Job’s reply, Scripture tells us that the LORD restored him – twice as much as he had before. 

 

In our Gospel lesson, two of the disciples turned to Jesus and said (one of my favorite cringe lines in the New Testament), “We want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  [Cringe!]  God, being compassionate and loving, responds with, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 

 

James and John (the two disciples) want to be the CEO and CFO of the new kingdom.  They want to be the #2 and #3 in this new reign.  They want to be Vice-President and Speaker of the House. 

 

Jesus listens and then responds with a lesson for them and for us.  ‘We (Jesus followers) are not like those in charge who hold power over others like tyrants.  No, it’s not that way with us.  Whoever wishes to become great must become a servant of all.  For I (Jesus) did not come to be served but rather to serve and give my life for all.’

 

What I hear Jesus saying is that as followers along His way, we need to take on the practice of humility.  Humility is recognizing that it is God who feeds us.  It is God who protects us.  God provides us time to sleep and play.  God is the one in charge, not us.

 

The practice of humility is a practice because I don’t think anyone on this side of heaven can ever master being humble.  We have to practice.  And practice.  And practice… 

 

One example of humility comes from St. Mary.  The Gospel according to Luke shows us how to be humble in the face of God.  (1:26)  The angel Gabriel appears to Mary when she is young.  He greets her by using the phrase “favored one.”  Mary ponders in her heart this greeting.  It’s like she’s looking behind her, ‘Who me, I’m God’s favored one?’  Instead of saying, “FINALLY, somebody recognizes me.  Yes, I AM God’s Favored one!”  she simply ponders it in her heart. 

 

Gabriel goes on to tell her that she will bear a son and he will be the savior of the world!  She asks, “How can this be because I am an X.”  X typically is translated into never-having-been-with-a-man-if-you-know-what-I-mean.  It is also a word that can indicate social structure.  In this case, a maid-servant.  Yes, a servant to a servant; or, more specifically, a servant of all.  It also could mean all of this.  Regardless, we get the sense of Mary asking why her.  She's not a princess, or daughter of an important ruler.  She's a servant to a servant.

Gabriel tells her how it’s going to work.  Then, Mary says the astounding words, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  
 

She gives herself – everything – to God’s will and word.  No reservation, no self-congratulation; she simply, and humbly, gives her everything to God.  Mary is an example we can all follow in being the servant of all, the beta-dog to God’s will in our lives.  At a young age, she had the practice of humility and God recognized her for it.  (And maybe we should too)

 

I’ll give you a simple daily exercise to help you with your practice of humility.  Turning to page 364 in the Book of Common Prayer, you’ll see the Lord’s Prayer.  Tradition has it that Jesus gave us this prayer.  Many of you already know it; but, I want you to look at it again.  I’ll read from the prayer on the right-hand side.  Listen to this prayer with a lens of humility, which is to recognize God is in charge, not us.

 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name.   This is who we are praying to – our provider in heaven whose name is the greatest name above all names.  Above the name of our president, our governor, our parents.   

 

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Hmmm.  There’s nothing in there about what I want.  About my will.  Nope, we are reminded here that it is the Kingdom that Jesus told us about that is coming and is here.  It’s God’s will to have that Kingdom here as it is in heaven. 

 

Give us today our daily bread.  We are dependent upon God for our daily sustenance.  Do you feed the hungry lions or help them hunt?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  God feeds us daily.

 

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  We can’t forgive ourselves those things we’ve done wrong.  God can forgive.  Yet, we can forgive those who do wrong against us.  Our forgiveness is dependant upon God and just might hang on whether or not we forgive others. 

 

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.  Just in case you thought you were in charge of saving yourself from the trial or from evil, here’s a handy little reminder.  It’s up to God.  Likewise, God saves your loved ones.  It’s up to God… not you. 

 

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever.  Amen.  Not Saint Peter’s or Saint Paul’s power, or glory, no no no.  It’s God’s kingdom, God’s power, and God’s glory that is now and will be for ever.

 

I ask that you recite the Lord’s Prayer everyday.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.  In the car, in the shower, over breakfast, wherever you find it most convenient.  But, say the prayer, not in a rote sense, or because I asked you to; say the prayer with the intention of practicing humility before God. 

 

May this practice of humility help you to see God, with your own eyes, as Job did, and may you see the kingdom, the glory, and the power are with God, who loves us more than we can imagine.  Amen. 

Reading, John 12:20-33

“We want to see Jesus.”

 In our Gospel lesson this morning, we hear of a story about some “Greeks” who approach Phillip and ask to see Jesus.  Phillip and Andrew approach Jesus about the inquirers.  Jesus responds with, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…”  

 What?  

 Why is the time now?  What’s up with these Greeks?  

 From what I gather, Jesus has been proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom for a long time.  We don’t know how long or how far he traveled, but we know he has been proclaiming it.  Once Jesus hears of the Greeks wanting to see him, it seems to tell him that the time has come for the walk to the cross.  

 I find it interesting that when some outsiders, people who look different and sound different, people outside of the Abrahamic faith, when these people say they want to see Jesus, that tells him his earthly ministry is finished.

 The Gospel reading ends with Jesus saying, “…when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself."  

 The reading starts with diversity – some outsiders, Greeks, saying they want to see Jesus.  Jesus ends with saying he’ll “draw all people” to him.  This phrase, “draw all people” has been a problem for the Church ever since Jesus said it.

 “All” is a hard word for us humans to imagine.  We like our groups.  We like to be with similar people.  It’s like we yearn to create “in” and “out” groups.  Yet Jesus said all people.  All.  

Looking for a loophole, I checked the Greek behind the English version of the Gospel that I read.  I looked at the verb, “draw” and the adjective “all.”  

Draw can mean many things in English.  To make a picture, to pull a weapon, to name a few.  The Greek meaning is interesting.  Draw in Greek means to move an object from one area to another in a pulling motion.  It implies that the object being moved is incapable of propelling itself.  

Take for example a pot of soup.  If you have a bowl and you want some soup, the soup is incapable of propelling itself into your bowl.  It has to be drawn.  Likewise, we who follow Christ must be drawn out.  Christ is our draw-er.  Jesus draws us to God. 

This “draw-ing” isn’t a problem for the Church.  The Church says, It’s cool.  Yeah, we can be a part of that.  But, the historic problem for the Church is the word “all.”  In Greek, all is all.  From here to there, A to Z, North to South; East to West – all is ALL.  And this is where the problem begins…

Imagine yourself at the end of the 18th century in rural south of our great nation.  Say it’s the 1790’s in rural Georgia.  The Episcopal Church is doing well.  We’ve been receiving many immigrants from England.  Also, townsfolk like our pageantry, beauty, and ritual.  The service is beautiful, and it’s spoken in English (mostly). 

Yet, here’s the problem.  As the church grows, we start seeing people of African descent attending worship.  The question comes up, can we baptize outsiders.  Can we baptize slaves?  Although no formal consensus was reached, there were Episcopal churches that refused.  The reason why is simple, baptism = freedom.  If we baptize a slave, might that mean that a slave can no longer be owned?  Here’s the choice, baptize or become a slave to our own fears. 

The church sinned. 

It sinned because Jesus draws ALL to himself, and yet the church declined to baptize slaves (and maybe others of African descent regardless of freedom).  The Church is Christ’s institution, Christ’s body on the earth.  … and parts of this Body of Christ refused to baptize people.  That’s a sin.  

The church sinned.

Look folks, racism is a sin.  It is a sin to discriminate based on the color of someone’s skin.  It’s certainly a sin to withhold the sacrament of baptism based on national origin.  When we’re created in God’s image, and when Jesus says I will draw all to myself, and we step in and say, “No surely, not these people – they’re not made in God’s image (because they look, sound, or smell differently than me) and certainly Christ wouldn’t draw them to himself.”  When we say that, we sin.

Now, don’t think racism was just an issue in the south. 

Let me tell you a story.  A man by the name of Absalom Jones lived in Philadelphia.  Born a house slave in 1746, he taught himself to read using the New Testament.  He attended a night school for blacks and bought his own freedom in 1784.  Jones was a lay minister at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church.  He was quite effective in evangelism.  He greatly increased the black membership at St. George’s. 

This worried the Vestry at St. George’s.  They met and decided to segregate those of African heritage to an upstairs gallery – they were not welcome on the main floor of the church. 

Without communicating to members of African descent, the Vestry segregated the church on the first Sunday after their meeting.  The dislocated members were hurt and angry.  Jones walked out and many followed.  They met at a separate location.  He, and others, created their own church.

Again, the church sinned. 

Jesus draws all but the church declared that some seats in God’s house are reserved for some of God’s people, not all of God’s people.

Absalom Jones created a church.  Later, the Episcopal Church repented and received the African Church into the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.  Jones was later ordained as a deacon (in 1795) and then as priest in 1802.  The Church sinned, repented, and learned.

Repenting combines learning and action.  We learn from our sins and we vow to never act that way again.  The Church learned from her sins.  

It should be no wonder, then, after sinning and repenting, that the Episcopal Church took the bold step in ordaining women.  After hundreds of decades of male-only ordination, the Church ordained people to the priesthood; regardless of gender.  Why, because the Church learned that God calls men and women to ordained ministry.  It should be no wonder, after all, because Jesus told us that he draws all to himself

It should be no wonder that the first female to be consecrated as Bishop, also happened to be of African descent.  (The Rt. Rev Barbara Harris, the first woman to be ordained to the episcopate, in the Episcopal Church AND the worldwide Anglican Communion.  She was consecrated in 1989)  The Church said loud and clear that gender nor race are factors for Jesus and therefore it is not a factor for ordained ministry! 

Truly in Christ there is no slave or free, Greek or Jew, or male or female!

It should be no wonder, then, after sinning and repenting, that the Episcopal Church takes the difficult stance of being against capital punishment.  Why?  Because Jesus draws all to him.  We don’t know what plans God has for felons on this side of life, but we don’t want to make an error and preempt God’s plans.  After all Jesus will draw all to himself – convicted felons too. 

Further, it should be no wonder that in 2003, the Church decided human sexuality is not a factor in consenting to the consecration of people to the Episcopate.  It should not be a surprise.  We have sinned in the past and we are trying to follow Jesus, who draws all to himself. 

When Jesus says he’ll draw all to himself that includes people who work for AIG and for the IRS.  That includes bankers, lawyers, dropouts and addicts.  It includes transvestites, gay and lesbian people.  When Jesus draws all to himself, it includes schoolteachers, firefighters, Exxon executives, environmentalists, and even felons.  It includes Republicans AND Democrats.  When Jesus draws all, that includes Presbyterians and prostitutes.  He draws the over worked, the underpaid, and the laid-off.  The rich and the poor; the down and out and those who live in Beverly Hills.  He draws ALL.     

And we, in the Episcopal Church, are working to follow Jesus.

Look folks, in this world that wants to divide us, to segregate us, to separate us based on superficial differences, in Christ, we are one.  Together, in our shared mission we gather together.  We gather, not because we are the same; we gather because Christ draws all to himself. 

We gather because we too want to see Jesus.