The America of 9-12: September 12, 2021

 Year B, Pentecost 16                                                                      James 3:1-12                     

                                Recently one of our parishioners posted a meme on facebook that said, “I would never want another 9/11, but I miss the America of 9/12.”  It went on to explain how unified we were the day after our country was attacked.  I remember that as well—going to give blood and being turned away because the line was around the block.  I recall churches full for weekday services that usually averaged 10-12 people.  We weren’t arguing about politics, at least not nearly as much. There were countless stories of heroism and selfless acts.  Now we argue about masks and we can’t even agree on what news station to watch.  At times it feels almost like a different country.

Occasionally I will hear a person lamenting that they have seen someone’s true character after that person has displayed cruelty or weakness, as if all the good they had previously seen was just a façade.   I have fallen into the same trap—choosing to judge someone by their darkest moment, rather than their finest, or even an average moment.  I thought of all this as I looked at that meme.  Which America is real--the America from 9/12 or the America of vitriolic school board meetings and people insulting one another from behind their computers?

            We are reading from the book of James for the third week in a row.  As I told you the first week, James is perceived as one of the more practical books because of the relatable topics he covers.  In today’s reading, it’s about how important the words we use are.  We all know what it is to experience pain because of the words of another.  Often cruelty is not the intention.  It’s just the result of words that were carelessly chosen.   We’ve heard, maybe even said the childhood quip, “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”  Yet both children and adults know that could not be farther from the truth.  The spoken and written word can torment someone far after a physical injury has healed.

            Yet while James warns us of the injury our words can cause, he doesn’t give us any advice on what to do about it.  He admits that no person can tame their tongue. We can try, but even at our very best, we fall short.

            What seems to concern James most about words is not the effect that they might have on another person, but what it means about the person who speaks the words.  In the first chapter of James, he warns of being double minded and thus unstable in every way. He returns to that theme in our section for today, “With (the tongue) we bless the Lord and Father and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth comes blessing and curse.” James goes on to question whether salt water can produce fresh water or whether a fig tree can produce both figs and olives. No, obviously not.  The implication is that a Christian who praises God cannot be genuine in that praise if that person also curses the person who is created in the image of God.  The question is: which is the true and genuine part of the person?

            Some would say, you can’t be both. You can’t be both snarky and faithful at the same time.  I would disagree. I would say at our best, we worship and serve God as well as loving and serving our neighbor. Yet we also sin and fall short of the glory of God.  However, if we are all created in the image of God, than our true self is always the best of us, not the worst of us.  Therefore, even if we use our mouth to praise God and curse those made in the image of God, our true purpose (our true identity) is praising God.  Yes, we will fall short, we will make mistakes.  And some will veer so far off course that all of their intentions will seem evil.  But no person is beyond God’s saving help.  No person ceases being a child of God. 

            I have noticed that one of the most common things people say of newly born child is that they are “perfect.”  Even newborns who might not be perfect by outside standards, are still perfect in the eyes of their parents.  Now, I don’t know any parents—who while their child is in the midst of a tantrum--- looks at them and says, “Isn’t she perfect.”  Frankly, I don’t think very many people describe others as perfect after infancy.  Because we are not.  Our flaws come out.  We say things we regret.  We do things we regret.  But—we never cease being God’s beloved children. We always have a purpose, not merely as children of God, but as disciples of Jesus.

            Now some of you might be wondering what this has to do with a facebook meme about the America of 9/12.  And for those of you who are new or visiting, this is the first time I have ever highlighted a meme in a sermon.  I believe that our country is still a country of people who care and want to be united.  I believe that we as a nation have made countless mistakes and there continues to be injustice and pain.  But there are even more examples of goodness today.  It’s just harder to see.  So on this day, Sept 12^th, let’s try to find the good in one another as opposed to the flaws. Maybe, more importantly, let’s be the good and compassionate person God has created us to be.  Let’s praise God more than we curse the children of God.  And one day we might find that our default is praise and the other stuff just pops up occasionally. 

Today we had a baptism.  My favorite part of the service is when I put the oil on the baby’s head and say, “Anna you are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever.” I want us to burn that into our heart and mind so that when we find ourselves judging another, we can also remember that they too are Christ’s own.  They too were once without sin.  They too (hopefully) had a parent who considered them perfect.  They and we will always have a God who chooses to claim us as his own.

Is it really blood? August 15, 2021

Year B, 12 Pentecost                                             John 6:51-58                                                                            

            One of the things I was able to do on my sabbatical was sit in the pew with my 5 year old son.   He had lots of questions.  On the one hand, I welcomed the questions because they were relevant and it was a way for him to engage in the service.  On the other hand, I didn’t want it to be disruptive.  One question that came up fairly often occurred during the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest held up the wine and said, “Drink this all of you, this is my blood of the new Covenant.”

            “That’s Jesus’ blood? Are we drinking Jesus’ blood?”  Now this was not the first time someone has asked me this.  Especially growing up Roman Catholic, I would get that question a fair amount.  But this was the first time I attempted to explain it to a 5 year old.  The typical Episcopal answer would be, “Well it’s a mystery.  We know God is present, but we don’t know how.” I knew this answer would not go over well.  So I just said, “No----but it helps us remember Jesus.”  Now, this was hard for me, because the answer is so much more complex (and would probably be deemed heresy by many, but this was the best I could do for someone who takes everything literally.

            I know that you all have been hearing about the bread of life for several weeks now.  It would be easy to assume that today’s Gospel reading is just a repeat of the past readings. It certainly has elements of previous verses, but it’s different.  In the verses for today Jesus got a lot more literal and the people listening were not pleased about it.

            Talking about “flesh and blood” might seem unusual in today’s context (that is if we were not celebrating communion.)  However, it was probably not that jarring for Jesus’ original audience.  That phrase is a Hebrew idiom that refers to the whole person (hearts, minds, hopes, dreams, everything.)  Therefore it wasn’t that strange for Jesus to be talking about flesh and blood.  But where Jesus got into hot water was when he referred to his blood and his body. Once he had their attention, he got even more specific: “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”  You know Jesus is serious, when he starts with, “Very truly.” Which makes his reference to his flesh and his blood that much more alarming and gory. 

            Of course many theologians and biblical scholars have used these words from John to debate the theology of the Eucharist, but few people can agree on the meaning. Consequently different denominations define communion in different ways.  Over the centuries, we have let our perspective on the Eucharist tear us apart.  I understand this to an extent, because it’s critical to our faith.  But it’s heart breaking to me that a sacrament that is supposed to bring us together is the one that has also torn us apart. 

            Augustine of Hippo was one of the greatest theologians of all time. He lived in the 5^th century, 1000 years before there was a split between Roman Catholics and Protestants.  That means both Catholics and Protestants get to claim him as their own. I can resolve that argument right now because he was obviously an Episcopalian.  In all seriousness, it’s a sad irony that different sides fight over him to support their denominational views because for Augustine, the most important thing about the Eucharist is the unity that represents and the unity it can and should bring to humanity. 

In the Episcopal Church we attempt to show that in our liturgy when we gather together around the altar and drink from one cup. Unfortunately, we have not been able to do that in a year and a half.  Some people worry that has negatively affected the celebration of communion. And so even those in our one small denomination have begun to debate the Eucharist with more fervor.

            We never completely stopped debating it, but we found other things to argue about.  However, discussions about the Eucharist have become prominent again because of the pandemic.  When we could not have communion, some people got creative and attempted to consecrate over the internet.  Then people like us started providing Eucharist “to go.”  Both of these methods were criticized by some. Then once we could have communion, everyone split on how to distribute it.  I was totally against using these cup/wafer combinations.  I got over that because it turned out to be the best option for our church.   Other churches chose other options. Most churches still don’t have wine.  Some are using fancy tweezers to dip the bread in the wine and then place it on people’s tongues. It’s anarchy out there. 

Yet, even I, raised in the Roman Catholic Church and rather passionate about communion, found that compromise didn’t have to mean we were diluting the sacrament.  At some point I realized that it wasn’t the presentation that was the most important thing.  The most important thing was the sacrament itself, the way it can transform us from the inside, the way it can transform our community. Augustine wrote, “Take and eat the body of Christ… Lest there be division among you, eat of what binds you together.”

            I think it’s essential to celebrate diversity and what makes us unique.  It would be wrong for us to pretend that we are all the same or that we agree on everything, or even most things.  However, let us never forget that what binds us together is constant. What divides us is temporary. Why do we spend so much time arguing about temporal things?

            No matter how we distribute or receive communion, we believe God’s presence is there, tangibly. It’s a gift that Jesus gave us and a gift that will never run out.  In a time when change seems like our only constant, my prayer for all of us is that we can cling to that which doesn’t change.  That is God’s presence with us in the sacraments of the church- God’s incredible display of love and compassion he displayed in sending his son to earth. Cling to that.  Hold on to it with all you are and all you have.  The rest will pass.  God’s love for us—God’s desire that we are unified in that love—that will last forever.

Get Up and Eat: Aug. 12, 2018

1 King 19:4-8                                                           
Year B, Pentecost 12                                                  

 

            We all like to be right.  And let’s face it, it’s kind of awesome when you get proven right in front of a bunch of people who have disagreed with you. The prophet Elijah had that moment in a big way. In our reading for today, he is fleeing for his life.  Just the day before, he had a show down with 450 prophets of Baal (who was a pagan god).  They had a little wager.  They would each create an altar and place a sacrifice on the altar.  Then they would each call on their god to send fire.  This would determine who was the real god, the god of Baal or the God of Israel.  Elijah even decided to show off a little by first dousing the altar and surrounding area with water. He wanted to make sure they saw how powerful God was. 

By the time the altar was prepared, a large crowd had formed. The scene was set. The prophets of Baal and Elijah each called on their god.  Elijah said, “Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” A mighty fire descended burning not only the sacrifice but the altar and the soil as well.  Meanwhile, the sacrifice to Baal remained untouched. It was quite a triumph.  There, before King Ahab, a crowd of people who were waffling between the LORD and Baal as well as 450 false prophets, Elijah proved who the true God was.

Therefore it is slightly shocking to see where he is in our reading for today. He is sitting under a bush begging God to end his life.  It is too much for him.  What happened? We all know that a lot can happen in 24 hours.  A lot can happen in 24 minutes.  When King Ahab told Queen Jezebel that Elijah had not only proven their god a fake, but also killed 450 prophets of Baal, she was understandably upset. She sent word to Elijah that his fate would be the same as her prophets and it would happen in the next 24 hours.  This terrified Elijah.  He ran as far as he could.  He escaped the territory of Ahab and Jezebel.  He was safe for the moment under that bush.  But despite his safety, he was miserable. 

It seems odd given what happened the day before.  Obviously, having your life threatened would be disconcerting.  I would run and become desperate. But this is Elijah we are talking about. He is a prophet especially chosen by God--the God.  Just the day before Elijah had proven what his God could accomplish.  His God could rain down fire and all he had to do was call upon God.  Therefore, why would Elijah be so threatened by a human?

Elijah was definitely afraid.  The text tells us he was afraid and ran for his life.  But it seems as though there was something more going on.  It was more than fear. He was discouraged, which does not make sense given his recent victory.  The more I read the chapter that preceded our reading for today, the more I realized that there is an undercurrent in the story.  One of the people who Elijah was trying to convince (or convert) was King Ahab.  He was there for this whole dramatic show down.  After the water, fire and death--Elijah told King Ahab to go and eat.  It had been a long day and he wanted the king to get some food.  He then went to the top of mountain to check the weather. He was looking for rain so he could tell King Ahab to leave before the rain. 

Despite all the conflict, Elijah was intent on caring for King Ahab.  I imagine he hoped that through the display of power and then the way he cared for him, he figured maybe….just maybe King Ahab’s heart would be touched. Remember the prayer he used before the fire came down. He asked that people’s hearts be turned.  And it worked, after the fire descended, all the people who had gathered bowed and confessed their belief in the LORD God.  But not King Ahab.  What King Ahab did was go and tell his wife (who was not a fan of Elijah) all that happened.  As a result, Elijah was running for his life.  

There is no doubt of the reason for Elijah’s rapid departure.  He was scared and knew he had to get away.  But wanting die….that seems like an overreaction.  I wonder if what was really bothering him was his perceived failure to win over King Ahab.  Remember, King Ahab was present for the entire display of power.  Everyone else was convinced by the words and actions of Elijah.  Elijah took particular care of King Ahab. He had a relationship with him.  And yet….it did not accomplish anything.  All Elijah’s hard work and he could not turn the heart of the person whose heart was most important to him.  

Consider the times when you have been discouraged, frustrated and wanting to give up.  How many times have those circumstances involved another person, someone you cared about?  How many times have you seen a friend or family member refuse to respond to love and forgiveness?  No matter how hard you tried, the friend still did not respond.  It seems to me that this was the final straw for Elijah.  Sure, he was a great prophet, but he was also a human being who cared for people and wanted to know that what he was doing made a difference. Who among us cannot identify with that?

Thankfully, that moment---asking God that he would take his life is not the end of the story.  In our reading for today, an angel came to him and said, “Get up and eat.”  Food immediately appeared and he ate it.  He then went back to sleep.  Either he was tired or the miraculous appearance of the food was simply not enough.  The angel came again.  This time the angel said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” The angel was acknowledging what Elijah had said when he first sat down under the bush.  He said: “It is enough now…” In other words---this is too much.  I can’t do this anymore.  The angel is agreeing-- you can’t do this unless you accept this gift from God and follow God’s instructions.  

Elijah was reminded that he needed support and couldn’t do this on his own.  That was all well and good, but Elijah had to actually accept the gift and follow God’s instructions.  He did.  The food gave him the strength to begin yet another long journey.  This did not mean that things got easier for Elijah.  But he received the sustenance he needed. 

After the big show down, but before he was warned that Jezebel was planning on killing him...I bet he was feeling pretty good about himself.  He was thinking: “Sure God was there, but   I was the one who lay the ground work.   God came because of my prayer.  I really am a great prophet.  I can change people’s hearts.”  

While that is a great feeling-it can’t last.  Because inevitably when we are trying to do the work of God, we will fail.  As long as we put it all on our own shoulders, those failures will feel like the end of the world.  But if we can accept that all the victories are God’s victories, it might not be as hard when we cannot change the hearts of others--when we can’t accomplish what we want to accomplish.  While it is frustrating, we must remember that only God can change hearts.  As Christians we are called to love people with all our might.  On our best days, we do.  Then we leave the rest to God.  We leave the hearts of others in the capable hands of God.    We can’t know what is happening in the hearts of others.  We can control what is happening in ours.  God is telling each of us: Get up and eat and then continue on your journey.

God's Dream for Us: August 16, 2015

Year B, Pentecost 12                                                             
1 King 2:10-12, 3:3-14                                                                                  

            A couple years ago I came across a journal entry from college.  It said, “I have figured out the Trinity.”   The Trinity….one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith.  Brilliant theologians and scholars have been debating this doctrine for millennia and I had it figured out before I graduated college. Apparently I had just read a book that explained it clearly and I thought, “Well there it is.  I am glad I have that behind me.”   I think about that journal entry whenever I am teaching or preaching about the Trinity.  I wish I had the same assurance now as I did then.  Yet it would seem, like so much in life, the more I think about it, the trickier it gets.

            I imagine that most of us can think back on things that we were pretty sure about at one point in our lives; but our opinions shifted over time.  That’s what growth is, the ability to learn new things and even adjust our perspective.  Our perspectives evolve in a variety of ways, but part of the way they evolve is through our interactions with other people.  We learn from one another.

 King Solomon is often described as wise.  This wisdom is often attributed to a dream that he had when he was about 12 or 14 and a newly appointed king.  His father (King David) had just died and he was the heir.  One night he had a dream and in that dream God appeared to him.   In the dream God said, “Ask what I should give you.”   Think about that for a moment.  If God came to you and told you to ask for something, what would you ask for?  My guess is that we all have some ideas that spring to mind pretty quickly.  We might ask for the perfect job, for health for ourselves or our family, financial stability, or if we are more ambitious, perhaps an end to world hunger. 

Solomon could have asked for anything. He started by telling God of the steadfast love that God had shown to his father David.  He then prefaced his question by saying, “You know I am pretty young and I am not sure what I am doing.”  Because of that, he asked for, “an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern your great people.”  Obviously, God was pleased with this request.  It proved that young Solomon was already wise beyond his years because he knew what his limitations were.  In addition to that he knew how important God’s people were and that his responsibility was to take care of them.  This also indicated that Solomon was humble and willing to learn. 

God was so pleased by what he asked for that he decided to give the king not only what he asked for, but what he did not ask for.   He would give him a wise and discerning mind as well as riches and honor.  God ended by saying, “If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, then I will lengthen your life.”  All Solomon had to do was follow a few rules and commandments and walk in the ways of God. This should not have been a problem because he had been given a discerning mind so that he would always know the difference between good and evil.  That was God’s dream for this new king, that he would be a great king, a wise king, and a merciful king.

            But here’s the thing about most dreams.  They only last until we wake up.  Then reality sets in and God seems further than he was that night.  There are temptations, especially for Solomon.  Do you know that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines?  He had power.  He had money.  He had a divine mandate.  While he continued to display wisdom, he lacked humility. He forgot about the dream, or more likely the dream was manipulated by his own desires.  In the dream he asked for an understanding mind.  Another translation of an understanding mind is a listening heart.  A person with a listening heart is someone who will be attentive to the needs of those around them, a person willing to acknowledge that maybe they are not the smartest person in the room.  And even if they are the smartest person, that does not make them right.

            In the dream, Solomon asked for this gift and received it.  But his heart did not remain open and his mind stopped understanding.  He became selfish.  God’s dream was replaced by his dream.   He didn’t listen to the people.  He used them as slave labor.  He is known for building a magnificent temple, but it was built on the backs of abused people.  King Solomon treated people the same way that the Pharaoh had treated the enslaved Hebrew people.  The story of Exodus tells us that Pharaoh had a hard heart.  While Solomon surely knew these stories, he did not learn from them.  His heart became hardened.  The people were also taxed unfairly.   The burden was almost unbearable.  They began to resent him.  Soon after he died, there was a rebellion and the kingdom was split in half. 

            I am not saying that Solomon was an evil king.  He wasn’t. Much like his father he had both good qualities and bad ones.  This is true for us all.  Both King David and Solomon were given a huge responsibility by God.   God chose them to care for his people.   Their major sins were committed when they forgot about the needs of the people…when their success demanded that other people suffer.  God has a dream for each one of us. First, we need enough wisdom to allow ourselves to dream.  Then after we have discovered God’s dream for us, we cannot let it go. We have to hold on tight in our waking hours as well as our dreaming ones.  We also must be vigilant and make sure that God’s dream for us is not manipulated by our own desires.  We have to remember that God has a dream for all of us.

        If the only way to achieve our dream is to lay waste the dream of another, then we will know that we have let pride and desire cloud God’s dream.  When that happens we have to become like a child—like young Solomon, allow our heart to be tender again, tender enough to experience God, tender enough to dream and believe that the dream can become our reality.