Your Destiny...

Sermon: Second Sunday after Christmas A

Jeremiah 31:7-14
Psalm 84
Ephesians 1:3-19
Matthew 2:1-12

Preached at St John’s Lancaster

Have you ever stopped to think what you might have in common with three Zoroastrian philosophers, a Jewish carpenter, a young mother and baby, a dour but hopeful Jewish prophet, and murderously Machiavellian King? This question has the distinct sound and feel of the first line of one of those internet jokes that seem to flood my in-box, but it is far from a joke, because it reminds us all of God’s great love towards us, and of our responsibility to respond appropriately to that love.
The three philosophers are better known to us as the three kings, or three wise men. They were not Jews, but in all probability were followers of the prophet Zoroaster, a Persian prophet of the late sixth century BC. His teachings are recorded in the “Zend -Avesta,” and are based in the worship of the good god Ormazd, who is engaged with his followers in a great struggle between light and darkness. There are still Zoroastrians today in the Iranian exile community. Most of them in their homeland have, like their Christian neighbors, been killed, marginalized, or forced to flee. These philosophers were noted for their knowledge of the heavens, which they used to predict the future and to advise rulers, and they were very aware of the sacred writings of the peoples of their world. They saw a new star in the east, perhaps a comet or a conjunction of the planets, and as they compared it to their sacred writings, they came to believe that it was a harbinger of the birth of a king. And so they came to Judea looking for him.
Without doubt, one look at Herod confirmed all they had heard about him. He was a cruel and manipulative man- a man who would stop at nothing to centralize and protect his power. And so it would have come as no surprize that after they had found the child where the prophets had said he would be, they presented their gifts and “departed to their own country another way, having been warned in a dream.” The Scriptures had predicted that when Messiah came into the world as a bright and shining star that “Kings of the Earth should attend to his rising.” And so the prophesies were fulfilled in these three wise kings from Persia. Their experience seems so far removed from our own, but is it?
Joseph was just another carpenter from a small town occupied by the Romans, another town of no account. In a later age of equally dominant Imperial thought it might have been described as “south of Brownsville and east of Dover,” or merely as “beyond the pale.” But the Bible tells us that Joseph was a just man, and one who listened to God. And so he “got up” on more than one occasion and took the child, and his mother, first to Bethlehem, and then into Egypt, and then into Israel, and then into Galilee, to a city called Nazareth, “that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, namely that He shall be called a Nazarene.” And so through this simple and just man, the protector of the Holy Family, the prophesies were fulfilled. His experience seems so far removed from our own, but is it?
Mary and her son seem to be the pawns in this story. Moved about by forces beyond her control, supplied and protected by men sent in accordance with the prophecies of God. Hunted by a murderous tyrant, and forced to relocate time after time in her child’s formative years, her humility and trust in God never flagged. She remains for us today “Our Lady,” that one human being who perhaps more than any other teaches us what it means to walk humbly with the Lord our God, and to trust him every step of the way, even when our understanding is incomplete. She is what we hope to be, what we ought to be, and so often fail to be. Perhaps she is the easiest to relate to of all the characters in this account.
And so the question remains, what do we have in common with these people? St. Paul addresses the issue when he writes to the Church at Ephesus,
Ephesians 1:3-12 (King James Version)
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

You see, before the foundations of the world were laid, God had a plan for the salvation of his creation. In his abounding love, He knew that the freedom with which he endowed us would be misused and misunderstood. He knew that we would fall. It was the price of making us free. But freedom was the way he chose to show his love to all creation. It was as if he thought, “If after life’s vicissitudes and difficulties, they will willingly respond to my love, and learn to share that love with each other, forgiving each other and living together successfully as my people, then all creation will see the beauty of my character and know the wonder of my love.”
But back to the question at hand. “ What do you and I have in common with these people?” Like them, before the foundations of the world were laid, God knew your name, and had a plan for involving you in the outworking of his plan for the salvation of mankind, indeed of all creation. You are as it were “predestined” for this work. Like Jeremiah, the dour prophet of Israel, we are called to sing aloud the fact of God’s love in our own lives, that the people among whom we live and work might know that God is in the process of gathering in his people, from every nation, that his creation might be made whole and reflect that love and purpose and joy and peace that is his glory. It is our vocation. It is our destiny.
But what of Herod? How does he fit into this question? Herod is a tragic example of what happens to one who rejects the possibilities of oneness with God. Like all of the others in today’s lessons, and like us, he was given the gift of freedom by a loving God. But instead of that holiness of God which shines forth in love and purpose and joy and peace, he chose power and pride and control over others and at their expense; and he forfeited his own soul.
Today, God calls you and me, all of us here, to live into that vision of wholeness illuminated by the lives of the wise men, Joseph, Mary, the Babe, and Jeremiah. He calls us to be “just” like Joseph, to be obedient and submissive like Mary, to use our minds and our skills for the accomplishment of God’s plans like the wise men, to proclaim to all by word and example the reality of God’s love in Jesus Christ like Jeremiah, and ultimately to be willing to sacrifice ourselves for others for the sake of the kingdom of God, like Jesus. We are called to have these things in common with these men and women of faith. It is our destiny. Unfortunately, some among our species will choose like Herod to misuse their freedom and walk another way. But let us so live our lives that everyone we meet might see the wholeness of God in us, and be drawn to the service of Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour, our Brother and our Friend. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

On Becoming Christian

Sermon Christmas Eve 2010

Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20

Preached at St. John’s

Tonight we, with Christians all over the world come together to hear again the old, old story; which is as fresh and new as the first time it was told. Into a world filled with uncertainty, hardship, want, injustice, and aloneness, our Heavenly Father sent his only Begotten Son to show every man and woman and boy and girl the depths of his love for us. As it is written, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Tonight, we assemble in this holy place, so full of the sounds and symbols and smells of our faith, to believe and to rejoice that Jesus of Nazareth, born in a stable in Bethlehem some two millenia ago, is in reality the long awaited one who has saved his people from their sins.
It is still a world filled with darkness in so many ways. Our brothers and sisters in the Sudan face almost certain war after the plebescite scheduled for the first of the year. Our young men and women face danger half a world away and there seems to be no end in sight. Unemployment hovers at over 9%. But the fact remains that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Things did not change overnight in the Roman or the Jewish world when Jesus was born. But on that night there was enkindled a hope of that which was coming into the world. The shepherds understood that much, and they came to adore him. The Bible tells us that his mother remembered the details of that night and hid them in her heart. Not many days later the wise men welcomed him as the object of their quest, and thus fulfilled the prophesy that kings would come to his rising.
That God would break into human history demonstrates for all time that he who made the heavens and the earth has an interest in us, in you and in me. The great things of our lives and the small details that charm us most are all of interest to him. Because you see, he is our Heavenly Father, and he cares and yearns for us as we do for our own children. On this night, he offers us his love, and invites us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Whatever burden you may carry this night, know that God has proved his love for you, and bring that burden to this his holy altar. The procedure is simple. After this homily, we will have the opportunity to stand and declare our belief that Jesus is the Christ. The Scriptures tell us that to confess and believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is, and that he has accomplished what the Bible says he accomplished, appropriates for us the mercies of God’s grace. Then we will kneel and bring him all of our needs in the prayers of the people. As we remember the needs of our community, church, and world, envision in your mind and heart your own needs. Perhaps a loved one is in harm’s way, or you face some serious physical problem that consumes you. Perhaps finances have been tight, and the pressure of it all is eating at you. Perhaps one you love does not return your feelings of affection and trust. Tell God about your need, in specific detail, and ask for his strength, wisdom, and comfort. And boldly and in faith, ask him to meet your needs. After the prayers, we will pray to God the general confession, which acknowledges to God our own failures and acknowledges our need of him. Imagine in your hearts eye those things which you have thought or said or done, or left undone, which have harmed others, hardened your own heart, and disappointed your loving Heavenly Father. Tell him from the bottom of your heart that you are sorry. He will accept and forgive you. And then come forward to the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you have been baptized, receive this gift of Gods enabling grace gladly, and know that as the bread and the wine touches your lips, God gives you a direct infusion of his saving and healing grace. It is as if a syringe of his mercy has been dispensed to you at that moment. If you have not been baptized in the Name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, come forward in faith, and cross your arms over your chest. We will pray that God will extend the grace of this life-giving sacrament to you this day, and then see me after the service, and we will arrange for you to learn more about the Faith, and to be baptized at an appropriate time.
Tonight, on this festival of the birth of our Lord, God the Father offers us that same love that he offered to all the people of the world so many years ago in Bethlehem. He waits for us this night to bring him all of our needs through these simple acts of faith that I have outlined. Come to the manger this night, and find that peace and love which pass all understanding. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Hearing God

Sermon Advent 4A
Preached at St. Johns Lancaster

Isaiah 7:10-16
Ps 80
Romans 1:1-7
Mt 1:18-25

Years ago in France, there was a young girl who said that God communicated with her in miraculous ways. She inspired a nation, was hailed as a saint by those who could use her politically, and burned as a heretic by those whose power she threatened. Many today maintain that Joan of Ark was indeed a saint, but had we been alive then, what might we have said? Several hundred years before the visions in France, a young girl in Roman Palestina said that an angel appeared to her. Her Aunt also said she had dreams, and her uncle lost his voice for a season after an alleged encounter with a heavenly being. Her betrothed also claimed an angelic visit, recorded in today‘s gospel lesson. Several hundred years before that series of claims, the prophet Isaiah broke forth in a semi-estatic utterance which neither he nor anyone else fully understood, and again, based on the political and economic agendas of his hearers, they named him either saint, heretic, or crazy man. It all raises a very significant question for you and for me as we approach this Christmas season. How does God speak to us? While most of us hear today would count all of the individuals I have mentioned as saints, what would you say if your sister, or your neighbor’s son, or the elderly person down the block made the claims made by the players in today’s Scripture lessons? This morning, I hope that we can examine for a few minutes how God has communicated with his people in the past, and how we might exp[ect to hear his voice today.
First and foremost, God speaks to us in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God written. Jesus believed that, and so did Paul. In fact, most of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles spoke freely about the law of God and quoted freely those scriptures which had been revealed by the time they wrote. Anglicanism has always taken a direct and minimalist view to this primary form of illumination. If the scriptures say clearly that we ought to do something, then we ought to do it. If they say we sould not do something, then we ought not to do it. Whenever anyone tries to build elaborate arguments to prove that the scriptures are for or against something that they are not specifically for or against, we probably ought to thoughtfully ignore the person and the argument. In the same way, when someone works very hard to discredit the scriptures, or to re-interpret them in some new way, especially if that way endorses current social or ethical practices in the world at large, we probably out to respectfully ignore that person and that argument as well. God gives us three types of law in the Old Testament. The Ceremonial law of worship and sacrifice is a prophetic foreshadowing of the coming of the Christ, and as the book of Hebrews shows us, it is completed in him. It is no longer binding on Christians. That is why we do not sacrifice animals and have seders here at St. John’s. The legal code of ancient Israel was meant to demonstrate for us how the tenents of the law might be applied in every area of our life, and to show us what ethical and behavioral holiness is all about. In short, they were meant in a particular setting to demonstrate to us something of the character of God and of his Messiah. But their purpose is fulfilled in Christ’s coming, and that is why we don’t stone unruly children or witches. The moral law however, is binding on all people in all places and for all time. It is unchanging, and it helps us to order our ways and to understand the true nature of Christian holiness, which is the outgrowth of love for God and man. And so we look for God’s guidance in the Bible.
Sometimes, God speaks to a person directly, like he did to the people in today’s lessons. Perhaps in a dream, or with a vision or by means of a voice. It is not the norm, but it does happen. It is more likely that a follow of God might sense some urging of a conscience fine tuned by God’s Holy Spirit and by regular reading of the Bible; or perhaps a gentle nudge or leading, and inexplicable feeling whereby “his Spirit bears witness with our own that we are indeed the children of God.” But how do I know that such a communication is not in the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, “a bit of undigested potato”, or worse, a sign of mental illness or excessive fatigue, or some other misleading cause? The first test is that God is one and eternal. He is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” God will never tell you anything that contradicts what he has already told you in the Bible. If your “leading” does not stand the test of Scripture, it is not of God. A second check on the validity of some unexpected or ecstatic experience would be its distinguishing characteristics. Is it compatible with love? Revenge, or schemes for power or dominance are not of God, because they are not of love, and “God is love.” This check might be expanded to say, “is this leading compatible with God’s revealed character.” God might use some very bad things to draw us closer to himself, for he works in and through all things to dispense his mercy and love to his people, but he is never the author of evil. You can take it to the bank that God inspires no-one to an act of terrorism, and it is equally true that he inspires no one to a spirit of revenge against that terrorism, be it individual or national. Both terror and revenge are the products of hate, and God, as we have established, is love.
At this point, it would be good to say a word about the odd, strange, and curious. God is not limited by our understandings of what might be proper or expected. It is true that he often works through the human intellect which is a true manifestation of the image of God. Scientific and mathematical reality, rightly understood, can open to us the way of God in many ways. But, we should be very careful about dismissing a message because we think the messenger or the delivery method is not to our taste or our likeing, or to our understanding. God speaks how he will and through whom he will. A the dreams of a young girl in France or Palestina might just as well please him as a dissertation by a PhD in Biblical literature or a favorite preacher. To speak in Battalion terms, he is the Colonel, and he makes the calls. Let us wait for God in humility, knowing that his choice of messenger or delivery might be very normal and expected, or very bizarre and unexpected.
Finally, we should say a word about divine providence. God often confirms what he means us to hear by means of opened or closed doors of opportunity. This is not to say we should assume that a bit of opposition means that we have misread God’s will for us. The Bible says we will meet with opposition, sometimes even from our own families. But it is to say that where God calls, he enables, and he makes a way. Through diligent prayer, study of the Scriptures, fellowship with God’s people, receiving Holy Communion, and regular participation in all of the many means of Grace, God will give us hearts to discern and know his will, with strength and opportunity to accomplish the same. It is an inexact science, but it is based on the promise of God, and on the firm assurance that he will give us all of the wisdom and resources we need to accomplish the mission he has for each of us.
And so in conclusion, as we consider the examples of Isaiah, Joseph, Mary, and so many other of the saints of God through the ages, let us open our hearts in this holy time to hear God’s message to us as a people and as individuals. He loves you, and is not in the habit of hiding things from you that you need to know or understand. Trust him day by day, and live your lives in the knowledge that God wishes his best for you as he employs you to manifest his grace and his love to a world in need. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Godly Anticipation

Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm146
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster

Remember when you were a child waiting for Christmas? Sometimes the excitement just got to be too much. For years, my dad was a volunteer firefighter in the town where we lived. Every December, he would buy the bulk candy for distribution at the annual visit of Santa Claus to our town and store it in our attic until the day arrived. We kids were given strict orders to stay out of the attic, but sometimes, when my cousin Brian and I were the only ones at home, the temptation was just too great. I’m sure dad knew what we did in spite of our most serious attempts to cover up our pilfering. But at the age of 6 or 7 it was just so exciting. Who could stand to wait?
Today’s propers speak of a time of wonderment and excitement for us Christians. Isaiah employs an image that must have been extremely powerful to a people with a history of desert wanderings. “Waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” We humans can survive for a while without food if we are relatively healthy. But water is a different story. What a powerful and profound picture the prophet paints for us. The day is coming when Messiah shall come, and those things that we cannot live without will be given to us in abundance. Imagine what this will mean in your own life. A cure for cancer will flow forth in the midst of a disease ridden world. The cure for crippling arthritis will appear as might streams in the desert to refresh the people of God. Where once the dry and constant discouragement of Parkinson’s, of dementia, and family strife was all we could see; now the life giving intervention of God will bring us wholeness and reconciliation. What a transformation it will be.
The Gospel lesson speaks even more directly to those times in our lives we would just as soon avoid. John the Baptist, John the Bold, had possessed a faith which was the encouragement and admiration of Israel. But then came his imprisonment, and what must have been a growing realization that he would soon be executed. In the midst of the mental and physical darkness of that filthy dungeon, his faith began to waver. He sent word to his cousin Jesus, whom he had proclaimed to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, “are you the one, or do we wait for another?” Sometimes, in the darkness of our lives circumstances seem to conspire to break our spirits and discourage us beyond measure. And then comes to us that still small voice of God. “Remember the blessings and evidences you have seen of my love. The time is not yet, but do not doubt your senses or your memory. I am coming for you, and that very soon.”
Whether an ancient Hebrew nomad living in a dry and arid land, or a fiery prophet of God undergoing a real time of personal doubt and discouragement, the message of the Scriptures, the message of God, remains the same. “Look forward with expectation, for the fulfillment of the promise is at hand. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!” In the words of St. James, the brother of our Lord, “Be patient, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.” All of our lives are a mixture of wonderment and tragedy. “The rain of God’s blessing falls on the just and the unjust.” and “into every life, a bit of the rain of trial must fall.” Through it all, we are called to be patient. Like the farmer or gardener in the springtime, we are called to enter the fields with expectation every morning, wondering what the new day will bring. First the seed in the ground, and then a few days later the blade, and then the growth of spring and finally the ripening and harvest of late summer.
In the midst of our attempts at being patient, St. James suggests some very practical things that may help us as we await the Lord’s appearing in the midst of lives that can be less than ideal and very unpredictable.
1. Take strength in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near. Faith is defined in the Book of Hebrews as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I hope with all my heart that waters shall break forth in the desert, and that cancer will be cured, and that people will learn to live together in peace, and that every child born might have a long, prosperous, and contented life, filled with purpose and belonging. None of those things have happened yet. But the evidence is there that they may well come to pass when Jesus returns, which he has not yet done. When he was here on earth, he gave us a taste of the first fruits of what will one day be. The sick were healed and the dead were raised and the hungry were fed. A Roman soldier demonstrated an act of kindness to the mother of a condemned Jewish criminal, and revolutionary terrorists laid down their swords to preach the gospel of peace. And Jesus walked among us and after he had laid down his life a sacrifice for my sins and for yours, he took it up again by the power of love, God’s love for every one of us. Yes, the evidence is there, even though I have not yet seen the fulfillment of the promise. And so I take strength in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near. At times, like St. John, I may have doubts and experience that weakness which is common to all mankind, but at the end of the day, I find hope in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near.
2. St. James also tells us not to grumble against each other as we work to be patient. Sometimes it is very hard to maintain a positive outlook, but that is the admonition of the Scriptures. It makes sense. No one likes to be around a negative grumbler for very long. For a while they might be entertaining, or even inspirational, but in the end, a grumbler is tiring and drags down everyone around them. Charlene Rowley sent me a little item about dogs this week which maintained that dogs are so wonderful because they wag their tails so much more than they wag their tongues. I am reminded of the admonition from the movie Bambi that “if you can’t say something good- don’t say nuthin at all.” It is still good advice. Participating in negativity on a regular basis sets us up for yet another bad day, and directs our attention away from Jesus and into ourselves. It is a form of idolatry that can, and so often does, consume us. And remember: negativity breeds negativity. If the radio and TV shows, the books you read, and the people you hang out with are negative, the chances are that you will be negative too. Avoid such company. Fill your life with light and beauty and peace, and your heart will come to reflect your surroundings. We can not pick all of our associates and associations, but most of us can do a better job than we have done heretofore.
3. St. James tells us to remember the example of the prophets, who kept their eyes on the prize and often suffered for the sake of the Kingdom of God, but maintained an attitude of patience and expectation through it all. It is a terrible thing to feel alone. We have all known someone who really came to believe that they were so special, so different, that no-one knew the depths of their suffering. Sometimes it was as if they were addicted to the rush of feeling bad. Well, as the stories of God’s people throughout the ages show us, none of us are really that unique. There is nothing that happens in our lives, for good or for ill, that is not common to man. By God’s grace, others have survived and remained faithful, and by God’s grace so shall we. Might we always remember that a loving heavenly Father has surrounded us with so great a cloud of witness in his saints that we might be encouraged by their lives, even as we live our own. As James says in the verse following today’s second lesson, “We count them happy which endure.” God will give you strength, even as he gave them strength, so be patient, until the coming of the Lord.
4. Finally, in a verse which finishes the paragraph from which our second lesson is drawn today, James says “above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea and your nay, nay; lest ye fall in condemnation.” In other words, as you go about being patient, be yourself. Don’t try to live up to anyone’s expectations but God’s. If someone doesn’t like who you are, they are not going to like you any more because you try to be who they think you should be. They will merely despise you because you have submitted partially to their control. Don’t put on airs either. It only lands you in debt and bad company. Believe me, I speak from experience. If you can’t learn to be happy with who God made you and calls you to be, nothing in the world will ever make you happy. This is not to say that it is ok to wallow in our sins. God expects an honest and ongoing attempt at obedience, but it is to say that true contentment is found only as we patiently live into the role that God has chosen for us in this life, knowing that in the life to come, we shall live with Him forever.
In the remainder of this Holy Advent season, in the midst of life’s joys and vicissitudes, walk with patience, and with hope, the road that God places before you. And may you so live in this life, that you may never be afraid to die, and in the world to come, you may have life everlasting. AMEN.

Preparing for the Kingdom of God

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent Year A
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster

Advent is a time of preparation; but preparation for what? Different people might answer that question in different ways. One might look forward to holiday visits with children and grandchildren. Another might prepare for the most profitable retail shopping season of the year. A third might anxiously prepare for the most wonderful gifts to be opened after Santa Claus makes his annual visit. But John the Baptist had something different in mind. He was preparing for the Kingdom of Heaven to come, and he was sent by God to help others prepare as well.
The kingdom of heaven is that long awaited day when God would break into the world in a way which had been foretold by the prophets of old. As the ancient carol says, Isaiah t’was foretold it. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day, there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” When Jesus Christ was born into this world, the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophesy was fulfilled, and its fulfillment goes on today, and every day until our Blessed Redeemer returns in glory.
You see, since the coming of Jesus, everything has changed. The world is indeed turned upside down, and will never be the same again. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are made new. John, by the power of God’s revelation, knew these things; and he was commissioned by God to proclaim the time of preparation to them, and to us.
The Bible makes it very clear that our entry into the kingdom of God, our salvation if you will, is completely God’s gift to us. St. Paul in his letter to Bishop Titus (2:11) makes it clear that it is the grace of God which brings salvation to us. It is the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf which brings us salvation. Jesus is explicit about that when he says at the institution of the Holy Communion (Mt:26-28) “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Perhaps the most explicit statement of this great truth of our faith is made by Archbishop Paul in his letter to his beloved friends at Ephesus, (Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
If then our salvation is a free gift of God, procured for us by Jesus even while we lived as slaves to sin, and if we can do nothing to earn it, why does St. John the Baptist, the forerunner, call us to repent? Why does he demand in such clarion terms that we be sorry for our offences against God and man, and reform our ways?
First, a gift has a giver, but it also has a recipient. Have you ever given anyone a gift that they did not open, or even acknowledge? It might have been something quite wonderful, but because it was not accepted and acted upon, it was of no use to anyone. Think of Salvation, or membership in the Kingdom of God, as the Lord’s gift to us. It is there, and it is a reality whether we accept it or not. But to benefit from it, to be a part of it, we must accept it. In the words of St. Paul, (Romans 10:9) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” The act of faithful belief is the act of acceptance a loving God has decreed for entrance into his kingdom.
Second, and this is where the process really gets interesting if you are a student of human psychology. Do you remember the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant worked diligently all summer to store his winter’s food. The grasshopper played and did as he pleased, but never worked to lay in the winter’s supply of necessities. When cold weather came, the ant was vindicated by his survival, and the grasshopper’s foolishness was evident to all who saw his corpse. The Grasshopper didn’t put victuals aside because he really didn’t believe he would need them. Most people who don’t respond to God’s gift of salvation don’t fail to do so because they are bad and nasty people. They just don’t really think they need to do so. Perhaps they are well intentioned agnostics or even principled atheists who see no evidence for God. They help their neighbors and are kind to animals, but they see no need of God in their lives. Many others are simply too busy, often doing good and necessary things for people they love deeply. But there just isn’t time for God. I’ll admit that there are some folks who are just nasty and brutish, but I’ve not run into very many of them in my 56 years. To respond to God’s gift of love, to enter the kingdom of God, we humans need to see a need for doing so. That is basic psychology. And that is where repentance comes in. The kingdom of God promises us a time when the foolishness and corruption of human government will be replaced by the everlasting rule of the true King of Heaven. It promises us eternal peace and harmony. It promises us a world of plenty and hope and deliverance from all which has the capacity to kill or destroy. It represents in its ultimate fulfillment the triumph of God over selfishness and greed and sin of every kind. And it will put our guilt and shame over those past acts which have so complicated our lives as far away from our memories and our relationships as the east is from the west. If we really see a need for a renewed world like God promises, then we also eventually will come to see that most of the mess in this current world is of our own doing. We have neglected our responsibilities to our neighbors and ourselves. We have failed to tend this garden in which God placed us. We have sought to control others for our own benefit. We have been lazy, and lustful, and disrespectful. We have expected others to do our work for us and been satisfied with our ignorance. Perhaps all of us have not done all of these things, but as a species, we are guilty as sin, and all of us have had a hand in at least a few of the things I have mentioned. When I realize my yearning for “the kingdom of God” with all its blessings. When I humbly acknowledge that my mistakes and attitudes have had a hand in making a world so unlike the kingdom of God. Then the natural human response to such a realization must be repentance, which is little more than genuine and heartfelt grief, followed by changed attitudes and behaviour. Grief is a natural human psychological response to the realization that I am responsible to some degree for spoiling this wonderful place where God has put us, and that I am responsible to some degree for the divisions that exist between me and some of the people around me, people who were created by God to be my sisters and brothers, and my fellow pilgrims on the road to the Kingdom of Heaven. And so John only asks of us that which is so natural to us all, that we be sorry for those things we have done which have served to spoil this garden of God’s delights which we call our world and our relationships with others.
But there is a second step to repentance. Has anyone ever told you they were sorry, but you knew it was a lie, a social convention designed to smooth ruffled feathers and escape some temporary unpleasantness? What would have convinced you that the persons grief and sorrow was real? I daresay the only thing that would have worked is if they changed their behaviour and stopped doing that thing which had been so offensive in the first place. Without a real effort at changed behaviour or attitude, the words “I’m sorry” ring with a hollow cynicism.
Saint John the Baptist was sent by God to tell you and me that the Kingdom of God’s reign has broken into this world, And that it is in the very real process of being established, with or without our help. God offers it to all of us as a free and unmerited gift, just because he loves us. But he is a gentleman, and will not force any of us to receive this great gift he offers. It is his hope, and this is the Baptist’s message, that you, and I, and everyone else in the world will rejoice that the beginning of the Kingdom is upon us. It is his hope that we will look around us and see the need for what he offers. It is his hope that you and I will recognize that we have all done things in the course of our lives that have hindered the establishment of the Kingdom temporarily, and have hurt people we ought to love. It is his hope that we will be so sorry for these unthinking and cruel actions and attitudes that we will cry out in grief, ask his help, and do better in the days to come. And finally, as we live into this reality which is the Kingdom of God, it is his desire that we see with a new clarity the wonder and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for each of us, and that we will with joy confess public ally that Jesus is Lord of our lives, and believe with all our hearts that God has raised him form the dead to proved the truth of it all. AMEN.

Long Live The King!

Sermon for Christ the King Sunday
Preached At St John’s Lancaster

For weeks, with just a few exceptions, the vestments and hangings in our church have been green. And now, with one week remaining before the season of Advent, they are white. Today is the Sunday set aside by our holy mother the Church as Christ the King Sunday. It is the day we pause to consider the nature of the station and dignity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We all know about kings. They live in palaces and wear spectacular uniforms to review their splendidly dressed palace guards. They are great tourist attractions. Their weddings are often televised. And lushly photographed books and magazines about their homes and gardens are almost always bestsellers. And one other thing, they don’t have near as much power as they used to.
Our history informs our opinion of kings as well. They are generally remembered as very fallible and somewhat out of touch Scottish or German powerbrokers that care more about enriching themselves and their friends than about fulfilling the responsibilities they claim in relation to us and our families out here in the colonies. At the end of the day, we are pretty sure that we are better off without them, unless of course they are circumscribed by parliaments or local chieftains who agree with us.
The end result is that we often see Jesus not as the imperial ruler the Scriptures claim him to be, but as a sort of buddy who doubles as our president. We like him and he likes us, and we respect him a lot, but when it comes to such things as commands and edicts, most of them are discussable, and a good number of them are negotiable. I imagine that is why so many of us who name the name of Christ today ignore so many of his precepts. So many who really do try to follow Christ fail to have respect for human life and seek to justify the use of abortion as an unfortunate but acceptable form of birth control if a child does not fit into their plans. Others who serve him so faithfully in so many other ways are willing in their anger to bomb civilian populations back into the Stone Age, and attempt to justify their attitudes and actions in the name of our own security. Still others who are devout in so many ways are willing to overlook the physical and emotional needs of their neighbors, neighbors in need, and neighbors created in the image of God himself, on grounds of practicality, or availability of resources, or their own opinions about who deserves to be helped and who does not deserve to be helped.
If we go on to add all of the other places where an individual Christian might cut corners and justify their departure from the clear teachings of Scripture: sex, wealth, truthfulness, and respect for
God and other people, to mention just a few; it becomes painfully obvious to most thoughtful people that all of us fail at some time and on some issue with which we struggle. Most of us who name Christ as our King fail to treat him as such at least on occasion. Like men and women of every age and in every place, we fail to appreciate the true meaning of Kingship as it relates to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
What are we to do? On this feast day of Christ the King, I would offer a few common sense, and biblical suggestions:
1. Remember that Christ the King is sovereign, and that means that by right, he calls the shots. He has spoken to us in the words of the Scriptures, and where their teaching is clear, we are bound to follow those teachings.
2. Remember that we all foul up from time to time. We miss the mark, and that is the definition of Sin. Even the most religious of us, the most Christian of us if you will, need to go to the King, tell him we are sorry for our failures, and ask his forgiveness. Always remember that a sincere apology, which means that we really are sorry and that it is our intent not to do the wrong thing again, will be accepted by the King, and we will be forgiven.
3. We need to work hard to change our attitude about kingship, and to submit in all things to the revealed will of our Sovereign. For that is the meaning of Sovereignty.
In conclusion, let us put aside the idea that we can live a victorious Christian life if we do not accept the plan for living laid out for us by him who loved us enough to step down from his throne and die for our sins that we might be reconciled to God and have abundant life forever. Even if we do not agree with or understand completely why he gives us some clear command in the Bible, let us strive to live in obedience to those commands in the knowledge that one day he will say to us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
My brothers and sisters, on this feast day of Christ the King, I would propose a toast to be offered at our next meal, wherever that may be: “To Christ, the True King. Long live the King.” In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

BIG T & little t Tradition

Catechetical Sermon Four: Holy Tradition and our traditions
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster, 14 November 2010

Rebecca and I have always kept small aggressive dogs who are wonderfully loving. Their skin is generally black, and their coats are coarse and thick, but they don’t shed. They have small, upright ears and alert eyes. They spell immediate death to any rodent on which they manage to fixate. They will sit under a tree for hours or dig two to three times their body length in search of prey. They are not for everyone, and many people who acquire these breeds of dogs without doing their research before their purchase end up giving them away. All of you who have been around dogs know that I am talking about terriers. The definition, like the experience of owning them, is unmistakable and absolutely predictable. Tradition, and traditions are like that. They often aggravate us, they almost always comfort us, they are often a mystery to others, and they define who we are.
When we employ the word tradition, we are actually talking about two different things. Big “T” Tradition,, which is often called Holy Tradition, is that way of doing things which we have received from the Apostles, and which St. Paul admonished us to hold fast. It involves the way we organize our Church structures into Dioceses with Bishops in Apostolic Succession, represented by Priests and assisted by Deacons. It is evident in our insistence on the use of the same elements that Jesus used in the Holy Communion, and in our insistence that the words of Scripture be employed in the Eucharistic Prayer. It defines why we insist on saying the Apostles’ Creed at Baptisms and the Nicene Creed at Communion. It informs our understanding of the intricacies of our understanding of the Holy and Blessed Trinity and of the Union of the Divine and Human Natures in the Person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It involves our insistence that believers do their very best to live lives of obedience to the clear teachings of Holy Scripture. Little “t” traditions are very different from big “T” Traditions. They involve those theological comfort items that give us a sense of having been in church, and in the presence of God. They include things like the use of organ and English choral music, the lighting of candles, when we cross ourselves, and how we bow. Liturgical colour schemes and the installation of pews in our Naves also fall into the “little t” category.
It goes without saying that Holy Tradition constitutes a body of practice which we dare not change on our own or without sincere and prayerful consideration. In fact, it would be consistent with the ancient teachings of the church to say that any attempt to change the Holy Traditions of our Holy Mother the Church without the full consultation and consent of our Anglican and Ecumenical Brothers and Sisters, including as the Romans, the Orthodox, the Copts, the Syriac, and the Protestant Churches, any such action would be arrogant and prideful, and would represent a willful walking apart from that consensus which defines us as the Body of Christ.
But that is enough of the heavy theology. Let’s talk about some of those fun things which define us, and which help us to express more fully our commitment to Christ. Keep in mind that these things we will talk about are not required, but they are loved by many faithful men and women, because they have often defined who we are as this people of God called Episcopalians, or Anglicans.
1. The sign of the Cross. The sign of the Cross is a reminder of the signing with the cross that we experienced at our Baptism. Here are some of the times that people have come to consider it appropriate to sign themselves
At the conclusion of your devotions after entering the church
At mention of the Resurrection of the Body in the Creed
At the absolution in Prayers or Communion
In the Communion prayer when we acknowledge ourselves as being in Christ
Before receiving the elements in Communion
At the beginning of the canticles in Morning or Evening Prayer
Whenever you hear an ambulance or pass a funeral
In short, whenever life’s events call you to remember the grace of God in your life.
2. To genuflect or to Bow. Either is acceptable and appropriate at any time you cross the line of the cross in a procession or while moving about the church. It is simply a matter of giving Royal Honours to God. On the continent, subjects generally knelt before King or Emperor, and therefore the catholic custom is to genuflect, and that is perfectly acceptable. In the British Isles, it was customary to greet one’s sovereign with a low Stuart bow. Hence many in our Communion execute a solemn bow.
3. Facing East in the Creed. We face east during the Creed because we believe that Jesus will return to Jerusalem, and therefore we face east in anticipation of this event. While facing east, it is customary to bow when the article about Jesus begins, again as a sign that we are indeed His liege men and women.
4. Covering or uncovering in Church. It was the custom of the apostolic church, and is still the custom in most Christian places, that men have their heads uncovered during prayer and women have theirs covered. Saint Paul talks about this custom, and until very recently, it was the norm even here at St. John’s. But again, it is a devout custom, not a requirement.
5. Entering the church in silence. Customarily, Anglicans and Episcopalians, and most other liturgical Christians, assume an attitude of prayer when entering the church and refrain from talking to each other until after the service. This custom is designed to show our respect to God and to give us time to prepare our hearts to worship Him in an undivided manner.
6. To kneel or to stand. Both customs are presented by the prayer book rubrics, or instructions. The medieval western custom was to kneel for confession and prayer, sit for instruction, and stand for praise. An early eastern custom (and remember that the Churches of Britannia and Hibernia originally gave obeisance to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, not to that of Rome) called for Christians to stand whenever they addressed God. The choice is yours.
Is your brain full and your head spinning yet? I’ll assume that it just might be. So let me summarize a couple of general principles that might help you to put these “little t” traditions into perspective.
1. Lots of people have found that sharing these traditions helps them to feel like a part of something much larger than themselves, to feel God’s presence more immediately in their worship experience, and to identify with a particular Christian worshipping tradition.
2. If you find them helpful in those or other ways, then do them.
3. If you don’t find them helpful, then don’t do them.
4. Follow your heart, and God will bless you.
But now, let us consider our traditions and Tradition in a more serious light. Do the things we do help people to see that we are indeed Christians? ( Like the characteristics and physical features of a terrier mark it out as one.) And more importantly, are the fruits of the Spirit, especially Love, so evident in my life that my witness is seen as being consistent with the customs I practice. If that is not the case, I will be seen as a hypocrite, and my recognition as a follower of Christ may well do more harm than good. So, go forth to keep seriously and devoutly those Holy Traditions we have received from the Apostles. Participate in those “little t” traditions which give you a sense of belonging and feeling closer to God. And in all things, as the song says, let them “know we are Christians by our Love.” In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

Holy Relationships with God and Each Other

Catechetical Sermon Three- Relationship and Incarnation
Preached at St. John’s November 7th, AD MMX

What exactly do you look for in a relationship? I remember a few years back when one of our acolytes, who will remain nameless and is now graduated and off to start her life as an adult, asked one of our older lay readers, who will also remain nameless, a very straightforward question while we were all standing at the altar during the service. She innocently said, “Are you hot?” He replied, “No, but I was thirty years ago.” And the question remains, what do you look for in a relationship? Our answers may differ in a few specifics, and they may mature a bit with time, but I daresay that our hopes and dreams, and our aspirations probably have a lot in common. All of us want to be loved. We want to matter to someone. We want someone who will respect us, and would never knowingly embarrass us or hurt us. We want to be safe and secure, and not have to worry that our special friend will ever leave us for someone who is more interesting or better looking. We want someone who will be interested in what we are interested in, and who will laugh with us and care about what we care about. There are a few other things, but that is the heart of the matter.
Our first catechetical lecture , you may remember, spoke about the authority that love brings to us all. Last week, we talked about how the Holy and Blessed Trinity models for us the nature of true Christian Community. This week, I would like for us to examine how the Incarnation of Jesus the Christ shows us the true nature of two kinds of relationships, the one we can have with God, and the ones we ought to have with each other.
Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth, a life and blood man who was born of Mary of Nazareth, was and is the incarnate Son of the ever-living God, the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesies, and the God given sacrifice for the sin of the world. Christians believe that He is fully God, because he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and fully man, because he was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His mother. Christians believe that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the first few verses of the Acts of the Apostles, give a reliable and historical account of his activities here on earth. Christians also believe that the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible give us insights into who He was, and into the nature of His mission. We also believe that these Bible truths are summarized in the Apostle’s, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, all of which are found in The Book of Common Prayer. In short, the Incarnation means that Jesus is who the Bible says he is and that He did what the Bible said he did. That is a very clear summary of what Christians believe about the Incarnation. But what does it mean for you and for me? I think it might be helpful today to examine that question under two headings. First, What does the Incarnation say about what kind of relationship God offers each and every one of us? Second, What sort of relationship does Jesus model for us as we attempt to live with each other?
Before we move to the examination of these two lessons offered us by God, we ought to consider a question that may have already arisen in some of your minds. “How can I really believe that all of this is true?” People asked the same question in the first century of the Christian era. Paul was blunt when he said that there were hundreds of eye witnesses to what we might call the “Christ Event.” He went on to say that many of them were still living. And then he said, “If you don’t believe me, go and ask them.” In essence, St. Paul was employing the same criteria in his “Truth Model” that the Bishops and Fathers of the Church employed as they worked to determine the canon of Scripture, that is, as they prayerfully sought to determine which books would be accepted as Scripture and which would not. First, they said, the book must beyond any doubt have been written by an eyewitness or his amanuinsis, or personal secretary. Second, it must be of consistent belief with the books of the Old Testament, for God is one, and unchanging. Third, to be accepted, the Holy Spirit must have borne witness to the truth of the scroll by causing it to be used throughout the churches of the world. I fear this may be a grave disappointment to devotees of the history channel or A&E, but there simply was no conspiracy, and there was no power play. Godly people employed the rules of good scholarship to check and double check the historical truth of the documents involved. They came up with a list of twenty seven books which we call the New Testament.
Now, back to the question at hand. What kind of relationship does God offer each and every one of us? All of us can relate to those stories which abound in the Bible of people who made a hash of their lives. They squandered opportunities and made bad decisions, sometimes out of ignorance, and sometimes out of pure willful cussedness. And they paid dearly for those decisions. We call all of that the sinful nature of mankind. But God made us in His image, with a rational mind, and the capacity to love and be loved, and the ability to sense His presence among us, and to know right from wrong. When He looked at us, He said, “That is good!” And even after we had made such a hash of things, He determined to come up with a way which would preserve our dignity by acknowledging our personal responsibility, and at the same time would shower us with His eternal, completely unmerited, and never-ending love. This plan was put into effect when Jesus came to live and die and be raised again as one of us! “So God loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoso believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Note that He did not say, whoso liveth up to the standard, or whosoever is worthy, or whosoever is without sin. We were dead in trespasses and sin, estranged from God, alone and relying on our own wits and resources, and realizing a bit more every day that our resources were not sufficient to meet our needs. And God said, “I will send my Son, who will serve the sentence for every felony and misdemeanor and selfish word and evil thought any of them have ever had. I know they will struggle, but I love them so much that I will waive all of the qualifications. My son will cover for them all, if only they will keep faith with me by believing that I love them enough to have sent Him to do this thing.” “Such love, such wonderous love, such love, such wonderous love, That God should love a sinner such as I, How wonderful is love like this?” “And can it be, that I should gain, an interest in my Saviour’s love? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me , who Him, to death pursued? Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou my God, shoulds’t die for me.” Imagine being loved by someone so much that they would put away all of those ugly things that you have said or done or thought throughout the entire course of your life, imagine that they would accept you as you are, and give you the opportunity to live beyond the guilt and shame and to grow into conformity with God’s revealed way of peace and harmony and contentment and joy. It is the relationship God offers to us all if only we will believe in Jesus, that He has come among us and done those things which the Bible records. And so with that man so many centuries ago, we cry out, “Lord, I believe! Help Thou my unbelief.”
And what of our second question. “ What sort of relationship does Jesus model for us as we attempt to live with each other? He loved us so much that he was willing to go up to Jerusalem, even though He knew that He would be denied and rejected by those He came to save, by those He loved so much. Can you continue to love a child who has spurned and embarrassed you? Can you continue to pray faithfully for a friend or a former spouse who has betrayed you and walked away with mean-spirited impunity? Can you love another person so much that you willingly put your own plans and dreams on hold for their well being? Can you do unto others as you would have them do unto you, even when you know that they probably will not? Can you respond to another in kindness and gentleness, and make them feel safe and secure? Can you love another person enough to honestly and openly discuss with them those shortcomings that everyone sees but they themselves, and can you do it with such sensitivity and love that they never doubt how much you care for them? Can you listen and really care, and be as interested in the events and thoughts of another as you are in your own? Are you willing to lay down your life for anyone? And can you give another person a second, or third or seventh, or seventy times seventh chance? This is the way of Jesus, and it is dangerous and counter-intuitive. By our lack of guile and our humility, we are called to overcome all the ways of sin, the flesh, and the devil. We are called to walk in the way of Jesus. It ought to be said of us, as it was of Nathaniel, “Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile.”
Today, might we join our hearts in prayer that we might respond to God’s love by believing in our hearts and minds that which He has accomplished in our midst by sending Jesus to live and die among us, and to overcome death and become our Saviour. And might we seek every hour of every day to love one another even as Christ loved us, and gave himself for us. Let us stand as we confess our belief in the words of the Nicene Creed, found on page 327 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Living the Trinity

Catechism Sermon Two: Holy Community
Preached at St. John's on All Hallows Eve, 2010

Imagine a time from your past when you felt completely alone. It may have been a genuine time of separation from human companionship, or it may have been a time when you were surrounded by people, but in your heart, you believed that no one cared, no one noticed, and no one knew your name. For a few moments early in the experience, you may have enjoyed the solitude and the quiet, but before long, a devastating sense of loneliness began to oppress your spirit, and your heart ached as it had never ached before. All of us need to be in community. God made us that way. In fact, it is an important part of His image in which we are marvelously and wonderfully made. If we are to experience the fullness of God in our lives, we must learn to live together, in spite of our differences, in spite of our annoying habits, and bad choices and yes, even in spite of our shortsightedness, selfishness, and even our occasional stupidity. God has made us to live together with each other, and a large part of being Christian is learning to live with others who share the name.
As the fathers of our Holy Mother the Church prayed, studied, and worked together in the first three centuries after Jesus, they were led by the Holy Spirit to condense the essential message of the Scriptures into what we know as the creeds of the Church. The three creeds, namely the Apostles’ (which we recite at Holy baptism and in the Daily Office), the Nicene (which we recite at Holy Communion), and the Athanasian (which ought to be rehearsed by all Priests at Morning Prayer on the high holy days of the church, but so seldom is anymore); these three creeds all posit two great and immutable truths about our faith. The First is the Holy and Blessed Trinity. The second is the Incarnation: or a firm belief in the unique, historic, and efficacious person and work of Jesus Christ in this world. Next week, we will talk about the Incarnation , and what it means for our relationships to each other and to God the Father, through (in the words of the funeral liturgy) the blood of the everlasting covenant, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. But this week, we will discuss the Holy Trinity, and what it means for us, for who we are, and how we live together.
Although the word “Trinity” was not used for two or three hundred years after the earthly life of our Lord, the gospels and the other books of the New Testament make it abundantly clear that the definition of the concept has been with us from the beginning of the Church. The Bible is clear that there is only one God, and yet there are clearly three distinct individuals, or persons, who proceed to and from each other, who communicate with each other, and who all receive divine honours on numerous occasions. I must admit, it is beyond my understanding, and honestly, it is beyond all human understanding. Many have tried to explain it, and many explanations are helpful in illustrating some aspect of the concept, but they all fall short. They either combine or confound the persons and make God out to be either a king, far away and unapproachable, or make him into our buddy, thereby denying his power and holiness. In short, God’s nature is trinity in unity. After a sense, three is one and one is three. Smarter people than me have tried to explain it, and have had no more luck than I have had. But the fact remains that the Bible clearly teaches it, the Church has always affirmed it, and Christians are bound to believe it, even if we do not understand it.
But even if we cannot understand it, it makes a wonderful difference in our lives, and models for us how we ought to live together. Stay with me now, for we are at the heart of the matter. I cannot imagine the Father without the Son and the Spirit. I cannot imagine the Son without the Father and the Spirit. I cannot imagine the Spirit without the Father and the Son. They are inseparable and go together like peanut butter and jelly, like salt and pepper, like carrots and peas. Now imagine a church, a local parish or a broader body of believers, where if any one of us were not there, it simply wouldn’t be the same. Imagine a place where if you were absent for a few weeks, you would get calls and cards, not because of some program organized by the staff, but because the people who sit by you each week, the people who kneel with you at the altar, really do miss you and care enough to be concerned. We are not there yet, none of us are, and none of us ever have been. But that is our ideal, because we are those who bear the imagio Dei, the image of God in our lives and in our institutions. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful place to go to Church? Wouldn’t it be a great family to be a part of? Wouldn’t it make you feel truly loved, and give you a sense of belonging beyond anything you could ever imagine? To never be lonely again. That is the real beauty of the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity. It is one of the two essential doctrines of our Faith, and it is eminently practical every day of our lives.
And so what does it mean for us today? I would submit that we are bound to apply the doctrine of the Trinity in at least two ways, first in our Ecclesiology, that is what we believe about the Church, and secondly in our parish, where we live every day and interact with each other. For the first thousand years, there was a basic agreement that a Christian was a Christian, was a Christian. A Priest from Britannia or what was later called the English Heptarchy was recognized as a Priest in valid orders in Rome, or Constantinople, in Baghdad, in Constantinople, or in Addis Ababba. Holy Communion was shared and was the common currency of the Christian Experience. There were times when Christians fought like only siblings can fight, and the Church was racked with distressing regularity by sin, bad manners, and selfish personalities. But the Faith was one, characterized by one Scripture, two Testaments, Three creeds, Four Councils, and Five Centuries of shared experience under a common Lord and Saviour. And then we began to value our own druthers over the unity offered us in Christ and modeled in the character of God himself. The Church split in the 11th century, and again in the 16th, and we have been at it on a regular basis ever since. History has made it abundantly clear that heresies come and go, as does bad behaviour. False doctrines that were on everyone’s lips in 1700 are barely known by anyone save specialty historians today. But there is almost never a reunion after a split occurs in the body of Christ. We live in a world where many would coerce and control those who disagree with them in the Name of God. We also live in a world where many would demand their own way at any cost, even if it means rending the robe of Christ, also in the Name of God. And so we are faced with an unpleasant choice between those who would bludgeon us with catholicity and say that we must all be the same, or those who would define the faith in terms of their own experience and break communion with everyone else. I would submit that Trinitarian faith offers a third way, whereby we maintain our principles by living them faithfully, and allowing others to do the same. The faith is defined as the creeds define it, on other issues, we argue rationally and live faithfully. In such a faith, I cannot imagine a world where other Creedal Christians, be they Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, or something else, were not my neighbors and friends. Some of them might annoy me to no end, and I might find their worship to be other than I would choose, but I acknowledge the validity of their faith and welcome them to the Communion table, even if they don’t acknowledge the validity of my faith or welcome me to their Communion table. How dare I take it upon myself to split the body of Christ again, however egregious the belief or behaviour of someone else might be. I shall live the faith as I have received it, imperfectly for sure, but as faithfully as I can with God’s help.
And that brings us to our local parish, St. John’s. Take a moment to look at the folks sitting around you…… Some of them you may like, and there are probably one or two that well, let’s just say you are not soul mates. But God has put us all here together. And he has called us to love each other even as he has loved us all. There is a place here for all of us, those who are close to God, and those who wander a bit more than they ought. God in his mercy has brought us together, and he calls us in the midst of our differences to learn to live together, and to care about each other to such a degree that we can’t imagine what it would be like if any one of us were missing. You see, God has chosen us to model for the world what he models for us in his own nature, and in his own being. We are all of the Holy and Blessed Trinity that most people will ever see. Do we live together in such a way that in spite of our differences and faults, people look at our parish and see a place where everyone belongs, and is loved, and finds a place? Do you feel that you really belong here? Are you doing all you can to make others feel that way as well. Have you made a commitment not to coerce or bully anyone here, even if they are wrong, and even if they try to do those things to you? Imagine a place where you were so loved that if you missed a few weeks, people, even people who disagreed with you politically, and behaviorally, and in many of their druthers, cared so much for you that they called to see how you were doing, not because there was a program that induced them to do so, but because they really did care. Let us all commit today to ask God to help us to build such a church, a Trinitarian Church, and might we do our very best to love those around us. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

Ideas for Drawing Closer to God

Rector’s Rambling: November 2010
It is a warm night for late October. The terriers pace listlessly and outside, I hear the last of the crickets singing their nearly solitary songs. This has been a night for writer’s block if ever there has been one. It seems strange, because there is so much to write about this time of year. We are approaching the climax of the annual stewardship campaign at the church. Bishop Breidenthal is coming for his annual visitation on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We will be gathering with our friends from St. Mark’s and Sixth Avenue for our Annual Thanksgiving service. And I have ten new chicks which hatched quite unexpectedly this last week. Any of these things could usually provide inspiration for a tolerable ramble, but tonight is different, and my deadline is at hand.
Last night at Fisher Catholic’s football game, I was pleased to be able to talk to Father John Reade, a friend and former member of our parish who now serves our Lord as a Roman Catholic priest. We spoke of many things, caught up on news, and laughed together. At one point, we shared with each other how difficult it sometimes is to maintain the regularity of our own devotional lives. There are so many good and necessary things that need doing, and which are important parts of our job descriptions as priests. I hear the same concern voiced by many of my friends who are involved in ministry, and I cannot help but conclude that if it is a concern for those of us who serve the Church professionally, it must be even more difficult for the good people of God who work a non-religious job at home or in a workplace forty or fifty hours each week, and try to juggle family and community responsibilities as well.
Several things have helped me to maintain the regularity of my prayer life and study time over the last few weeks and months. I pass them on to you not because I think that everyone will be able to use all of my ideas, but because you might find some of them helpful. None of them are original to me. One is drawn from Fr. Pat Reardon, an Orthodox priest in Chicago who helps my Ashley with things spiritual. Another is drawn from the English author Izaak Walton, whose Compleate Angler has charmed me for years. And then there is the Book of Common Prayer, which always draws me back, and is the property of all God’s people.
First, keep a list of the people you pray for, and pray for them specifically, and every day. A small book or a three by five card will often suffice. It only takes a few minutes to go through the list, and you can always add a new request, or cross a line through those prayers which are answered. Don’t let your list get too long, or it will get unweildly. Start with a new list each month, and re-enter those ongoing requests which really are necessary. You will be encouraged at how many of your prayers God actually answers, and will be drawn much closer to those for whom you pray.
Second, establish a place where you can go to be alone. I often take the dogs and walk down the trail to the cabin, or hermitage, at the bottom of our property. While they chase mice, I light candles and pray, or read, or both. Sometimes I sing evensong. Sometimes I read the great litany. Sometimes I read poetry, or the writings of the Fathers and Divines. And sometimes I just sit and think. It is a place where I meet God, and a place where I go with a sense of expectation. Seek out a place apart for yourself, and God will meet you there.
Third, familiarize yourself with the Book of Common Prayer. The edition does not matter. I prefer the older editions, but any one will do. To share those prayers and forms which are the common currency of the people of God through the ages brings me the comfort of knowing that I am never alone, and that I am a part of something much bigger and more profound than I can ever know. If you are unsure about how to start with the prayer book, give me a call sometime at 215-3900, and we will sit down and discuss some ways that you can get started on a wonderful journey of prayer book spirituality.
Finally, for today, think about developing devotional practices which involve all of the ways you might experience God. Many of us grew up in a word- based culture which has given way to a sight and sound- based culture. But there are other senses that can also bring us to our Lord. The feel of beads running through our fingers can be a powerful and comforting tactile experience of the presence of God. A scented candle or pinch of incense can call to mind in a powerful way that Scriptural image of the prayers of the saints arising before the throne of God as great clouds of incense. Along this same line, reading or saying your prayers aloud, or singing the Psalms and Canticles can be a way of transporting ourselves into the heavenly court. While most human bystanders will think you are insane if you do some of these things, I have it on good authority that dogs and cats don’t seem to mind.
As the days grow shorter and the darkness grows longer with the coming of winter, I hope and pray that we all might be able to take some time to seriously consider the nature and practice of our private time with God. Each of us will find that what works for us will be a bit different from what works for our neighbors, but as we seek Him, he will meet us where we are, and in a way that is custom tailored to our personality, to our needs, and to our situations.
Faithfully,
Bill+

The Authority of Love

Catechism Sermon I: Authority
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster 24 October 2010

The Bishop is coming! The Bishop is coming! On the Sunday after thanksgiving, Bishop Breidenthal will be amongst us to minister in Word and Sacrament. We will gather here for a single service at 9 AM. After hearing God’s Word proclaimed, and responding by renewing our baptismal vows and receiving the sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we will adjourn to the undercroft for a wonderful party with the parish silver, finger foods, and laughter all around. But what makes it such a special day? The Right Rev’d Thomas Breidenthal stands in direct line of succession to the apostles themselves, and he is for us a direct link to Christians throughout the world and across the centuries. He literally stands in the place of Christ, and we are called by the fathers of the church to honour him as we would honour his Lord, the Saviour of us all. As you might guess, I have some differences of belief and interpretation with the Bishop, but then, he also has some with me. In fact, I daresay there are no two of us here today who agree on everything. Life is a bit more complicated than that. In spite of our differences, we who name the Name of Christ, we who eat the flesh and drink the blood of God, are called to come together each week to lay aside our differences and affirm with the people of God through the ages that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy and blessed Trinity, came and died for our sins that we might be reconciled to God the Father; and that he, by the power of love, took up his life again on the third day and ascended into heaven that we might live henceforth in the power of the Spirit, sharing with every person in the world the good news that God has broken into history to give us purpose, and belonging, and union with God in this world and in the next. In contrast to such a great truth, to such a powerful message, our disagreements, as profound and important as they may be, pale in comparison.
In preparation for Bishop Breidenthal’s visit, I thought it worthwhile to review with the entire parish a sort of catechism, or instruction of the faithful. Today, and over the next three weeks, I hope that we will be able to review the essentials of our faith as Christians, and the unique witness we bear as Anglican Christians, known since the American revolution as Episcopalians. Our discussions will fall into four categories:
1. What is our Authority for the things we believe and do?
2. How does the Holy and Blessed Trinity model the nature of the community in which we live and bear witness?
3. What does the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ say about the relationships we should have with him and with each other?
4. How do our peculiar traditions, and the Tradition we have received from the apostles, help us to sense God in our midst, and share him more effectively with others?
And so what exactly is our authority for the things we do? In short, our authority is the love of God manifested usward in Christ Jesus our Lord. When I wandered in darkness and sin, leaning unto my own understanding, and doing what I thought was best for me and mine, Jesus looked upon my pitiful blindness, on my selfishness, and on my insecurity, and he said to the Father, “I will go and pay the price for all his errors and confusion, that he might be reconciled to you and have a new start.” He loved me even when I was rebelling against him, so much that he laid down his life for me. Such loving sacrifice gives him the right, the authority, to come and speak truth to me. Such love places a fair claim on my life, and compels me to respond to his invitation and be restored to a healed relationship with the Father. Such love calls me to respond in kind, and to accept gratefully, if imperfectly, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which enable me to become a conduit of love, his love, to all people, everywhere.
I, we, have been transformed by the love of God into what we were made to be. God is love, and we who are made in his image are called to reflect his love in all that we do. By his grace, he has given us the Bible, a collection of books written by human authors under divine inspiration which shows us the character of God, which is love. Because this collection of books is the God-breathed record of his self-revelation in Jesus, it is the place where we see the true nature of love. It is here, through the examples of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, and ultimately through the example of Jesus himself that we see the sacrificial nature of love. “Greater love hath no man than this, than that he lay down his life for his friends.” It is here that we learn the degree to which love extends to every part of our lives, for we are to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.” It is here that we learn the true nature of love when we realize that we ought to “do unto others as we would have others do unto us.” It is here that we see this law of love for God and man made practical in the tables of the ten commandments and in the working out of the laws of Israel in everyday life. As God’s love is the authority in our lives, and for all we do as a church, so is the Bible that body of belief which is given us by a loving God to help us in the understanding and application of that love to which we are called.
In his first letter to the Church at Corinth, Saint Paul sings the glories of Charity, or that Godly love which the ancient Greeks called agape. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunted not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth….” Indeed, he goes on to say, “And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” This is the love of God made manifest to us in Jesus Christ, and implanted in our hearts by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. A life characterized by such piety, such humility, such love, is all the authority any man or woman of God needs to reach out to a world in need.
We Anglican Christians have been blessed by God in so many ways to experience this love of God. Christianity first came among us in the middle years of the first century, carried by Jewish traders and Samaritan soldiers of Rome. It was cross fertilized in the second, third, and fourth centuries by the words and examples of Greek and French missionaries, and organized in the fifth and sixth centuries by Irish abbots and Roman bishops. By the time of Whitby in the seventh century, we had seen that the love of God is truly for all people, and that no single organization, or denomination, or national group has a monopoly on the experience or proclamation of God’s love. The man or woman who is transformed into the image of Jesus, and who lives humbly in the power of his love, bears the authority of God himself to reach out and share that same love in every situation. This is our authority, and this is our mission. It is who we are and who we are called to be.
And so in the words of St. Paul, the question remains, “Is the evidence of God’s love manifest in your life?” When your neighbors look at you, do they see Jesus? When they look at you, do they see someone who is long-suffering and kind? Do they see someone who is not motivated by envy, someone who is not always seeking to be the center of attention or characterized by prideful arrogance? Is your behaviour above question and reproach? Are you desirous of seeing good come to other people instead of always insisting on your own way? Are you able to walk away from a fight or argument, and to think well of others even when perhaps they do not deserve it? Does iniquity bring you sorrow, or do you enjoy a good laugh at the expense of someone else from time to time? Are you truly happy when you see the triumph of the good, and can you be happy for others when good things happen to them, even if you are left out? Are you willing to bear the difficulties and vicissitudes of life with your faith in God unshaken, and even in the darkest of times does your hope in God’s love burn brightly? Are you able to trust God and be patient when things don’t go your way? These are the true evidences of God’s love in your life and in mine. Where such evidences of piety and godliness exist, no other authority is necessary, for people will see in us the love of God, and they will know that God has come among us to offer us deliverance from the mess that we have made of our lives and in our world.
On this day, as we prepare for the visit of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, our Reverend Father in God, Thomas, let us beseech our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to fill us with His grace, and perfect us in his love, that every man and woman and boy and girl might know the truth of the Good News of God through us. This is all the authority we need, and it is the authority offered to us by God. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

Thoughts on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church

Sermon Proper 23C The Sunday closest to October 12

Jeremiah 29:1,4-7
II Timothy 2:8-15

Preached at St. John’s

The city of Jerusalem is mesmerizing. To walk in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is an experience which can transform one’s life. To look upon the walls of Suleiman the Magnificent and walk the path to temple mount is merely a short imagining to the citadel of David. The promises of God are everywhere. On the rock covered by the great dome of Islam Abraham lifted the knife to slay his son, his only son, and experienced the deliverance of God. Here David danced before the Lord, ensuring the disdain of those who thought too much of what others might say, but exhibiting that purity of heart which brought him the sobriquet “a man after God’s own heart.” Solomon the wise, in obedience to the call of God, erected the first temple in this place. To the call of the shophar and the solemn intonation of priestly chant, the faithful repaired to the worship of the one true God for generations. It was commonly believed that God would never let his holy city be defiled by the tramp of foreign armies, although he had never said so himself. But it was not the tramp of foreign armies which first defiled the holy city. Rather it was the disobedience of his own people which destroyed that city which had heard the songs of God’s praise and welcomed the entry of the great kings appointed by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I have always yearned for Jerusalem. My favorite hymns are of the city. “And there’s another country,” “Jerusalem, my happy home, when shall I come to thee..,” “And we shall build Jerusalem, in England’s green and pleasant land.” Among my favorite psalms are the songs of degrees, which for centuries have been sung by the people of God as they approached the city of David, the city of God. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” “Behold, how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” You see, Jerusalem is for the people of God a metaphor of that heavenly city which is to come, which is to come down from God out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. Rebecca and I have long sought to make our own domicile a vision, a pale reflection of the city of Jerusalem, a place of harmony and beauty and godliness. We have never been completely successful, but it is our dream and our goal, that visitors to our home might gain a sense of that which is to come.
Imagine how the children of Judah must have raised their lament when their city was destroyed by the Babylonians, and they were dragged into those seventy years of captivity in a strange and foreign land. “By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept. How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.” It must have seemed to the faithful that the world itself had come to an end. And the prophet Jeremiah wrote to them a letter which was to fill their nights with hope and their days with holy labour. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
Have you ever received news which seemed to indicate the demise of that which you held most dear in all the world? From time to time, some bit of information has such an effect on me. Perhaps it is an offshoot of my personality and experience, or perhaps it has some basis in reality. When it strikes, it cuts me to the core, and instills in me a brooding sense of doom that can take some days to pass. In those times, I look to the experience of the children of Judah and Israel after the first temple was destroyed and the people carried away. For seventy years they lived in a hope not realized that God would deliver them and restore the city of Jerusalem, and when finally the Persian king allowed their return, it was as if all the world was against them. The rebuilding project languished for a full generation. Fathers and Mothers died, and their children grew up with the promises of restoration unfulfilled. But they persevered, and built homes, and planted gardens, and reared families in that place of spiritual desolation where God had placed them. And in the end, their prayers were answered. The temple was rebuilt and the wall was reconstructed. The people returned to accomplish the mission that had been assigned to them some 900 years earlier, namely to be the bearers of Christ to the nations. You see, in the end, God’s will is always accomplished; not on our time table or in the way we might imagine, but his triumph is inevitable, and we are called to soldier on with hope through the hard times, living in and praying for those societies and times and institutions where he has placed us, and not leaning to our own understanding or our own ways.
On Friday, as I was perusing the church press, I was stricken by a spirit of what could have easily become hopelessness, or even despair. And then I sat down and read the propers for this day. I saw the admonition of Jeremiah to the people of God, and I heeded the wisdom of St. Paul writing from prison, “The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful- for he cannot deny himself. Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.”
Many things will happen in this world, and all of us will find some of them not to be to our liking. But if we are faithful and true, and go about serving God with obedience, and with love, and with faith in the Incarnate Christ and the Holy and Blessed Trinity, refusing to be caught up in arguments and bantering over words, God himself will vindicate us, and we will be by his grace ushered into that heavenly city, the new Jerusalem. Be faithful my friends, and let no earthly events lead you to despair. Our God, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, is faithful, and he has named us as his own. AMEN.

Faith in the midst of Darkness

Proper 22C The Sunday closest to October 5

Haabakkuk1:1-4;2:1-4
Psalm 37:1-10
II Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10

Preached at St. John’s Lancaster

Today’s lessons attest to the fact that the world can be a pretty rough place. It does not take a prophet or a philosopher King to recognize the fact that the evil seem to prosper all around us, and that for significant periods of time they seem to call the shots and accomplish their selfish and evil ways with impunity. Sometimes, as Saint Paul points out to His Grace, Bishop Timothy, good people find themselves in the most untenable of situations. And all of us, in the midst of life’s vicissitudes, have cried out with the disciples, “Oh Lord, increase our faith!” In general, or in philosophical terms, we can all see the reality of the human experience, and we sagely acknowledge that which is self evident. But what are we to do when these realities of a fallen world become so real to us that we ache within our hearts. What happens when we cry out for deliverance from cancer, or justice over some contractual situation which we agreed to when we were younger, or more foolish, or when our financial situation was so much more stable and hopeful? We cry out for God’s hope and deliverance, and like Habakkuk say, “how long, O Lord…will you not listen?” What happens when we see decisions taken by others, decisions which threaten all we love and have worked for, and we feel powerless to do anything? With that prophet, we cry, “Violence!, O Lord, will you not save us?” And who of us has not been in some difficult situation, when we have felt so awfully alone, and we knew that if we could just talk to the one that we loved, God would give us strength through that encounter? Echoing the words of St. Paul, we cry out in the darkness of the night, “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day, remembering your tears, I long to see you that I might be filled with joy.” And yet our loved one for whom we yearn is still so very, very far away, across an ocean, or in another state, or on the other side of the grave. And we are so terribly and unalterably alone.
In such circumstances and at such times, we, with the disciples, cry out to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” And now as then, He seems to give us the same answer that he gave them, and it seems so insufficient. “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.” How many of us have asked with all the faith we could muster for some such miracle, only a hundred times more immediate or personal, only to see our situations remain absolutely the same, or worse. To pray , believing, and then to realize that cancer or diabetes still racks the body of the one we love; to lose a child; to find no escape from migraine headaches; to see a loved child walking along a path which will certainly lead to death and destruction in this world and the next; to see a parent or a spouse fade away to a mere shadow, both physically and mentally, of what they were in their prime; to see a marriage fail in spite of all our best efforts…the grief, and the anger, and the pain can be crippling in such a situation.
There are often those well intentioned friends, who like Job’s comforters, attempt to help us in such times. One will say that we simply lack faith, because Jesus always keeps his promises, and if the tree is not planted in the midst of the sea, the problem must be with us, and we need to be more holy in our actions and conversation if we wish to receive God‘s blessing. There is another who says that we must boldly claim the healing of God, and a third who wants to enroll us in a self-help program which will help us to see the possibilities in our lives and “just praise the Lord in everything.” They are all well intentioned, for the most part, but they are about as much help in the midst of our adversity as was Job’s wife, who counseled her suffering husband to “curse God and die.”
And so what are we to do in such times? Today’s propers give us an answer, but I’m afraid it is an answer which the practitioners of instant blessing, prosperity, and quick results will not like. The Prophet Haabakkuk is succinct when he responds to his own troubles by saying, “I will stand at my watch post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.” Paul is equally direct and realistic: “…God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline…I know the one in whom I have put my trust,and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.” Such language invariably takes me back to the old words of the signing at baptism, words which were our common Anglican heritage for centuries before our own American church unilaterally modified the baptismal rite which had been used throughout the communion and the church for so long. As the Minister made a Cross upon the Child’s forehead, he said “We receive this Child into the congregation of Christ’s flock; and do sign him (or her) with the sign of the Cross, in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ’s faithful soldier and servant unto his life’s end. Amen.”
The answer to the reality of evil in our world, and to suffering in our lives, is you see an answer which does not promise immediate deliverance in every instance, nor is it an answer which releases us from the call to embrace true faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We are not called to expect that God will overturn the laws of nature, his own laws, at every turn, although from time to time it has suited him to do so. We are not called to live in some sort of denial of reality which exudes false happiness and is characterized by bad theology and a pasted on smile. We are called with Habakkuk, and Paul, and Timothy, and the Twelve, and with saints through the ages to do our duty, “and when we have done all that we were ordered to do, to say, We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done.” They understood that it was not about them, but rather about God, and his plan for us all. The whole duty of man, according to the old catechism, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. That is best done by patient endurance and faithful obedience, all growing from a heart filled with love for God and man.
True faith is a gift of God. It is best known in the long times, and often in the dark times, as we learn to stand the post that we are assigned by God to his glory and to the extension of his kingdom throughout the world, that every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! In the midst of the darkest time, our most discouraging time, we would do well to look to the east in anticipation of the return of Christ, the true king. He will come to vindicate his people, and to make all things right. “He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel, we, like Paul, are appointed heralds.” Such an appointment will of necessity bring hardship and suffering, because our enemy the devil lurks in this world, seeking whom he may devour. But we must never be ashamed, for we know whom we have believed!
So let us, with Habakkuk, that good soldier and true watchman, stand our post in all sorts of weather, and in the difficult as well as the wonderful times. Like him, might we anticipate the fulfillment of that vision of the end, which does not lie. “If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.” Might we live by faith, and thereby inherit all the blessings promised in Christ Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour, our brother and our friend. AMEN.