That We All May Be One

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them has light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)

“Oh the majesty and magnificence of his presence! Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary.” (Psalm 96:6)

“…the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.” (Titus 2:11)

“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them…” (Luke 2:9)

Light shining…magnificence and splendor…grace appearing….glory all around.

All of our Lessons from Holy Scripture tonight seem to emphasize Light! And it’s easy to see why anciently the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrated Christmas on January 6 – or what we call the Feast of the Epiphany. Because the word “epiphany” means a “shining forth” and surely the birth of Christ was a “shining forth,” an epiphany of God’s purposes in ways the world had never seen before!

Even in evening celebrations of the Christ Mass, like this one, there is an emphasis on candlelight and “candle light services”. We’ll sing Silent Night by candlelight at the end of this service. And our homes are filled with Christmas lights of all kinds. Why all this emphasis on “light” at Christmas? Well, what does light do? It “reveals”, doesn’t it? It makes things known that would otherwise be hidden. And that is exactly what the birth of Jesus Christ did for the world. It revealed, made known, manifested, something of what God is really like.

You might think that would have been unnecessary for the people of Israel who had worshipped God for nearly 2,000 years before Jesus was born. But there were still differences of opinion about what God was like. There was a Priestly understanding of a God who approved of cult and temple and sacrifice. There was a Prophetic understanding of a God who desired justice and righteousness above all else…and was quite suspicious of the sacrificial system.

There were those who saw God as vengeful and capable of destroying entire nations if they opposed the Divine Will. And others who saw God as tender and compassionate, One who brooded over this world like a mother over her children.

To this day, people have all kinds of ideas about God. Some believe in a God who sanctions violence of the most extremist kind. On the other hand, some Eastern religions have a very peaceful, tolerant view of the Divine, but don’t say much more than that about God. Seems to be a more of a Force, or a Divine Mind, rather than a Personal Being for them.

But our claim as Christians is that we know a bit more than that about what this God is like. Without wanting to say that we know everything there is to know about the Creator of the Universe (we certainly do not!) we do believe that something of the very nature of God has been revealed to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. We have been “enlightened” to some degree about that very Nature.

For example, we know that God is not callous or cruel. God does not willingly afflict or grieve human beings. We know that God is not distant from us or from the affairs of this world. For all God’s power and majesty, there is a certain vulnerability and even the possibility of being “hurt” – like a baby in a manger, our God can be vulnerable…and even wounded.

We know that God is not static and predictable by our rules and regulations, but is perfectly capable of surprising us, like the twelve year old boy in the Temple once surprised his parents by being about his Father’s business instead of being where they thought he ought to be. God “shows up” in un

We know that God cares very deeply about what happens to us and so reaches out with a Word of wisdom and with healing, like that itinerant rabbi who once went about preaching Good News and backing up his words with actions like the healing of a paralytic, and the restoring of sight to one who had been born blind.

We know that God is capable of being betrayed by us, and delivered into the hands of sinners, for even less than the thirty pieces of silver Judas once got for betraying his friend.

But, in all this, indeed because of all this, God reigns! With all the vulnerability and unpredictability and deep compassion, God remains the creator and sustainer of the Universe, the ultimate source of all life and all that is. And this God is able and willing to bring good out of evil, and life out of death at every turn. Just as he once split open the grave and won the victory over death and hell on Easter morning.

How can we say all this? How can we believe all this with such passion? Because we believe in the essence of the Christmas story… because we believe in the “good news of great joy for all the people (for to us) is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

We know something of what God is like because we believe that the meaning of the Christmas story is what St. Luke said it was, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.”

We believe that Jesus Christ is “the grace of God…bringing salvation to all…” And his name will be called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Light shining…magnificence and splendor…grace appearing…glory all around.  That’s what we celebrate here tonight, dear friends. Merry Christmas!

Well, I can tell you that it is an exercise in humility for Episcopal clergy to read and preach on our Gospel reading for today! On this Sunday, every three years, we dress up in our long robes, prepare to be greeted with respect in our churches, take our best seats up front when the service begins, and prepare to say long prayers…just before getting the best seats at the pot luck meal immediately following the service. And then, we hear Jesus say, “They will receive the greater condemnation!” (Mark 12) About the only thing we clergy don’t do, that Jesus warns about in today’s Reading, is to “devour widows’ houses!” At least most of us don’t!

And, of course, it’s easy to explain all this away by saying, “Oh, but these were the scribes and the Pharisees Jesus is being critical of – not us! But then, just who were the scribes and the Pharisees of Jesus’ day? They were the teachers and preachers and religious leaders of the Temple and synagogue. Just like we clergy are the teachers and preachers and religious leaders of our Cathedrals and churches of today! So…I don’t think we get off so easy!

What Jesus is warning us about, of course, is spiritual pride and the abuse of power which can come crashing down on all religious leaders of whatever denomination or faith. And, since neither the scribes nor the Pharisees were actually “ordained” to the priesthood, we’ll have to concede that this warning is directed to all of us – to clergy and to lay leaders alike! We all need to be on our guard. Because it’s very easy, in a church that honors its clergy and lay leadership to begin to, as it were, “believe our own publicity!”

In a church which dresses her bishops up in hats that look suspiciously like crowns (even though our miters are supposed to represent the tongues of flame seen on the heads of the first Apostles on the Day of Pentecost). And, in a church where at least some of us call our priests “Father” (despite Jesus’ warning about that)…

And in a church which honors the servanthood of deacons with the scriptural description that “the greatest among you must be your servant – it might be easy for even them to say, “Well, see, I AM the greatest after all…because I’m the best servant ever!” And in a church which proudly boasts of its lay leadership and gives Vestries and Diocesan and National Conventions powers unheard of in the rest of Christendom – it would be easy for lay people too to be swelled with their own importance, if they aren’t careful.

And that, of course, once again, is Jesus’ point: we need to…BE CAREFUL! To be full of care. Full of care that we do not begin to “believe our own publicity.” To be full of care when we exercise whatever authority we have been given we do it appropriately. To be full of care for the people we serve and the people to whom we are sent that we may be guided by our baptismal promises to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves…AND to respect the dignity of every human being!” (BCP 417)

There is a famous passage in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians which tells us how to do all that. Paul says, “ If there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.”

“Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:1-8)

In other words, we need to learn humility by having the mind of Christ! We need to learn to “think like Jesus.”

And one of the ways we do that is to listen to his teaching. Especially to his parables and stories…like the story of the poor widow which concludes today’s Gospel Reading. Scholars tell us that this story may not have been original with Jesus. There is a Buddhist version…more to the point, there is another version in rabbinic literature and still another in ancient Greek writings. And the point is always the same: God appreciates the small sacrifices of the poor more than the extravagant offerings of the rich.

Most of Jesus’ stories and parables are simple and straight to the point like that. Whether he made them up on his own or borrowed them from the rich storehouse of wisdom literature in his Jewish tradition. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which of the figures in the story has “the mind of Christ,” does it?

The rich people in the story “put in large sums” of money. Jesus never had large sums of money, although we do know that he and his disciples gave money to the poor, paid their taxes, and taught others to do the same. The poor widow in the story “put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.” Yet Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)

And in the final analysis, this story is not so much about money as it is about sacrifice. The rich folks in the story gave lots of money, but they didn’t make much of a sacrifice to do it. They had plenty. The widow…gave all she had. That, I think, is what Jesus is asking us to do.

Not to be content with a Sunday morning faith in God which means we might be in church if we have nothing better to do. But to give our lives – like Jesus – as “an offering and sacrifice to God.” To find ways to serve God and God’s world, not only on Sundays, or in our spare time. Not even in the hours and days we give to “church work” (which I know many of you do and do faithfully).

But truly to give our lives to God and to try to have “the mind of Christ” (to think like Jesus) as they say 24/7. On the job, in our neighborhoods, and in our families. If you do that you won’t have to worry about spiritual pride or the abuse of whatever power you may have in the world or in the church.

You’ll be too busy “seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself.” You’ll be too busy “striving for justice and peace, and respecting the dignity of every human being.”

You’ll be too busy…in your poverty…putting in everything you have. All you have to live on.

REACHING OUT TO “THE NONES”

I think it was Karl Barth who once said sermons should be preached with the Bible in one hand and the New York Times in the other. His point was that the Word of God should be brought to bear on the issues of the day and that our faith should impact the real world in which we live!

I don’t always follow Barth’s advice but it’s pretty easy this week because I ran across a headline in the NY Times on Tuesday which read, “Number of Protestant Americans Is In Steep Decline, Study Finds.” Leaving aside the obvious question about whether Episcopalians are actually Protestant or Catholic, I don’t think it takes a study for those of us who go to church regularly to feel that decline.

But the new study, released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, emphasizes that it’s not just so-called liberal, mainline Protestants like Methodists or Episcopalians who are experiencing losses, but also more conservative Evangelicals as well. Even the largest faith group, the Roman Catholic Church, is only keeping numbers steady because of the huge influx of immigrants who have now replaced the many Catholics who were raised in the church, but who have left in the last five years.

Now, in this country, more than one-third of those ages 18-22 are religiously unaffiliated. And, instead of switching churches, they join the growing ranks who don’t identify with any religion. Called “the Nones”, nearly one in five Americans say they are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”

The study offers several theories to explain the rise of the religiously unaffiliated. One is that these young adults grew disillusioned with organized religion when evangelical and Catholic churches became so active in conservative political causes, like opposition to gay rights and abortion. Another theory is that the shift simply reflects a broader trend away from social and community involvement, the phenomenon called “bowling alone” by Robert Putnam, a public policy professor at Harvard. And another explanation is that the United States is simply following the trend toward secularization already seen in many economically developed countries like Australia and Canada and parts of Europe.

As believers, we might expect this “church alumni association” (those who have left) to be troubled about it, grieving their loss of faith, like our old friend Job in the First Lesson today: “Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling…(but) if I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and (if) I turn to the right, I cannot see him…If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness cover my face.” (Job 23)

That was sort of like the anguish I felt during my time of doubting and drifting in college. I had been really active in church during my teen years and really missed it when I thought I could no longer, in good conscience because of my doubts, show up in church on Sunday morning. But I think the “Nones” of today are really different. Lot of them would describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.”

Two-thirds of them say they still believe in God and one-fifth say they pray every day. An old friend of mine, Eileen Lindner, who has tracked religious statistics for years, has this to say, “There will be lots of people who read this study and say, “Oh no, this is terrible! What’s it doing to our culture? I would, as a social scientist and a pastor, urge caution. A lot of younger people are very spotty in their attendance at worship, but if we have a mission project, they’re here. They run soup kitches, they build houses in Habitat for Humanity. They may not come on Sunday, she said, but they have not abandoned their faith.”

I think Eileen is right and, if we are going to connect with these younger folks — both to be enriched by their presence and to mentor them along the way — the Church is going to have to do things differently in the future. We’re going to have to be nimbler and travel lighter. We’re going to have to engage the ministry of all the baptized, not just the clergy. We’re going to have to become “ministering communities” rather than “a community gathered around a minister.”

I know you at St. Matthew’s are involved in something called The Crossroads Initiative which is a new venture to help prepare this parish to become such a vital and sustainable twenty-first century church. I’m very excited about what I see in this so far and I want you to know that you are part of something much bigger than yourselves in this effort. Something very similar is happening on the diocesan level, under Bishop Lee’s leadership, and you’re going to be hearing more about this in the coming months as some of the bright new staff people Jeff has brought on board will be sharing with you here at St. Matthews’.

The Episcopal Church on the national level, and the entire Anglican Communion internationally, are struggling with some of the same issues and we’re beginning to take bold steps to position ourselves appropriately to face the challenges of this new age (which some call a new “reformation” or “the emerging church.”)

It’s sort of like the challenge Jesus put in front of the young man in our Gospel reading for this morning. This guy had done all the traditional religious stuff — he knew the commandments, he lived a moral life, but still it left him hollow somehow. When he asked Jesus “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:7) he’s not just asking about everlasting life, about how to get into heaven. Eternal life, in the New Testament, means “life lived in contact with Eternity,” life in all its fullness, “life abundant” Jesus once called it.

And the text says “Jesus, looking at him, LOVED him…” He knew the young man was looking for more so he laid a challenge upon him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven”. You will have the life abundant you so desire! That’s the kind of challenge I actually think a lot of young people — and not JUST young people — are looking for today.

Oh, maybe not to sell it all and give everything away. But to take those missions trips, to work in those soup kitchens, to engage in intentional community and ministry like the Julian group of young people here in the Diocese of Chicago, or the Episcopal Service Corps on the national level. But if we’re going to engage them, we need to go where they are – not expect them to come to us. We need to find them in coffee shops and bars and do creative things like “Theology on Tap” which is happening all over the country — weekly gathering in those same coffee shops and bars to talk about faith….and ministry….and service.

But, if we’re going to do that, we’ll have to get out of the “maintenance mode” as Church. As I say, we’re going to have to travel lighter and to be more nimble and, yes, dare I say it, even more committed! I believe that you and I are part of this church in a time of tremendous transition and change. That feels unsettling at times, but it has always been so in critical, transformative times in the church’s life.

I congratulate you on some of the steps you have begun to take. For the willingness to take a hard look at where you have been, where you are now, and where you believe God is leading you in the future. I have the utmost confidence that Christ is still the Lord of the Church and that he’s not through with us yet! The Church of the future may very well look different than it does today…but it will be the Church of Jesus Christ….yesterday, today, and for ever.

For, in the words of our Second Lesson, “the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…and before him no creature is hidden…Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession…Let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:12 ff). Amen!