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Walking in Newness of Life

March 31, 2013

“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into his death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For, if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:4a, 5)

In many ways tonight is all about Baptism! We don’t actually have a baptism tonight, but we have just received some folks who wish to be even more deeply a part of this church. And whenever we do that, we ask them, and ourselves, to renew the baptismal vows — the promises that we made, or were made on our behalf, when we were baptized.

Oh, we do other things tonight. We light the new fire of Easter and the Paschal candle. We ground ourselves in our history by rehearsing the stories of our salvation. We celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter. But the way you and I became part of it all – rather than mere spectators — was through our Baptism. And so whenever we are privileged to participate in the baptism of new Christians or the confirmation or reception of others, we are reminded of how important it is that it happened to us as well.

Why is it so important? Tons of ink have been spilled, and millions of sermons preached in attempts to answer that question. I’ve spilled a little and preached a few myself over the years. But this year I was struck by the richness of our Epistle tonight, this classic Pauline text on Baptism. And particularly the common reference to being “buried with (Christ) by baptism into his death.” What can this strange sentence mean?

The most common explanation is that of the early Church’s custom of total immersion, of submerging – burying — the baptismal candidate completely under the water. Some churches have retained that practice today; in fact I have immersed a few folks who felt strongly about that practice in my years as a priest. It really is a beautiful and rich way to celebrate Baptism! But, it is not the only way. And for most of the Church’s history baptisms have been done by sprinkling, or by affusion (the pouring of water), and in a number of other ways.

But I think there is something else, and much more, going on in St. Paul’s description of Baptism as dying and rising with Christ than just baptismal ceremonial. Jesus himself had spoken of his death as a “baptism,” hadn’t he? In answer to his disciples’ impertinent request to sit at his right and left hand when he became king, Jesus says,

“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant…” (Mark 10:38-40a)

Ever since Jesus had submitted to baptism at the hands of John the Baptizer, and thereby associated himself with John’s prophetic message of radical change, he knew that he was in danger. When John himself was eliminated at the hands of King Herod, Jesus must have become even clearer about his own fate. And by the time he rode into Jerusalem to confront the religious establishment in the very precincts of the Temple, he knew it was only a matter of time. He would soon drink the cup of suffering and be baptized in blood.

So, what can it mean for us to be “baptized into his death?” Well, by associating ourselves with Jesus’ baptism and undergoing our own, we are promising – it seems to me – that we are prepared to join all those who, throughout history, have been willing to drink the same cup that he drank and be baptized – if need be – with a baptism of blood.  Why? Because the message he brought and the life he lived made it clear that God is in charge of this world and that we are not! And the powers that be (secular or religious) are scared to death of a message like that, and a life like that. And sometimes they try to snuff  it out…or at least silence it.

We sketched out what such a life looks like in very general terms in the Covenant we renew at every Baptism and which we renewed here tonight: to trust the Triune God in all things, to continue in the apostles’ teaching and to participate in this fellowship Meal we call Eucharist… to pray, to resist doing evil in our own lives and to be willing to change when we fail, to be willing to talk about Jesus and  to walk our talk, to love other people as we love ourselves (because Christ died for them too), to strive for justice and peace in this world and to respect the dignity of absolutely, every, without exception human being we ever run across!

Those words roll trippingly off our tongues in the confines of our nice, safe liturgy, but when we go back outside these doors most of us know that it is not easy to trust God no matter what. It’s not even easy to get to church every Sunday and to pray every day. It is certainly not easy to change our ways when we mess up. It’s hard to be open and to witness to our faith (in fact, it’s sometimes positively embarrassing to be identified as a Christian)! It’s not easy to love our neighbors. And it’s sometimes downright dangerous to stand up for justice and peace, and to show our respect publicly for those whom society manifestly does not respect!

But that, dear friends, is what some people are signing on to do here tonight! It’s what you and I have already signed on to. And we need each other if we expect to get it right.  Even more, we need the help of that God whom Jesus served…and we serve.  That’s why we said, at the end of each baptismal promise – “I will, with God’s help.” We need God’s help to do it! Fortunately, we know something about what that help looks like. It looks like the story of our salvation we heard read tonight:

It looks like God creating this universe out of nothing…it looks like God delivering the Chosen People from slavery…it looks like God renewing the Covenant with a rebellious people time and time again, and breathing life into dry bones. Most of all, it looks like God the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit, raising Jesus Christ from the dead, breaking the powers of death and hell for ever. For us!

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

 

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Take Care of the Body of Christ Because the Body of Christ Cares For You

March 18, 2013

We have a very poignant story in today’s Gospel: Jesus is invited to an amazing dinner party in the home of his friends Mary and Martha in the village of Bethany, which is not far from Jerusalem. It was actually quite dangerous for Jesus to get this close to Jerusalem. There was already a plot against his life, and undoubtedly that would have been one of the topics discussed at the dinner table that evening, among these, some of his closest friends.

Death and resurrection would have been very much on their minds since another of the guests was Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus who – John’s Gospel has just told us – Jesus had raised from the dead! The two women are fulfilling their expected and predictable roles – Martha bustling around serving the meal; Mary absolutely focused on Jesus and, no doubt, worrying about his fate and the danger he was in by just being there.

Her love for Jesus leads her to go far beyond the servants’ role of washing his feet, but to anoint them with expensive perfume – a kind which would have been imported from the Himalayan mountains! Judas takes offense at this extravagant offering, making what is actually a pretty logical argument that this expensive stuff could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Why waste it on someone’s feet?

The Gospel writer, John, interjects himself into the story at this point, calling Judas’ sincerity into question. Apparently, in this tradition, Judas wasn’t known for his commitment to the poor or for his generosity at all, but rather was known to steal from the common purse Jesus and his friends used to live on! In any case, Jesus sees a deeper meaning in Mary’s action (probably connected to the fact that they had been talking about his possible assassination).

He sees the anointing as a kind of symbolic gesture, the kind of “in-acted parable” that he and the prophets used to engage in. He sees it as a solemn warning. Before too long (Mary seems to be saying by her actions) there will be another anointing of this body. But it will be the anointing reserved for his corpse! The traditional anointing of the body before burial. So, Jesus says, “Leave her alone! You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me!” (John 12:8)

I’ve actually heard this line quoted to suggest that the Church has no responsibility to give to the poor! After all, there will always be poor people!

But Jesus was actually citing the first half of a verse from the 15th chapter of Deuteronomy. “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land!’” (Deuteronomy 15:11)

Believe me, everyone in that room would have been able to complete the second half of that verse, and would have known Jesus was not giving anyone permission to ignore the poor! I think he was saying, “You always have the poor with you (and you can help them whenever you will), but this is a special time, a unique moment in history…and it’s right for Mary to observe it in this way.”

In fact, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that when you make an offering to Jesus you ARE making an offering to the poor. And when you make an offering to the poor, you’re making an offering to Jesus. After all, didn’t he once say, “Inasmuch as you have done it to one of these least of these…you’ve done it to me?” (Pause)

Actually this is one of the reasons I like the “unified offering” system we have in The Episcopal Church. Except for emergencies and very rare occasions, we try not to take up special offerings for this and that cause, Sunday by Sunday, like some churches are wont to do. Offerings for domestic mission, offerings for overseas mission, special offerings to repair the church heating system…and on and on.

Instead, we ask you to tithe…or to give some percentage of your income…pledge to offer it here on Sunday mornings…and trust the Church to be good stewards of what you give. Because good stewardship is not “fund raising.” Good stewardship is not just paying the light or heating bills at St. James’ Church. And good stewardship is certainly not supporting things you approve of and withholding money from things you disapprove of.  Good stewardship is doing what Mary did in today’s Gospel – offering something to Jesus because you love him! Taking care of the Body of Christ…because the Body of Christ cares for you!

I’ve been a tither for most of my adult life. That means ten per cent of my income given away for purposes that I believe align with the heart of God. A good portion of our tithe goes to the Church. Some of it goes directly to poor and marginalized people. Some of it goes to programs and efforts we believe make this world a better place.

Of the amount you and I pledge to the Church, some of it goes for institutional concerns – buildings and grounds, staff salaries and the like. Some of it goes for children’s and adult education, music, evangelism, and outreach. We will promise in a few moments to help Phoebe, the young person we will baptize today, “to grow into the full stature of Christ.” That means this church needs to be here and to be strong to support her in her lifelong pilgrimage.

Some of the amount we pledge here goes on to our diocese – to support youth ministry and campus ministry and small congregations, to continue our companion diocese relationships with SE Mexico and the South Sudan, to help foster good communications so that we can work together more effectively. Of what we give to the diocese, some goes on to The Episcopal Church and even to the Anglican Communion to support missionary efforts on national and international level that we could not possibly do on our own.

I know this is Lent, not “Stewardship Sunday!” But today’s Gospel is all about giving and the three traditional Lenten disciplines include not only prayer and fasting, but also almsgiving! And Lent is a good time to remember that we all need to take care of the Body of Christ because the Body of Christ cares for us.

To remember that what we offer to Jesus, we also offer to the poor and what we offer to the poor, we also offer to Jesus.

We need to be as sacrificial in our giving as Mary of Bethany was in today’s Gospel. We need to see our tithes and offerings as pure nard…anointing the body of Jesus…so that the fragrance of that perfume (that perfect offering) may fill…this…house! Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PLEASE Don’t Say “There but for the grace of God, go I!”

March 4, 2013

Whenever I read today’s Gospel appointed, I remember a day right after the awful earthquake in Haiti years ago which left so much devastation. My wife and I were having lunch in a little sports bar in Davenport when I happened to overhear a couple of young men at the bar, talking about it as the news continued to come in over CNN.

One of them said, “Well, they actually deserve what they get, you know. All that AIDS down there and all…” His friend just nodded…in mute agreement, I guess. Not being sure I could trust myself with a response to such heartlessness, I just paid our bill in a hurry and shot them a withering glance on the way out.

I suppose not many people would be so blatant about saying something like that. Although a well-known so-called evangelist in this country famously said that God sent Hurricane Katrina to destroy much of New Orleans because of their many sins! But there are a surprising number of people out there who really do think God punishes us like that — and that people who are suffering are really “getting what they deserve” in some way.

I guess these folks have never read the New Testament. Or at least the passage we had today from St. Luke’s Gospel.  Apparently Jesus had just learned of one of the many atrocities committed by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Often, Jesus’s fellow countrymen from the north in Galilee would come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the Temple. Some of them may have been making noises about the overthrow of the Roman occupation at the same time, and the historian Josephus tells us that Pilate regularly executed such rebellious Jews for that kind of talk – inside or outside the Temple!

And that must have happened to these Galileans. There had also been a recent industrial accident just southeast of Jerusalem where a tower under construction had fallen and killed eighteen people. Jesus decides to use these “current events” as “teachable moments,” so he says, “Do you think those Galileans or those eighteen who died were any worse sinners than all the others living in Jerusalem at the time? “NO, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” (Luke 13:5)

In saying this, Jesus is doing at least two things: First of all, he’s renouncing what was a popular teaching in those days, the doctrine of “retribution.” It basically said that, since God was in charge of everything and was a just God, then those who receive special punishment, or suffer tragedy, must be guilty of some great sin. Pretty much what those guys in the bar were saying after the earthquake in Haiti.

Jesus says that is simply not so. We don’t know why good people suffer sometimes, and Jesus doesn’t attempt a kind of global, simplistic explanation for that kind of thing. Sometimes good people, like those Galileans, suffer at the hands of bad people! They are innocent victims of human sin – like Jesus himself would finally prove to be; like those precious children in Newtown, Connecticut would prove to be, dying at the hands of a madman. As tragic as it is, God created us with free will, and some people abuse that free will and use it to hurt others.

Other people, like those eighteen on whom the tower fell, suffer because of accidents or disease. This is not a perfect Creation! It’s a good Creation, but not perfect. There is room in this Universe for accidents because not everything in life is “pre-programmed” or scripted. And we haven’t yet discovered cures for all the cancers and other diseases to which the human body is susceptible.

There are also so-called “natural disasters” like Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti or Hurricane Sandy. These can be especially difficult to understand. Sometimes they may be the result of our monkeying around with the environment and throwing things out of whack. Sometimes, they are just part of the cycles of nature or the ongoing formation of the earth and its surface.

Tragically, sometimes people have chosen, or HAVE, to live in the path of these seismic events and that results in another kind of “accident,” of being “at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Like the poor guy in Florida whose bedroom was swallowed up by a sinkhole which are all over the place in that area.

And, of course, there ARE cases of terrible things happening because of the consequences of our own actions, even our own sin – like someone dying of a drug overdose or being killed in a car crash while speeding. No less tragic, but at least these occurrences are somewhat understandable. What Jesus is saying (and this is his second point today) is that we need to very careful about making judgments in these cases about other people.  All of us are flawed, and the fact that we may survive while another dies should be no source of comfort…but rather a call to humility.

Please let us agree to stop using the phrase “There but for the grace of God, go I!” I hate that! What are we saying about the lack of God’s grace for the other guy? What Jesus is saying is that life is as tenuous and fragile for us as it was for those Galilean pilgrims or those eighteen accident victims. Their deaths came unexpectedly…and ours may as well.  We need to be in a constant state of self-examination and faithfulness so we will be ready to meet our Maker whenever and wherever our time comes!

This is part of what the season of Lent reminds us of – that we’re all in this together. None of us is perfect. All of us stand in need of God. As the old saying has it: “the ground is level at the foot of the Cross.” That’s why the prayer we offer to bless the ashes on Ash Wednesday reads like this: “Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life…”

God is gracious, dear friends. Not angry or vengeful or punishing. Our task is to know that is true, to be eternally grateful for that fact, and to live our lives in humble and thankful response to that good and gracious God. Let’s not judge other people. We can leave that to God.

Let’s just be grateful that God doesn’t judge us like those two guys in the bar were judging the people of Haiti.

Because if God did…none of us would make it!  Would we?

 

 

 

 

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World Mission Sunday

February 11, 2013

Last Sunday after Epiphany.

We conclude the great missionary season of Epiphany this morning. I say “missionary” because this season has been all about the Light of Christ shining into the whole world, making it clear that the Good News of God’s love was not to be limited to any one religion or ethnic group, but was truly intended to be shared throughout the world. Because of that, this Sunday of the Church Year has been annually designated “World Mission Sunday” by The Episcopal Church.

Some of you may remember Fr. Bob North, a missionary to southern Sudan, being with us here at the Cathedral a couple of years ago. He was encouraging the Diocese of Iowa to build a relationship with a new diocese (and really a new country!) in South Sudan. Bishop and Mrs. Scarfe along with two priests from this diocese are in the Diocese of Nzara this very day to see if we can forge a new companion diocese relationship. Do keep them all in your prayers. Missionary work today is not so much about us taking the Gospel to them, but standing in solidarity with these new Christians in the two-thirds world, and indeed learning from them in the process. That’s the beauty of our companion diocese relationships!

We always read the Gospel story of The Transfiguration on this Sunday because it was one of the formative experiences for Peter, James and John as they were present at a powerful mystical experience of Jesus. And they realized –quite literally “in a flash” – that Jesus was the embodiment of the Law (represented by Moses) and the Prophets (represented by Elijah). This powerful encounter left them silenced for a time, but it did not take long for them to regain their voices and to be about their mission as Apostles…as those who are sent.

Well, you and I are the “sent ones” today. We’re the ones who are to share with our families, friends, and neighbors what we have discovered about God through Jesus and his Church, and to continue to let God’s light shine in our dark world today. Our Prayer Book Catechism says that “the mission of the Church is to restore all people…to unity with God…and each other…in Christ.” But that’s a pretty sparse definition, so the Anglican Communion has tried to flesh it out a bit, by adopting something called “The Five Marks of Mission.” It’s a kind of check-list for us to see if we are being about the mission of the Church. Our Presiding Bishop says that these Marks of Mission are “digital”…that is, you can count them on the five digits of one hand!

Mark #1 is “to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.” Obviously, it all starts there. We are to witness, by our words and our deeds, the extremely good news that God is in charge of this world, and that we are not! That’s what it means to live under the king-ship, the reign, the sovereignty of God…and to begin doing it right now!

Mark #2 is “to teach, baptize, and nurture new believers.” That’s why it is so important to support such programs as Godly Play and Journey to Adulthood, to have an Episcopal Youth Group, to participate in and support Diocesan programs for young people like New Beginnings and Happening. Our young people deserve, not only to baptized…but to be taught…and to be nurtured in the Faith. And it’s our responsibility to see that it happens!

Mark #3 is “to respond to human need by loving service.” St. Francis famously said, “Preach the Gospel always…if necessary, use words!” And, by that, he meant that serving other people is also a way to demonstrate that they are valued and treasured by their Creator, and that God, and God’s people, want only the best for them. That’s why Trinity Cathedral supports the PUNCH program with other churches in this area. “People Uniting Neighbors and Churches” is a way to respond to human need by loving service…right here in the neighborhood.

Mark #4 is “to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation.” Some people are uncomfortable with the church speaking out in the public square, but “separation of church and state” does not mean that the church has no role in society. It means that the state may not establish any one religion in this country. The Church should never be “partisan” but she is sometimes “political” if that means seeking to challenge structures that oppress and hurt people. Sometimes, you can either keep pulling people out of a raging river one at a time, or you can go upstream and find out who’s throwing them in…and try to make them stop!

Finally, Mark #5 is “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” It has to be said that the Christian Church has not always taken our responsibility to this planet very seriously. And while it is true that the first Creation story in Genesis says that we are to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it,” (Genesis 1:28), the second account of Creation says that God put us in the Garden of Eden “to till it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:1). In other words, to be good stewards of the earth. Like a good farmer is to be a good steward of the land – so that it will bear fruit for years to come.

We will enter the holy season of Lent this week. Lent is a time of self-examination and repentance, of prayer, fasting and self-denial. But it’s not only a time for self-examination of our personal lives. It can be a time for the Church to do some self-examination of our own –corporately. Are we carrying out the mission of the Church here at Trinity Cathedral…in the Diocese of Iowa…in The Episcopal Church? Are we proclaiming the Good News? Nurturing our young people? Serving the poor? Speaking out against violence? Being good stewards of this beautiful world God has given us?

If not, there’s still time to repent. Still time to turn around and go in a new direction. Still time to heed the voice from the cloud who spoke to Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration: Look: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

 

 

 

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The Lord’s Prayer: Why I Can Still Pray It

January 24, 2013

 Despite its familiarity and almost constant liturgical use, the Lord’s Prayer has become difficult for even some devout Christians to pray in our day. To be sure, the thought-world of the New Testament is very different from our own. Yet, I have been helped by insights of such biblical scholars as Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan to, as it were, get beyond the words and find in this ancient prayer the essence of Jesus’ radical message to his age…and ours.

 Our Father in heaven; hallowed by your name…

 This first phrase is actually, for me, the most problematical. But, even though the patriarchal form of address carries with it a lot of baggage for some, and the suggestion that God dwells in “heaven” suggests for many a place above the clouds in a three-story universe, the first phrase is balanced for me by the second  about the sacred name being holy. For Jesus, the good Jew, the actual “name” of God (YHWH) could not even be pronounced except once each year by the high priest.  Whatever title we give to God will be inadequate for God’s true “name” must be forever held in silence in reverence and awe. So, as long as I use other, more inclusive and expansive names for God in my other prayers, I can use the name “Abba” which even Jesus knew was inadequate, but which we believe was his normal way of addressing the Holy One.

Your kingdom come, your will be done; on earth as in heaven…

Again, while many will prefer “reign” or “sovereignty” to “kingdom,” the primary message of Jesus was that God was king and that we are not. Empires are no less prevalent and destructive today than they were in the first century and our longing in this prayer is that, one day, God’s reign and God’s yearning will replace what passes for justice and peace in the world today – in this world, on this planet not in an ethereal, spiritual existence somewhere else.

Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…

While we may delude ourselves into thinking that we “earn” our daily bread, the reality is that all is gift, all is grace. If the earth did not produce our food and if we were not endowed with the strength and wisdom to plant seeds in the earth, harvest the crop, and prepare the meal, there would be no daily bread for anyone. And yet, while we are grateful for those gifts, we are ever mindful that so many – through no fault of their own – do not have adequate food or drink. Therefore, the proper response of gratitude would be “debt forgiveness” – in our personal lives, our national life, and our international relations so that all may receive the gift of daily bread.

Save us in the time of trial; and deliver us from evil…

This notoriously difficult-to-translate phrase speaks of our desire to be spared from the danger, violence, oppression, and degradation which are the fate of too many in a world dominated by selfishness and sin. God will not magically intervene to save us (or else why have so many others not been spared?) but if we honor God’s name, live in the kingdom, and forgive others as we have been forgiven, we can still be fearless even in the face of so much evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours; now and forever. Amen.

 The prayer concludes with a doxology borne of Jesus’ own conviction that the reign of God has already begun for those with eyes to see it, and with those same eyes behold the absolute splendor and beauty of the One who has existed for all eternity and will to the ages of ages.  So be it.

 

C. Christopher Epting

Davenport, Iowa

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013

 

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Light Shining…Magnificence and Splendor…Grace Appearing…Glory All Around

December 24, 2012

 

“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!

 

 

 

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Advent Anwers The Question, Why?

December 17, 2012

ADVENT ANSWERS THE QUESTION, WHY?

Had to scrap the sermon I prepared for Advent 3. I’m just so aware that we are all in grief and mourning the loss of all the young life in the horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. We’ll be offering our Eucharist today with special intention for the souls of the victims and for comfort and healing for the families…and for all of us. It’s the most important thing we will do today.

So many people are asking “Why did this happen?” And “what can we do to make sure it never happens again?” Advent gives a stark answer to the “Why” question. This is a very serious season, Advent. It’s not just a four-Sunday countdown to Christmas. Advent reminds us that this world is broken. The kingdom of God has not yet come in its fullness. Violence and evil and sickness and danger are realities we have to face every day in some way. And it does no good to deny that.

Christians believe that Jesus was born into this world to inaugurate the kingdom of God, to usher in a time when tragedies and violence like this will be no more. But we’re not there yet. And until that kingdom comes in its fullness, Advent teaches us that we must wait for it – with patience and hope and expectation.

But that’s not all we can do. We can also cooperate with God in the building of that kingdom. We can work to make this world a better place, a place which There will be many discussions, and there already are in the media and in coffee shops, about what we can do to keep this kind of thing from every happening again – from gun violence to mental health services to school safety. And Christians should be part of those conversations. We have a contribution to make there.

But the most important thing we can do, dear friends, is to recommit ourselves to the mission of the Church, to what we’re doing here today. Our diocese has a simple mission statement: we are “to grow the Church…form the faithful…and change the world.” A pretty lofty goal, but it begins simply. “Growing the church” means more than just getting more people in the pews. It means reaching out with the message of God’s love.

What if Adam Lanza had been part of a community like this one, what if his mother had? Could it have made a difference? We don’t know, but it might have. We need to reach all people with the Gospel.

“Form the faithful.” We are to teach our children, and ourselves, that violence is never the answer to any problem! And that’s God’s will is for peace and forgiveness and healing for all. That’s “forming the faithful.”

And it’s only when we have done those things – growing the Church and forming the faithful – that we will be able to make our contribution to “changing the world.”

Let’s rededicate ourselves to that on this sad Sunday, my friends. It’s the least we can do…and the most.

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Let Us Dream Of A Church…

November 19, 2012

When I was Bishop of Iowa, one of the visions we held before us was a little poem stitched together by Charles Wilson from the sermons and teachings of one of my episcopal heroes – Wesley Frensdorff, the late Bishop of Nevada. It’s called “The Dream” and, if you’ll permit me, I’d like to cite a few of my favorite verses: Wes said,

“Let us dream of a church…in which all members know surely and simply God’s great love, and each is certain that in the divine heart, we are all known by name…

A church in which…worship is lively and fun as well as reverent and holy; and we might be moved to dance and laugh; to be solemn, cry, or beat the breast…

(A church in which) The Eucharist is the centre of life and servanthood the centre of mission: the servant Lord truly known in the breaking of the bread. With service flowing from worship, and everyone understanding why a worship is called a service.

A church…without the answers, but asking the right questions; holding law and grace, freedom and authority, faith and works together in mission…So deeply rooted in gospel and tradition that, like a living tree, it can swing in the wind and continually surprise us with new blossoms.”

Well, I find myself thinking of that poem almost every Sunday I am privileged to visit among you in this fine diocese! Worship is lively and fun in most places, large and small, that I have visited. It’s clear that the Eucharist is the center of your life together, but that the old reminder at the end of the liturgy that “the worship is over…the service begins” is being made manifest in your lives. I don’t think I’ve been to any congregation not involved seriously in some kind of outreach and service in the wider community.

But it’s the last line I cited from “the Dream” I’m most impressed with: that we can be “a church so deeply rooted in gospel and tradition that, like a living tree, it can swing in the wind and continually surprise us with new blossoms.” The Diocese of Chicago has a long and venerable tradition of catholic faith and order, but a tradition open to reformation and renewal. And, whatever church is emerging as we move deeper into the 21st century will only survive and thrive if it can live in the midst of that creative tension.

We cannot remain ossified in traditional-ism, but neither can we yield to the temptation of trying to invent a new church. It’s not necessary to have all the answers. In fact, a church claiming to have all the answers will become less and less appealing as the years and decades roll on. But we must be a church asking the right questions. I see those questions being asked in this diocese in how we structure ourselves, in how we incarnate ourselves into the wider community, and how honest we are in conversation with one another, “fierce” conversation…honest conversation.

 

I am so very grateful to Jeff Lee and to his fine staff for welcoming us so warmly into the diocese over these last ten months. And to all of you who have made us feel so very at home as we move among you Sunday by Sunday. The best part of being a bishop is what happens on Sunday mornings and I get to do that (without all the stresses and strains that come with the office Monday through Friday!). I’ve also appreciated very much the opportunity to continue my involvement with ecumenical and inter-religious relations by representing the diocese on the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago and, occasionally, the Illinois Council of Churches.

I’ve told Jeff that I am open to whatever would be helpful over the next few years as we live into our new staffing structure, complete the amazing project around St. James Commons, and take the next steps in our exciting possibilities with the Diocese of Quincy. One of the good things about being retired is the freedom and flexibility that provides. Whether the future holds the election of a full-time Assistant Bishop or some combination of newly retired bishops working with the diocesan, it has been privilege to be part of your life in these exciting times.

And I look forward to the new church year and to whatever 2013 brings! Thank you for being so deeply rooted…that you can swing freely in the breeze…and continually surprise us with new blossoms!

C. Christopher Epting

Assisting Bishop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Having the Mind of Christ: Thinking Like Jesus

November 12, 2012

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Back To The Bible…Or Party Time!”

October 29, 2012

I think one of the strangest phrases you hear from time to time is, “Back to the Bible.” We’ve got to get “back to the Bible.” I say it’s strange because there is probably no more forward looking book in the world than the Bible! From cover to cover, this ancient set of documents is always looking forward to what God is just about to do in the future.

Abraham looks forward to having children. Moses looks forward to freedom from slavery in Egypt and to leading his people into the Promised Land. Many of the prophets (like Jeremiah this morning) look forward to God leading them back from Exile in Babylon to once again claim that Holy Land. Jesus looks forward to the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Paul looks forward to Jesus’s Second Coming. And the Book of Revelation looks forward to an end to persecution and struggle and the creation of “a new heaven and a new earth” in which God is king, and the empires of this world are not!

 

The biblical writers are not afraid of the future. They look forward to it! Listen to what one commentator has to say about our First Lesson today from Jeremiah, “Surely there is no more powerful or extravagant depiction of the Lord’s future provision for the good of his people than (this passage). It is an invitation to a party the likes of which this people have never known. It is a homecoming party, with all the good things parties are meant to have: the best food and wine, music and singing and dancing. It is intergenerational and full of fun and merriment. And it goes on forever.”

“The picture of a marvelous party, where all are gathered before the Lord to enjoy all the benefits of God’s goodness and celebrate in joy and singing and dancing, is a way of connecting the vision of the future with the reality of the present. There is not literal way of telling us about what God plans out there beyond our (knowledge). But the language by which Israel spoke of and entrusted its future is …(a kind of appropriate imagining)…of the way it will be. It’s going to be party time!” (The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary on Jeremiah 31:10-14, page 815)

Today’s Psalm picks up on the same theme. It was probably written a little later than Jeremiah and the future Jeremiah hoped for had been fulfilled. They HAD come home from Exile! “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream/ Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy/ Then they said among the nations/ The Lord has done great things for them/ The Lord HAS done great things for us, and we are glad indeed.” (Psalm 126:1-4)

Yet, things aren’t all hunky dory for Israel, even now that they have returned to their own land. They still have to rebuild the Temple. They still have to set up a government, and send for their scattered families once again. So they continue to look for God’s action in the immediate future:

“Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negev/ Those who sowed with tears/ will reap with songs of joy/ Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed/ will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.” (Psalm 126:5-7)

The biblical writers are not afraid of the future. They look forward to it! What a contrast to the nay-sayers and doomsday predictors we hear so much from today. Oh, our moral values are under assault!  Church attendance is in decline and all the denominations are struggling. The world is going to hell in a hand basket!

No, says Jeremiah:  “See (the Lord says)  I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company…I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble…”

No, says the author of Hebrews: Instead he proclaims that “the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but (Jesus) holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God though him since he always lives to make intercession for them…” (Hebrews 7:23-24)

No, says Jesus to the blind man in today’s Gospel: “…your faith has made you well.” (Mark 10:28). The biblical writers are not afraid of the future. They look forward to it!

We are blessed here at Grace Church this morning to confirm and receive people into The Episcopal Church. That is a sign to us, if anything is, that God is not through with us yet! People are still seeking and finding a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and through the rich liturgical and sacramental life of The Episcopal Church. We are going through challenging times as Christian people in these United States today. It does no good to deny that. Pollyanna optimism is not what the Bible preaches. What the Bible preaches is hope!

God’s people have been through tough times before, and we will go through them again. But what these new confirmands and receiptees and all of us need to know is that the end of the story is not in doubt! The end of the story is that God is king and that the principalities and powers of this world are not! We may not know exactly what the final kingdom of God will look like or exactly what eternal life may entail.

But what we do know is this: God is in charge of the future and God’s future provision for us is going to be something like a party the likes of which we have never seen! The future – even if we have to experience suffering and tough times in the meantime – is not something to be afraid of. The ultimate future will be filled with joy, and all the benefits of God’s goodness.

In short…it’s going to be – party time!

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