We observed Earth Sunday today, so the propers are different from the lectionary.
Listen to the Sermon for November 18, 2012
Read the Sermon for November 18, 2012
Category: Episcopal Church
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Sermon at Christ Church Cranbrook ~ November 18, 2012
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An Epiphany From a Table
The dining table in the rectory has extensions at each end that can be pulled out from under the top to double the size and seating capacity. Last week, Gay and I were setting up for guests and positioning the extensions so we could seat twelve at the dining table. After we pulled the extensions out, we
noticed that they would not sit flush with the central tabletop because the tongue and slot on each end were not aligned. We immediately decided that at some point the two extensions had been reversed and that, by removing them and putting them in the original positions, we could make the tongues and slots align properly so the top and the extensions would fit perfectly.
We tried that. It didn’t work because the rails attached to the extensions have to bypass each other under the table and they had to glide through channels that were positioned differently on each side.
Obviously, we thought, someone had screwed the extensions to the wrong rails. To correct the problem, we would need to remove the screws and return the extensions to the proper rails. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the screw holes in the table extensions were not in the same locations on the two rails. So that wouldn’t work either.
We felt completely defeated, but were not going to be outsmarted by a wooden table.
Finally, we saw that the tabletop was not fastened to anything. We picked it up, turned it 180º, sat it back down, and moved the extensions into place. With the tongues and slots now in perfect alignment, everything fitted together perfectly. Problem solved!
There is an epiphany in this incident; Effective problem solving depends upon a reliable understanding of the situation. And, sometimes the challenges in our lives are not so much problems to be solved, as they are situations to be understood. The Bible is full of examples. Here are some examples from the ministry of Jesus.
There was a man who was born blind. Some Pharisees saw the problem and concluded that his blindness was the result of someone’s sin – either his parents’ sin or his own. Jesus’ response was to say, “His blindness is not the result of sin.” They didn’t understand the situation and that led them to a solution that wrote the blind man off. Jesus, on the other hand, saw the situation from a different point of view. The man needed healing, not condemnation. His problem was an opportunity for God’s compassion to be revealed. So Jesus healed him.
When Jesus was teaching a huge crowd of people and mealtime was approaching, his disciples decided that the solution to the problem was to send them into the village so they could find some food. They didn’t understand the situation. Jesus did. He said, “You feed them.” They protested that there were only five loaves of bread and two fish. Again, they didn’t understand the situation. Jesus did. He told them to distribute the food. It was another opportunity for divine compassion to be displayed. After everyone was full, there were twelve baskets full of leftovers. Jesus understood that the solution to hunger was to feed people.
King Herod was threatened when he heard that a new King of the Jews had been born. This new King might try to supplant him. So he ordered his soldiers to kill all the male babies they could find. Mary and Joseph fled into Egypt with the infant Jesus. When Jesus grew up and began his public ministry, there were those who wanted him to be their king. He tried to tell them that his kingdom would be of a different kind. Still, he continued to be a problem for those in positions of power and they tried to solve the problem by putting him to death. They didn’t understand the situation. God understood and the Resurrection was the result.
We’ve just come through an election season when every candidate had all the solutions to all the problems. In some cases, I had to wonder if what I was hearing was in fact a solution in search of a problem. However, as we will see in the days ahead, few actually understood the situation and, because of that, many problems will remain unsolved. I would have been more inclined to vote for a candidate who admitted being stumped but was honestly committed to seeking understanding before trying to solve a problem.
Seeking to understand before trying to solve problems is supposed to be a specialty of people of faith. The King James Version puts it this way, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).
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Sermon at Calvary Church ~ October 14, 2012
The Reverend Johnnie E. Ross
Rector, St. Raphael the Archangel Episcopal Church
Lexington, KentuckyGuest Preacher for Consecration Sunday
October 14, 2012 ~ Proper 23B
Listen to Fr. Johnnie's Sermon
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Too Much Stuff
I write this on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who reminds us of our uniquely human capacities and responsibilities as stewards of creation.
Last evening, our congregation and Ashland's First Christian Church hosted a service of Blessing of the Pets, using the Collect of the Day for St. Francis from the Book of Common Prayer:
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace gladly to renounce the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
We were reminded of our relationship with the other living creatures with whom we share this planet and, in particular, those for whom we are protectors.
Today, as I celebrated the Holy Eucharist, I shared with the congregation how literally Francis and his companions took Jesus instructions to his disciples when he sent them out on their mission:
"As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food" (Matthew 10:7-10).
We were reminded of our relationship with our possessions.
This second reminder from the life and witness of St. Francis comes to me at a time when Gay and I are preparing for a move to a new place of ministry. This happens every year or two for interim clergy. Each time it happens and we start packing for the move, we realize that we have accumulated too much stuff.
There was a time (1996) when all of our worldly possessions would fit in a 900 square foot apartment and one 10 x 10 x 10 foot storage unit. Then, we bought a 3200 square foot house in Galveston that had a full attic and an above ground "basement" in which to accumulate things. Even though we have reduced our inventory with each successive move, we find that we still have too much stuff.
This point was driven home when we contacted movers! I won't go into the details, but the costs for a full-service move took my breath away. I cannot imagine spending so much money to move our stuff 360 miles. There are better ways to use those funds. It appears that we have worked out a reasonable and affordable solution, but for a few moments this week, I almost wished I had taken a vow of poverty like Francis and his Friars.
Perhaps we already have enough people living in poverty and those of us who are in a position to earn may be able to help them when they find it impossible to help themselves. So, for now, I won't take that vow. But I will be more mindful of how my stuff can get in the way of life and my relationship with God, my neighbors, and my own spiritual being.
Thank you, Francis, for doing what most of us cannot bring ourselves to do and for giving us an example of a life that is not weighed down by possessions to the extent that we cannot see beyond them to all that is eternal.
Blessings in abundance to you,
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Sermon at the Church of St. Raphael ~ September 30, 2012
The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels (Transferred)
Listen to the Sermon for September 30, 2012
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The First Fruits Principle and Recovery of the Spirit of Generosity
The theme of our stewardship education emphasis at Calvary this fall is “First Fruits.” The concept of first fruits in the Judeo-Christian tradition has its roots in practices that existed long before references appeared in the Hebrew Scriptures. The faithful were expected to bring the first tenth (tithe) of their harvest to the temple and offer it to God. “Put the first of the fruit which you harvest into a basket, and set the basket down before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all the good which the Lord has given to you” (Deuteronomy 26:1-15).
Then, as now, people raised questions about what was to be included in this first fruits offering. For example, today it is not uncommon to hear someone ask, “Is the tithe to be calculated before or after taxes?” The Temple authorities were not hesitant about providing specific answers to questions like that. For example, agricultural product from non-Jews were not to be included in their offering. It had to be from their own crops; not from fund-raising! And, the portion of the crop at the corners of the fields and whatever was dropped in the fields was not to be included in the first fruits offering; that was charity for the poor and foreigners passing through. So, this offering did not satisfy the requirements of charity and hospitality.
In the Christian Testament, St. Paul uses this harvest language to describe the Risen Christ. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (I Cor. 15:20-23).
St. Paul also draws upon the first fruits principle when writing about the salvation of the Gentiles, “If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy” (Romans 11:16). Jesus Christ, according to Paul’s gospel, is God’s own first fruits offering on behalf of humanity and creation itself. The original first fruits were the first, the best, the ripest, and the most valuable of the fruits of the earth. For Christians, Christ is the first to rise from death. As the first fruits sanctified the rest of the harvest, represented the whole, permitted and ensured the harvest, so Christ arose from the earth to new life and sanctified this new life for his followers. Our lives in Christ are the rest of the harvest. Jesus Christ, the first fruits, has sanctified us and the life we share with him.
So, what does this have to do with us and our self-examination as we consider our vocation as faithful stewards of God’s bounty? The principle of first fruits is at the I heart of how we think and act as followers of Christ. When we learn to put Christ first and to offer the first of everything we have to him, that offering spills over into the rest of our lives.
Our Church teaches that the tithe (10%) is the minimum biblical standard for Christian stewardship. Far be it from me to object to the canons of the Church! However, my reading of the Bible, especially the New Testament, tells me that the minimum standard is 100%. The tithe, the first tenth offered to God for God’s purposes, represents a spiritual discipline that sanctifies everything else in our lives. It helps us make conscious and faithful decisions about what we do with the remaining 90%. Whatever we have – 100% – whether spent, saved, or given away, is a sacred trust from God. The first fruits, the tithe, forms our perspective in ways that help us remember that everything belongs to God and we have the privilege of being stewards of it. That is a vocation given to no other creature. It is what makes us truly human and is a necessary aspect of civility. We are called to be the givers.
This week, as I have been reflecting upon this theme, I came across the words of a very wise person, Ohiyesa, (Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman) a Wahpeton Santee Sioux. He said, “It was our belief that the love of possessions is a weakness to be overcome. Its appeal is to the material part, and if allowed its way, it will in time disturb one's spiritual balance. Therefore, children must early learn the beauty of generosity. They are taught to give what they prize most, that they may taste the happiness of giving.” He also said, “As a child I understood how to give; I have forgotten this grace since I became civilized.”When we look at civilization as we know it today, we’d have to agree with Ohiyesa that many have forgotten how to give. That is a fundamental reason for war, economic woes, crime, violence, the breakdown of families and communities, and a host of other ills that plague us. We, as a civilization, have not done a very good job of teaching our children and one another the necessary discipline of generosity. Like Ohiyesa, many of us have forgotten.
Christians still have an opportunity to change that. And, in order to do so, we must encourage one another in ways that will result in the change, starting with the first fruits. If we will remind one another of this ancient principle and teach it to our children, God will use us to transform the world in ways we cannot begin to imagine. If you are concerned that the remaining 90% won’t be enough, I invite you to remember these words of encouragement from St. Paul, “God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous” (2 Corinthians 9:11).
Let’s give it a try!