Saturday, September 24, 2011

Proper 21A September 24, 2011

          Hymn 661. They cast their nets in Galilee just off the hills of brown; such happy, simple fisherfolk, before the Lord came down. 2. Contented, peaceful fishermen, before they ever knew the peace of God that filled their hearts brimful, and broke them too. 3. Young John who trimmed the flapping sail, homeless in Patmos died, Peter, who hauled the teeming net, head-down was crucified. 4. The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod, Yet let us pray for but one thing -- the marvelous peace of God.

          That was written by a Mississippi lawyer, a graduate of South at Sewanee, foster-father of Southern writer Walker Percy. In a life filled with tragedy and family suicides he wrote this  hymn of faith in time of conflict.

          We’re coming to the end of the church year. Pentecost season ends November 20 with Christ the King Sunday. Our Old Testament readings will bring the Children of Israel through the desert into the Promised Land and into conflict with the people of the land and their neighbors. Epistle readings from Philippians and Thessalonians are St. Paul’s teachings about how to live a Jesus-centered life in a pagan society while we wait for the final coming of Christ in triumph. And the gospels include stories of Jesus’ final week of controversy with the leaders of the people that ended with his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.

          People don’t like controversy and conflict in churches. Too easily it gets personal and divisive. But our scripture readings over the next 8 weeks help us deal with the inevitable conflicts that come in life. We learn to keep our eyes on Jesus and trust his grace in the guidance of his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of Truth leads into truth; the Holy Spirit of Power gives us the grace “to run to obtain God’s promises and partake of his heavenly treasure.”

          Our gospel readings are from St. Matthew chapters 21 through 25 – Jesus in Jerusalem after the Palm Sunday Triumphal Entry – 4 days of controversy. The Triumphal Entry is followed by the account of the Fig Tree. The follows today’s Gospel, 23-32 where the leaders question Jesus’ authority and he responds by questioning their non-response to John the Baptist and the parable of the two sons.  Next week, October 2, is the parable of the Vineyard. The following week October 9 is the parable of the Wedding Banquet. Then October 16 is an  attempt to entrap Jesus about Tribute to Caesar. The lectionary skips a complicated question about Marriage & Resurrection and on October 23 we hear about the Great Commandment. October 30 is where Jesus endorses the leaders teaching but not their actions. The lectionary skips the Woes to the Pharisees and a lament over Jerusalem and all of Chapter 24 about the last days. On November 6 All Saints Day we will miss the parable of the 10 Virgins, and finally November 13 we will hear the parable of the Talents. Then Christ the King and Advent.  

          Controversy after controversy for the next two months. It gets tiresome. Controversy does get tiresome, in church and in life. But that’s what we’ve got, “The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod, Yet let us pray for but one thing -- the marvelous peace of God.”

          The first Holy Week controversy is about authority. “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” When he entered the Temple Jesus drove out those who were selling and buying in the Temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers; he cured the lame and blind, and accepted the cheers of the children, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” recognizing Jesus as Messiah.

          That takes some explanation. The Temple priests had a racket going. The Temple included three areas: at the center was the building where the Ark of the Covenant had been kept and the Chief Priest worshipped once a year. Surrounding it was an open area the court of the priests where animals were killed as sacrifices. Then came the court of Israel, an open area where Jews came to worship, and adjacent to it the court of the women or the court of Gentiles.

“For the convenience” of those who came to offer the sacrifices commanded by the Law, the priests had allowed authorized dealers of authorized and certified sacrificial animals to set up stalls in the court of the gentiles. And since money contributions could only be made in money coined during the 100 years of independence 100 years before worshippers had to change Roman money into Jewish money at authorized money changers, and the priests controlled the rate of exchange. Jesus had broken up the racket. And when he came back to the Temple on Monday he was asked, By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered the question with a question about John the Baptist which the Jewish leaders for political reasons failed - or refused - to answer.

We’ve all had to deal with authority questions. The child who keeps asking, “Why” ends up with the answer, “Because that is the way it is” And all personal and social change comes from questioning “that is the way it is.”  At some point we each come to recognize and accept the authority of the loving God who made us and all creation, who has revealed himself and his will in Holy Scripture and uniquely in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Jesus in the controversies of Holy Week kept his mind and will focused on the will of God the Father. In the controversies of our lives we can, by his grace given us in his gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth and of Power, focus our minds and wills on the will of the Father shown us in Jesus.

The correct answer to the question Jesus asked the Jewish leaders was “John the Baptist was of God, and we failed to believe him. We acknowledge our sin and repent.”

 We who acknowledge Jesus’ authority say the same, “We failed to believe. We acknowledge our sin and repent.”

And by the grace of God poured out on us in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are forgiven, and given yet another opportunity “to run to obtain God’s promises and partake of his heavenly treasure.” Amen.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Proper 20 September 18, 2011

          For a lot of us these are tough times. Last Wednesday the Census Bureau reported that the income of the family at the statistical mid point fell to an inflation adjusted $49,445. Half the families in the country had income less than $49,445 and half had income greater than $49,445. That is 2.3% less than last year and 7.1% down from the 1999 peak.

            When I was rector in Shelby in the 1980’s a parishioner was an engineer at a local electronic parts manufacturer. Parts were designed in Shelby and some were made there – for the US military. Civilian market parts were made across the border in Mexico. Our government wanted to be sure that we retain in this country the ability to make these parts.

          The laborers who had worked all day perceived the landowner’s action as unfair to them, but if the goal is to get the work done you have to pay what is necessary.

   Jesus’ goal is the salvation of the world through faith in him. There is no other secure and certain means of salvation and reconciliation with the Father. Jesus believed so firmly in the goal of salvation and reconciliation that he was willing to undergo the shameful and excruciatingly painful death of the cross necessary to accomplish that goal. He calls us to be his witnesses, to proclaim in our lives his death and resurrection – to bear his cross. And he calls us early and he calls us late: early in the morning, 9, 12, 3, even in the last hour, he calls us.

He offers us the salvation and new life we experience and proclaim. He offers  us freedom from past sin and guilt; he offers us the truth and the power of his Holy Spirit – regardless of when we come to accept his call.

God’s goal was to set the children of Israel free from slavery in Egypt. When they complained for the fleshpots of Egypt he gave them first quails and then manna – every day except the Sabbath but on the eve of the Sabbath a double portion.

St. Paul trusted in God’s provide-ence for the little church at Philippi that “so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

For many of us these are tough times. Many of us have had tough times before, and we will have them again. God provides. For some he provides through cooperation in government; for others he provides through church, family, friends. Those of us who have enough to be able to share have the positive obligation to share, to look for ways to give to those in need as we are able.

Some years ago a survey asked people, “How much would you need to feel comfortable?” The general answer was “About 10%” more than I have now.” God understands us; he made us, and he calls us to tithe, to give away 10% of what we have. My father was a priest and taught me to give the first 10% to the Lord’s service, to save the next 10%, and to live on the rest. I’ve tried to follow that advice and God has blessed me.

The older I get the more today’s collect resonates in my life, “Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Proper 19A 9-11-11

          God’s character includes liberty and justice, and justice includes forgiveness and reconciliation. God sent his pillar of fire and cloud of smoke to guide the people of Israel to liberty and to confound their enemies who sought to keep them slaves. God offers liberty of conscience to believers, liberty combined with responsibility under God’s perfect judgment. And Jesus by his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection offers God’s gift of forgiveness for us to enjoy and to share.

          The Pledge of Allegiance, composed in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress in 1942, expresses ideas valued from the beginning of our nation. A bitter and bloody Civil War determined that this country is one nation, indivisible. And in 1954 congress added “under God,” the national motto - from the Star Spangled Banner and coins since 1864.

          As a country we have worked for a very long time to make real “liberty and justice for all.” We aren’t finished, but liberty and justice are our goals, liberty and justice in the character of God, revealed to us in his holy word written.

     In the Sermon on the Mount (St. Matthew 5:14-16) Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Puritan leader John Winthrop preached on this text in 1630 to the new colonists in Massachusetts and Presidents John Kennedy in 1961 and Ronald Reagan in 1989 referred to it. President Reagan said, “in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still.”

We’ve heard and seen much in the last week or so of the smoke and destruction of the attack on the World Trade Center, and on the Pentagon, and of the heroism of those who prevented a further attack at the cost of their lives, attacking the attackers and crashing Flight 93 near Pittsburgh. Ten years ago on the Sunday after 9-11 our nation resolved that smoke of destruction would not overcome the light of the city of God shed forth from a land where liberty and justice are the goals.

It has been a rough 10 years As many have been lost in Iraq and Afghanistan as were killed on 9-11. The continuing conflict and other factors have stressed national economies all over the world. Our common resolve is not as evident now as it was 10 years ago.

But we continue to strive for liberty and justice for all. The struggle will not soon be over. The people of Israel escaped through the Red Sea waters and wandered 40 years in the desert. We learn today that “the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.” That did not keep them from complaining about the lack of water and yearning for the fleshpots of Egypt.” But they kept moving and God provided for them. To live in freedom requires some hard choices, but God provides when we trust in his provid-ence.

          Justice also requires some hard choices. Justice costs. St. Paul reminds us that we are called to live in fellowship with those whose choices are not ours. A big controversy in the early church was over eating meat that had been sacrificed to the false gods of the pagans. Some said that since these “gods” were not real one could accept the meat ration passed out since it was the only way to get meat. Others said that the meat had been tainted by the sacrifice and was not acceptable. Paul calls the Roman church to set this controversy aside and leave it to God and the Christian conscience.

          Justice includes forgiveness. Resentment over past injuries is “giving others rent-free space in your head.” For our own soul’s health, we have to let past events go. That’s hard to do. We have a natural right in justice to self-protection and self-preservation. There is no Christian duty always to put ourselves back in danger. We are normally called to stay out of danger and to live in peace. Jesus died for our sins so we don’t have to die for our sins or the sins of others. He did it for us.

          That said, for our own souls’ health, we have continually to forgive, to give up the desire to “get even” and to commend to God’s judgment those who have sinned against us. That includes the 9-11 terrorists and all our enemies. We don’t forget, but we do forgive. And we need to receive God’s forgiveness for our sins against others. Jesus died for our sins; continuing to nourish feelings of guilt dishonors his sacrifice. We don’t forget; we remember and seek in the truth and power of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives, but we do forgive .

God’s character includes liberty and justice, and justice includes forgiveness and reconciliation. God sent his pillar of fire and cloud of smoke to guide the people of Israel to liberty and to confound their enemies who sought to keep them slaves. God offers liberty of conscience to believers, liberty combined with responsibility under God’s perfect judgment. And Jesus by his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection offers God’s gift of forgiveness for us to enjoy and to share.