Pentecost 13 Year B

James 1:17-27

Be doers of the word.

Such a simple statement. Be doers of the word. This really shouldn’t be something that needs to be preached upon. But from pulpits all over the world today, preachers will be extolling their congregations to not just be hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word.

This should be the thing that we are about. We should be about living out our faith in the world. All who claim the title of Christian should be living out their faith just because of who they are. The past week at work we have been surrounded by people dressed in green and white and living out the live of an MSU student. I jokingly commented about a Michigan State shirt, that of course Michigan was a state and that the woman was standing in the state. And this woman looked at me like I was a nut! For these people, being a Spartan was just who they were and just a natural expression of their being. To be otherwise would just be weird.

So too, for us Christians, our faith should just be so much of us that we cannot help but live out the word. Not that we need to be wearing tee shirts emblazoned with Christian slogans all the time. But we should be putting the teachings we have learned through our faith into action in our lives.

Now, lest we get confused, we need to make sure we get the order of events correct. Again, I will use the MSU people as an example. You would all find it kind of odd if I were to tell you that getting accepted to MSU was dependent upon how much MSU clothing you could wear, right? You would find it silly to think that if you totally tattooed yourself green and white that you would get the top scholarships, right? That just seems silly to say. But some still believe that the teachings we find in the book of James is the rule book on how to get salvation. Some believe that we have to DO all of this stuff before we can finally be accepted.

Well, that is not the case.

The folks that are arrayed in green and white are so proudly displaying the school colors because they have ALREADY been accepted! They are part of the group! So they display the colors as a means of spreading their excitement. In the same manner, we do not live the word in the world to earn Christ’s salvation, we have been assured of that salvation in Christ’s death and resurrection, and we have further been assured of that salvation in our baptism. Our salvation is a given. Christ is not going to take it back! So when we are called to go out and be doers of the word, we do it to share with the world the joy that we have found!

So, if we are to be doers of the word in the world, what would that look like? James gives us some ways. We are to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, [and] slow to anger.” That is some good advice. We are to bridle our tongues and be sure that when we speak, that we are to be careful of our words. You know, if we could all just do that, the world would be so much better. So often we are so very quick to become angry and then to speak. We are so quick to speak without listening to what the other is saying.

But whether we like it or not, when we claim the title of Christian, we are also claiming to be the voice of God in the world. When we claim the title of Christian, we are claiming to be the heart of God in the world. When we claim the title of Christian, we are claiming to be the arms of God, reaching out to send the unending love of God into the world.

When the world encounters us, what does it find? What does it find about Christianity as a whole? Is this the image that Christ would have been proud to die for? Is the worlds view of Christianity that of love or that of intolerance? When the world encounters the Episcopal Church, does it find love, care, and joy or does it find judgment and oppression? How ‘bout us as a congregation? What does the world think about us? What do visitors think about us? What does Swampland think about us? A difficult question would be, “Does Swampland even know we exist?” If not, they why not? How can we as a community built in the love of Christ be doers of the word? We don’t need to be a megachurch to be a mighty church. We have been promised God’s love and care in our actions. But we need to be more than just hearers. We have done great things, we have helped families in need, but can we be doing more? And finally, each of us; we need to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to be doers of the word?” Are we content to just sit and listen, or are we willing to be out in the world. Are we willing to be doers of the word?

I often feel bad doing sermons like this. I feel bad because I am not able to give you a clear cut, three point plan on how to be doers of the word. It would be nice if I could, but I don’t think it really is my place to tell you. You see, we each have our own unique talents and gifts. We each have our own unique way of living the word and doing the word. We each have our own special way and our own special voice.

And as a congregation, we each have an important part to give. We are all inspired by the Spirit to reach out. What I find sad is that so often we forget that our inspiration most often IS from God and that we can act boldly upon it! We begin to second-guess our actions and then fall into inaction. We go from being doers to being listeners. When we are generous in giving, and when we are generous in love, James tells us that we can trust that that impulse is coming from God. We can trust that we are being grown into the first fruits. Or to use more modern language, God is forming us into the best we can possibly be.

We are the beloved, accepted, redeemed children of God. That is something that will not be taken from us. The love of God surrounds us, fills us, and sustains us. And it is through this love that we go out and be doers of the word in the world. My prayer is that you feel this love of God so strongly that, like the MSU students, you cannot keep it to yourselves; you just have to let it out! And when you feel that urge, DO IT! Let the love of Christ show throughout your life!

Pentecost 12 Year B

John 6:56-69

Well, did you feel it? Did you feel the axis of the Earth shift? Events of the past week have caused a rift in the cosmic fabric that may NEVER BE REPAIRED! People are appalled! APPALLED I SAY! And why? Why are the ducks going to be flying north this fall and south next spring? Why? Well, it seems that Michelle Obama emerged from Air Force One wearing… oh, it pains me to say it…wearing SHORTS!

Yes, after listening to the news from the past week, you would think that she did something horrible like show up in public with her dress stuck in her pantyhose or something. But all she did was act like a normal human, on vacation, in Arizona, in the summer. But because she decided to do something a little different, a little change on what was expected, she was plastered all over the TV and internet.

The words flew across the ether, “No other First Lady ever wore shorts as she emerged from Air Force One before.” That is right, no other has. This might be a difficult new teaching for us to learn. Now, I am sure no one is planning on moving to a different country just because of this one event, but there are probably a few who are thinking of changing parties. The SHORTS INCIDENT was the last straw.

Lately, this seems to be the mentality of the world: As long as things are going our way, we will stick around. But when the tide starts to change, we go off looking for a new place. But really, we don’t want a new place; we just want to continue to live in the old place. We don’t want a new place; we want the good old days. Whenever I hear that phrase, “the good old days,” I think of a line in a song by Billy Joel. He says, “The ‘Good Old Days’ weren’t always good and tomorrow’s not as bad as it seems.” But so often, we, as a people want to go back to those “Good Old Days.” But the truth is, for the most part, we really DON’T want to go back. Are we really willing to go back to the days of no cars, phones, central heating, or central air-conditioning? At first glance, it may seem nice, but I don’t think we really want to go back. That is the problem with life. We are caught in this horrible bind: We don’t like change because it is scary, but staying still will become stagnant and eventually kill us. We are caught in this internal tug. We like the thought of what is new, but we are frightened. We like the comfort of what is expected but if we have too much of it we will find it boring.

Really, this is not a new situation to our times; it is similar to the situation the disciples find themselves in in today’s gospel reading. The people are anxious: they are looking for a new teaching. They are following teachers all over the place. They find a teacher they like and they begin to follow. But when that teacher says something that is controversial or goes against their personal belief, they pick up and find a new teacher. That is why the disciples are concerned. They have been getting a big following! But Jesus has been saying things that have been causing discontent among the masses. The disciples probably want Jesus to tone back the rhetoric. They probably were pulling Jesus aside saying, “Hey Jesus, you are doing well with the talking points we agreed upon, why are you going off topic! You are losing the people!”

But Jesus didn’t stick to the talking points just because they were “easier.” He continued to speak the truth, even if it made people uncomfortable, even if it made some people turn away. Jesus would not silence the truth; he spoke the truth even if it meant his own safety would come into jeopardy.

But Jesus leaves us with a bit of a problem and not much of a solution.

The problem is: How do we know what is true teaching and what is false teaching?

This is a really difficult one and a problem that has plagued faith forever. Do we accept the uncircumcised as Jews? Do we accept the Gentiles as Christians? Do we accept women as teachers and leaders in church? Do we accept women in the pulpit? Do we accept people of color? Do we accept those who are divorced? Do we accept those who are gay? Do we accept those who have had abortions? Do we accept those who are different than us?

I truly believe that both sides of these arguments are acting in good faith and are doing what they feel God is calling them to do. I think the Pharisees were not out to dupe the people, but were trying to lead the people appropriately. But there seems to come a time when the will of God seems to run !smack! into the will of God! So at that point, what are we to do?

History seems to point us in the direction of what NOT to do. In the Gospel reading, Jesus asks the disciples if they wished to go away. In so many words, “Do you believe that I can see you through this? Or do you wish to turn your back on me and follow a new teacher?” Jesus does not want us to just pick up and leave. Jesus wants us to stay with the teaching, no matter how difficult it may seem.

But, we are not just to stand in place, the crowds did not stay in the same place, they moved, they followed. We are to remain in contact with Jesus. We are to remain in prayer and community. We are to gather in groups to learn and to grow. When we turn our backs, we become isolated, we remove ourselves from the work of the Spirit within the corporate body. When we remain - when we stay connected - when we keep the lines of communication open, we grow. It is part of the tradition the Anglican Communion: that we can gather at the table, even though we may not be able to agree on theology. That even though we may not be able to know exactly what God wants of us, we can still come together as a family. This is a very good psychological thing. If you can share a meal together, you are more likely to be able to reach a compromise acceptable to both. But when people turn their backs, the work of Christ peoples’ lives become so much more difficult.

Probably the most difficult part of this teaching is how do we discern what is a correct teaching and what it a false teaching. Not all difficult teachings are right nor are all easy teachings false. And using our feelings on the matter is not necessarily accurate, either. Many were feeling like the words that Jesus was speaking were wrong. But these words, as uncomfortable as they were, were the new message that was being sent to the people. The uncomfortable message was the message that Jesus wanted the people to hear and to follow.

We have dealt with difficult teachings in the past. At one point, women were not allowed to preach. At one time, those who were divorced were not allowed into the pulpit. At each of these times, there was much discord and people declaring the demise of the church. But you know what? We are still here!

There will always be changes. Even something we hold as dear as the church will have changes. Even our interpretations of the Bible may change. But we are not to turn our back on the community. We are not to turn our backs on those who disagree with us. Christ calls us to keep our faith in him and to not turn our back. Christ calls us to hold fast to our faith, even though we may not understand what is happening. But as long as we remain faithful, and as long as we keep working to understand, as long as we remain engaged, we can trust that Christ will be there.

Pentecost 11 Year B

John 6:51-58

A few years back, I asked a group of high school students if it was possible to be a Christian in isolation. To my surprise, most of them said, “Yes, it is possible to be a Christian in isolation.” They did not see the need for a community. They did not see the need to have others of faith surrounding them. To them, it was enough to just say you were a Christian and have some vague idea of what that meant.

Being a Christian is not something we can just do without thinking. Jesus said that his yoke was easy, but it is still a yoke! Being a Christian in the world requires presence of mind and a willingness to forego some of our own needs for the needs of others. The strength to forego our own wants and needs is rarely, if ever, found in a single person. The strength that we find to be about the work of Christ in the world is what we find when we gather together in community.

Jesus tells the people that he is the true bread and the true blood. When we eat this bread, we will find eternal life. This is not like the bread of our ancestors; they ate the bread and they died. But if we eat the bread of life, we will abide in Christ and Christ will abide in us. When we look at the manna that the Israelites found in the wilderness, each family went out and took enough bread for themselves. Although this was a gift from heaven, it was still a pretty private matter.

But today, Jesus is talking to the crowds of his time and to us in our time. He is calling us to gather around. He is not saying to go out and each person get their own part of the bread, or even a portion big enough for their family. He is calling us to gather around Him as the bread of life. When we gather around him, we will find not only food, but we will also find eternal life. This is a call to community. This is a call for us to be aware of the needs of those around us, not just our own needs.

If we remember back about a month ago, we started down the trail that brings us to Jesus proclaiming that he is the Bread of Life. And how did we start? We started with 5000 sitting down and sharing bread and fish. We started with the gathered community coming together and sharing what they had to help the needs of those who did not have. We had a congregation that would make a Megachurch pastor proud gathering around Jesus to share food, to share stories, and to share life! Jesus brings this group of people together and through their hearts being opened, the multitude is fed. This is not the action of single person, this is a combined action of all the people. This is the action of the church gathered together.

Jesus calls us all to gather around him. He calls us to take part of him and to abide in him. When we abide in Jesus, this is not just a “Jesus and Me” moment; this is us recognizing that we are part of something bigger. We are not just eating a small wafer and getting a sip of wine; we are gathering around a table that encircles the world. We are sharing a story and a faith that has endured.

Jesus calls us as a community, as a congregation, as a people, to eat his flesh and drink his blood. When we gather around the table, we are gathering in faith. We are gathering with the world. We are not gathering with the thought that “I’ve got mine, go get your own.” The blessings we find through Christ are not blessings that we are to keep for ourselves alone. When Christ tells us to eat his body and drink his blood, he is calling us to send the invitation to the world. Because we have been blessed, we are called to be a blessing to others. If the 5000 hadn’t opened their hearts and their lunch bags to those around them, the miracle would have stalled.

I really try not to get too political from the pulpit, but what I see happening with the Health Care Reform has really gotten me steamed. As Christians, we are called to share what we have. We are called to give. Those who are blessed are called to be a blessing upon others. I cannot for the life of me picture Jesus telling the people to shout down those who are trying to help.

Maybe what we need is to have the people in the Town Hall Meetings sit down in groups on the ground and meet each other. Have the ones who have a lot get to know the ones who have little. It is much harder to tell a person that their pain does not matter when that person is staring you in the face. Jesus knew this, which is why he had the 5000 sit in groups. It is harder to waste food or to hoard food when you have someone who is starving sitting right next to you.

The system is broken and needs to be fixed; I think we can all agree on that. But shouting down any idea that is presented and calling others names like Hitler is neither Christian nor productive. We, as Christians, are called to serve others. We are called to see where there is suffering in the world and then look to see how we are blessed so that we may share these blessings. We are called to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

We are called to be part of community and our community as Christians starts here at St. Swithins’s in the Swamp but it doesn’t end here! Bread that isn’t shared gets moldy! We are not called to be a community in isolation; we are called to be out among the people. Our garage sale this past weekend was one such way we relieve that isolation. We have invited the community to come in and see what we are all about. It is a great way to get to meet the community and to have the community meet us. But I hope that this is only a start, I think we need to have a garage sale every month! JUST KIDDING! But I am sure the Spirit is just pushing us to find other ways to be out among the people. If we feel this place and these people are important, then how do we spread this good news to others?

We are told that God so loved the world. And we know that Christ came for all people. Christ is the bread of life but this life is not limited to us, it is here for all! It is my belief that we cannot be Christians in isolation. And it is my belief that we as a congregation cannot exist in isolation. Christ came to bring us life and blessings and sends us out to spread this blessing to the world.

Pentecost 10 Year B

John 6:35, 41-51

I had a professor in college who would often talk about “Holy Uncertainty.” He would say that the most sacred place we could be was in the state of searching. When we become certain of our faith, it is then, at that point, that our faith begins to die. But as long as we were uncertain, we kept on searching. And as long as we were searching, we would be continually challenged and delighted by the wonders God had in store for us. When we became sure of our faith, we stop asking questions, we stop looking, we turn our heads away from what we see; opting to protect our “sure thing” at the cost of any new insight.
When we are certain of something, that certainty colors our whole world. If we are certain that a country is evil, everything that country does is then seen, by us, as being evil. If we believe someone is manipulative, then every action the person does is seen as manipulative. And if we believe someone is loving, then that person’s actions will be viewed through the lens of love. Usually, our view of a person or situation has more to say about us than it does about that person or situation. Holy Uncertainty helps us to travel though life with our eyes wide open. We can see the world for what it is, not what we think it is.
Certainty is a big part of the problem in the gospel reading for this morning. The people thought they had Jesus all figured out. They were certain of who he was. "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, `I have come down from heaven'?" The people had Jesus nicely pigeonholed. They were certain of who this man was. But now he was telling everyone that he was the Bread of Life! He was equating himself with God. Jesus was publicly proclaiming blasphemy and was pretty much making a nuisance of himself. Some of the people may have even considered he to be an embarrassment.
The people had Jesus plopped into a category. They were sure of their assumptions. And so when Jesus started to say things that were contrary to their assumptions, it got them upset. Instead of welcoming the new information, they actively fought to disregard it. It was easier for the people to disregard the information instead of moving into the area of Holy Uncertainty and learning from Jesus teaching.
How do we fight to disregard the voice of Jesus in our lives? Are se so sure of our faith that instead of having a vibrant, living faith, we end up with a cold, dead faith? Do we stop looking for the face of Christ in the world because we know exactly where in our community and in our world, we should find Jesus?
This is a very easy habit to get into. It is so much easier to have our concept of Jesus nailed down. It makes Jesus predictable. But it does not open us up to Holy Uncertainty. When we think we know a situation, we don’t have to spend a lot of time and energy learning new things. However, when we don’t learn new things, our life becomes flat and lifeless. When we think we have it all figured out, we miss the subtle, and not so subtle, nuances.
A simple example of people missing out on something because they believe the4y are certain of what is going on has been happening at work. We have a promotion called a “Treat Receipt” going on. With this receipt, the person can get a drink at about 50% off. I have asked people if they were familiar with the receipt, and often, the answer I get is “I’m not collecting those.” That answer let me know that the person had no idea what I was talking about and was already certain of what was happening. When someone told me, “I’m not collecting those,” I replied, “The correct answer would be, “No, I’m not.” So I told the person about the receipt and the person was excited about getting a treat in the afternoon. Her certainty could have cost her an afternoon smoothie.
Granted, this is just a small example, but it makes you wonder: How many of life’s simple pleasures do we miss just because we assume we already know what is happening. How many friends have we never met? How much beauty have we just passed over? How many gifts have remained unopened just because we assume we already know what is in the box?
When I look at all the troubles that are currently befalling the Anglican Communion, what I see is a bunch of people who think they have Jesus all figured out. They are certain of Jesus and are certain of what they think Jesus would do. Since they are certain of what Jesus would do, they are not open to any new revelation of the Spirit. Just like the people in the gospel reading, people today seem to be sure of their faith and so are not interested in opening themselves up to the uncertainty of a new teaching. They seem to fight against something that might change their life. It is easy to talk about maintaining Holy Uncertainty, but the problems we see with the Anglican Communion show us just how difficult it can be to enact it in our lives.
So how could moving from our place of certainty into Holy Uncertainty help us as a congregation? What are those things that we are so certain about that could actually be prevent us for experiencing the delights of life? What are those things that we are so certain about that could be preventing others from experiencing the delights that can be found in being part of the community of St. Swithin’s In The Swamp? In what ways are we shying away from those things that we may feel are unsafe? In what ways are we missing out on God’s gifts for our lives?
I think this is important for us to consider. This congregation has had its ups and its down during its history; but it is still here! And because we are still here, I take that to mean that God still has plans for us. Maybe God is asking us to trust in the Spirit and move from certainty into Holy Uncertainty. Maybe God is asking us to move beyond the usual and venture out into the unusual. We don’t know. But I do believe that if we start going to wrong way, God will steer us into the direction we need to move. But just like the people of the gospel, we need to realize that Jesus will often surprise us with the uncertain.
What we believe we know may not necessarily be the truth. Jesus did reach out to the respectable people, but he also seemed to make a special effort to reach out to those who were uncertain. Jesus reached out to the prostitutes and tax collectors. He touched the lepers, even risking becoming ritually unclean. He earned the wrath of the “respectable” people by reaching out to those who were not quite respectable.
Even the disciples were not necessarily the most respectable. They were not the elite of society; they were more likely the workers. They were the unexpected people. But these “Uncertain” people are the people that Jesus called and the people that Jesus around the table. These are the people for whom Jesus is the “Bread of Life.” Really, these uncertain people are us.
Christ would have been better off going with the tried and true, the certain; but that is not what Christ does. Christ uses us! As uncertain as we are. And Christ calls us to move beyond the tried and true. Christ calls us to move beyond our assumptions and find those surprises in life. Christ calls us to reach out, beyond the dead faith of certainty and live life in the wonder of “Holy Uncertainty.”

Pentecost 9 Year B

John 6:24-35

I had a bit of a problem with the sermon today. All the commentaries I read talked about how the people in the crowd were just so dense. Here they were, crowds of people who had just been fed the day before, asking Jesus for another sign. Most of the commentators questioned how the people, who had just seen a major miracle, could ask Jesus for a sign. How could these people have witnessed a major miracle but still not get it?
These commentaries caused a bit of a problem! Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of last week’s reading. In the reading last week, we had the feeding of the 5000. Last week, I discussed how this could have been a miracle of producing a whole bunch of food, or it could have been a miracle of moving people to look beyond themselves and share their belongings with others. I opted for the belief that the miracle was how Jesus helped people to move beyond thinking only of themselves and to start reaching out to those around them.
But here is where the problem comes up: We can’t talk about major miracles and people responding to major miracles when, to the people in the crowd, nothing close to a miracle happened. If you think about it, to most people in the crowd, all that happened was that some food was shared. If we look at the miracle from the perspective of last week, the people in the crowd did not see some great miracle. All that they saw was some people sitting around sharing food. It is only when we look at the whole event that we can truly realize the scope of the miracle. So, since the people didn’t see a miracle, they only saw food being shared, we cannot really get on their case for asking for a sign. This is the interesting thing about miracles; so often, when we are right in the midst of the miracle, we don’t really notice them happening.
When you look back at your life, can you find the miracles there? Can you find the miracles that at the time seemed to be just a random event? I know that when I look back, I can find all kinds of miraculous events that are only evident now. At the time, all these “everyday miracles” really didn’t register at all. At the time, they were just the events that made up my life.
To the people of Biblical times, the feeding of the 5000 was not some big event; as I said, it was just people sharing food. To them, Jesus probably didn’t seem to do anything at all. But that is the way of God. Someone wiser than I once said that coincidence is how God stays anonymous. If we look at the world, God seems to choose to work within the constraints of our world.
If we think about it, we are lucky to NOT live in a world of huge miracles. Part of what makes life livable is that life, for the most part, is predictable. The laws of physics work. We don’t have to worry about the things around us doing things they shouldn’t. We can sit here and not worry about the character of the wood suddenly changing and having the roof cave in or the floor cave in. If we lived in a truly miraculous world, that would become a problem. We don’t worry about water suddenly becoming solid. Although it may sound like fun, having water suddenly become solid would also cause a problem. Thankfully, our world is predictable.
If you think about it, the only time in our life that the world is truly miraculous is when we are babies. In order to grow and mature, we need to be able to predict life; at least somewhat. And if we think of God as a caring parent, we would know that God would want us to grow and mature. So in that sense, too, it would not be very caring for God to suddenly change the laws of physics back in Biblical times either. So although it would be easy to follow the commentators and call the people in today’s gospel reading clueless, to do this would just be harsh.
What we do have in today’s gospel is a mirror of ourselves. Like those who were fed, we float through life with miracles happening all around us. And like those who were fed, we are part of miracles without even realizing it. But, if we were one of those other people in the crowd, on of the people who went out into the wilderness without bringing food, to find someone willing to share their food would be a miracle. Finding someone willing to risk his or her own hunger to give you something to eat would be a miracle. To the world, it may just look like a chance occurrence, but to the person who received the food, it would be a miracle. Is it a coincidence? Or is it a miracle?
I guess this is where faith comes in. Faith is seeing the miraculous in the everyday. Faith is finding the hand of God in what some might consider coincidence. In looking for miracles in daily life, some may say we are creating miracles where none exists, but another way to think of this that we are recognizing the miracles that are happening every day, right under our noses. We are recognizing the people whom Christ has placed into our lives to help us when we need help. We are recognizing the people whom we are called to reach out to. We are recognizing that we have been blessed to be a blessing to others.
We have Christ in our lives. We have the Bread of Life as our Savior. The blessings we have in life come from God and we are called to share those blessings with others. The miracles of life come from God to lift us, to feed us, help us through life. We have the signs of Christ love all around us. We have family, friends, and our family of faith who constantly shower us with miracles. We are fed with the living bread, which is Christ himself, and we are called to spread that miracle to the world.
I have a challenge for you all: Over the next week, look for those miracles in your life. Look for the hand of God at work. Is a coincidence merely a coincidence? Or is it a God trying to remain hidden?