Pentecost XIV

The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 17

The Lectionary Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14

Collect of the Day: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen..

Homily:
Get a group of Episcopal clergy talking, and sooner or later the conversation will turn to their experiences officiating at weddings. Someone in the group will no doubt relate a moving story of an estranged family reconciled and reunited at the wedding of a son or daughter. Before long, another cleric will begin reminiscing about a great-grandmother’s tears of joy as she watched the next generation of her family grow to adulthood and wed. But then – inevitably – someone else in the group will bring up with a sigh of resignation the difficult bride with unrealistic expectations and demands or the tipsy best man who barely made it through the service.

Truth is, no wedding ceremony ever seems to go exactly according to plan. Weddings just seem somehow to bring out the best – and sometimes the worst – in people. Clergy know that. Indeed, we all know it. And apparently, so does Jesus if our gospel account today is any indication. It is probably not for nothing that he sets his parable lesson today at a wedding feast where everyone is already anxious – trying their hardest to look and act their best – and vying for the best seats and places.

At first glance, this story appears to be nothing more than a straightforward, practical lesson in the twin virtues of courtesy and hospitality – among the most esteemed in the ancient world. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,” our Lord begins, “do not sit down at the place of honor.” After all, there may well be other, more distinguished, guests who outrank you. Choose instead the lower places at table, he continues, “so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.’”

Common sense, we might rightly say, nodding our heads in agreement. Just good manners.

But Jesus is, of course, no first-century Miss Manners, and he has far more important things on his mind than table etiquette and protocol. Our selfish instincts, he knows, are not confined to wedding banquets and the dinner table. In every age and culture, it has been part of human nature for folks to act in their own self-interest – sometimes even while seemingly acquiescing to the needs and wants of others. We do it all the time, often without even thinking about it.

Whole economies are based on the principle of rugged individualism and self-reliance, the notion that, without interference from others, we are all better off depending on our own initiative and enterprise – acting in our own self-interest. Social scientists might even tell us that this is unavoidable and simply part of human evolution. After all, all creatures have a natural propensity to foster and advance their own survival. We are no exception. As one bumper sticker popular in California puts it: “It’s About Me.” That pretty much says it all.

At a certain level, of course, some might argue that there is nothing inherently wrong with this. Flight attendants warn us to secure our own oxygen masks first before assisting others – and for fairly obvious reasons. Therapists urge clients to be sure they are “getting their own needs met” before trying to reach out to others when already psychically exhausted. And we are all learning anew the importance of self-care – taking responsibility for our own health and well-being every day.

But what takes place at the wedding banquet in Jesus’ parable is emblematic of different and much deeper truths.

“All who exalt themselves will be humbled,” our Lord concludes, “and those who humble themselves will be exalted." This is not the practical experience of the workaday world we know so well. And if we are to believe Jesus, the ordinary rules of human self-aggrandizement, greed, and pride suddenly no longer apply. In the upside-down, topsy-turvy world of the gospel, everything is turned around. The humble are the exalted ones. The poor are the rich. The crippled and lame are the well. And the blind are the ones who see.

And it is not about me after all.

The world turns out to be not as solid and real as we had believed. Ultimately, our self-reliance turns out to be an illusion. For we all depend upon one another whether we recognize it or not. And whether we like it or not, we all depend on God. More than that, our Lord insists, it is only in emptying ourselves of our selfish impulses and accepting our sheer dependence upon God and others that we truly come to realize our own worth and value. Only by humbling ourselves can we approach the One who humbled himself on the cross.

This is the paradox – and the challenge – of the gospel. The kingdom, of which our Lord so often speaks, is a realm at odds with this everyday world of ours and its values. In the spiritual realm of God’s kingdom, survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning. And the second law of thermodynamics no longer applies: there is no limit – no end – to the energy of God’s love; it goes on forever. The “resurrection of the righteous,” as Jesus calls it here, reveals our true and genuine nature. And we will be repaid – not in ever higher salaries and exalted titles – but in the only currency that counts, the love God has for us and which we share with one another.

Any bride and groom who survive the wedding and go on to a happy married and family life soon enough learn first hand the important lesson of Jesus’ parable today; they soon enough come to know the meaning of selfless giving; they soon enough glimpse the kingdom at play in spouse and children. But you do not have to be married to find God and his “angels” masquerading as “strangers” in your midst. The kingdom, after all, is close at hand.

We pray today with the author of our reading from Hebrews, “Let mutual love continue.”

Now, that would make a nifty bumper sticker.

-- The Rev. Dr. Frank Hegedus serves as locum tennens of “The Episcopal Church in Almaden” (www.eca-sj.org) in San Jose, California.

Intersting comment from the All African Bishops' Conference

Well, first, it's not "All African Bishops" because a certain former cleric is present. Why, one must wonder, is Bob Duncan at a conference on African Anglicanism?

But this is what caught my eye while reading reports of the conference:

Archbishop of Uganda Henry Orombi the Primate of the country hosting the CAPA-run conference, said now was the time for African Anglicanism to “rise up”, that it was time for representatives of the continent to be able to go to other places in the Communion with “fresh wine from new wine skins”.

That sounds like border crossing is high on their "to do" list. Are we surprised? I didn't think so.

The cultural centre near "Ground Zero"

The following was posted to the House of Bishops/Deputies list. I asked and received permission to post it here. This is the first time I've heard a perspective from someone who nearly died in the terrorism.

I [am] responding to a post that spoke to the anguish those at “ground zero” might feel at hearing the call to prayers at the “mosque” and also referred to the ADL’s agreement with those protesting. Besides the point that this center is no more a mosque than a Knights of Columbus hall is a “church” there is already one other Muslim prayer facility nearby that has been there since the ‘70’s. There are no minarets and no call to prayers.

I was there that day (9-11-01). I was saved from death because the subway train I was on had been delayed by a train ahead of us with brake trouble. I arrived shortly after the first plane hit. I saw people leaping from the top floors of tower one, choosing that death over the death from the heat and flames. Two co-workers of mine did die that day.

Unlike many I do not blame Islam for that attack. I blame a man who has a particular axe to grind and who managed to get 19 deluded souls to do the dirty work for him and has used an extreme and distorted interpretation of Islam to justify the act. Let us not forget that our own Christian hands are not unsullied by atrocities committed in Christ’s name over the past several centuries.

Today those who will misuse the teachings of Mohammad to radicalize young impressionable Muslims are only helped by those of us who condemn out of hand such projects as this Center (which, by the way is not at “Ground Zero,” but some distance away). They tell these deluded young men and women that we are their enemies; that we want to destroy Islam; that we have no respect for them, and attitudes like those expressed by the opposition of this Center only serve to confirm these lies in their minds.

I personally am tired of the exploitation of the events of that day (9/11/01) by those who were not there and experienced it second hand.

Our Lord told us that we are to love our enemies; that we are to do good to those who have hurt us. But many ignore those teachings of the Gospel because they would rather have revenge. They would rather sit in judgment than reach out in love.

The ADL, of all people, should understand this kind of prejudice and where it can lead. But unfortunately history shows us that those who have been oppressed, rather than have empathy for all the oppressed are far too ready to oppress others when given the opportunity.

Shame on all of us for our lack of love, the love we were commanded to practice by Christ himself.

Charlie
Diocese of Long Island

TTLS thanks Charlie for granting permission to post his comments.

Now please go over to Episcopal Life Online and read an excellent opinion by the Rev'd Anne Mallonee who is Vicar of Trinity, Wall Street, across the lane from "Ground Zero."

Pentecost XIII

The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 16

The Lectionary Jeremiah 1.4-10; Psalm 71.1-6; Hebrews 12.18-29; Luke 10.13-17

Collect of the Day: Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Homily:

It is a wonder, why, in their infinite wisdom, the compilers of the Revised Common Lectionary chose to begin this week’s epistle where they did. The syntax and cadence are difficult enough, without even beginning to look at the content and context thereof. The reading seems to drop right into the middle of an ongoing discussion and retelling of the history of the Hebrew people – referring to the awe-inspiring display of God’s power and presence as Yahweh descended on Mt. Sinai in the fourth and fifth chapters of Deuteronomy. And yet, when we look to the immediately preceding verses, we realize that today’s reading is the beginning of a new thought pattern in the epistle.

The author expects that his audience is well enough acquainted with the history of the Hebrews that there is no explanation or context needed. It is simply necessary to remind the people of how God appeared to their ancestors on Mt. Sinai, in order to contrast with God’s arrival on Mt. Zion. A warning is not, however, far behind, for if they decide to reject the voice of God, now mediated through the blood of Jesus, they will be removed with those created things that will be shaken.

The question might now be asked, How then does Jesus’ rather terse discussion the synagogue leader in the passage from Luke, correlate with the cautionary note that pervades our reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews? Let’s look, briefly, at exactly what actually transpires as a result of Jesus’ healing of the crippled woman.

As the fourth of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath (or Shabbat) is sacred for the observant Jew and strict rules govern the acceptable activities performed on the Sabbath. The twenty-four hour period – from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday – is marked by the cessation of anything considered work by the religious authorities. The crux of the Sabbath prohibition of work can be found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. In her book, Mudhouse Sabbath, Lauren Winner, an Orthodox Jewish convert to Christianity, mentions that:

“Over time, the rabbis teased out of the text just what the prohibition on work meant, first indentifying thirty-nine categories of activities to be avoided on Shabbat, and then fleshing out the implication of those thirty-nine (if one is not to light a fire, for example, one also ought not handle matches or kindling.)”

So this prohibition was not some flip or casual expectation. The sacred nature of the Sabbath was expected to be preserved, at all costs. And yet, as Jesus heals, yet again, on the Sabbath, a distinction is drawn between the accepted view of the religious officials, and millennia of theological interpretation. 

One of the things that observant Jews are required to do on the Sabbath is attend worship at the synagogue. It must have taken a herculean effort for the woman in today’s gospel, clearly struggling with a debilitating physical condition, to make it to worship on this day. How difficult would it be for her to follow the synagogue leader’s directive to come back on another day to be healed – which, incidentally, makes the case that we must be very careful to remove as many of the possible obstacles that we can, so that we do not deter those now among us who are struggling with issues of mobility.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus manages to get himself into considerable trouble by healing on the Sabbath. Jesus draws the line in the proverbial sand, confronting the leader’s rebuke of him and laying claim to a higher commandment, that of the two great commandments, of which Jesus speaks in the twenty-second chapter of Matthew: to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself. By indicating the care taken to unbind livestock so that they may continue to live, he pointed to the care that God has taken for this woman, by unbinding her so that she might fully live.

It is clear how easily many in Jesus’ time might become overzealous in their observance of the Sabbath, but today, we see evidence of Jesus leading the people of his time, and ours also, to lay claim to and stand firmly on those things that cannot be shaken, of which our Hebrews reading spoke. For many, the Sabbath might be thought of as one of the things that cannot be shaken, and very truly it is. But Jesus’ healing of the crippled woman and admonition of the synagogue leader indicates that those things done in the service of others for God’s Glory and Purpose are to be done whenever and wherever needed, even on the Sabbath. Jesus seems to be saying with each incident of this Sabbath “work” that when we have the opportunity, regardless of when or where it is, we must do the work that we are given to do – heal, welcome, love, encourage, serve.

The author of Hebrews warns, in verse 25, not to “refuse the one who is speaking,” for that One is about to shake heaven and earth and those things will be removed that are able to be shaken. But we are also reminded that followers of Christ are the inheritors of a kingdom that is unshakable. 

That unshakable kingdom is built on the foundation of Jesus, his establishment of the new covenant that is based, not simply on obedience to a set of rules, but on engaged and inspired reactions to the great love of the One God. It is to this God that we are invited to come and join in the celebration of the angels in the heavenly Jerusalem, it is to this God that we give thanks and worship and honor and glory.

We are called into relationship with the God who shows power in loving acts of healing that break the bounds of our understanding and comprehension. It is, founded upon the unshakeable love of God, made accessible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The collect for this Sunday prays that we might be able to show God’s power to all people. It also reminds us that we can only be gathered together in unity, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In our prayer and praise this day, we have reconnected ourselves to the power that God makes available to us. Having received this gift, we are asked to give it away in loving and healing acts of service to those whom God sends to us. Look around and see the people that God has sent to be present with us on this day. Take note of those, who for whatever reason, are not with us today. Use the power granted by God’s Grace and make sure that those folks are made to feel the healing love that God has for them, through you. Take care to move with the joy that comes through our relationship with Christ and allow ourselves to be consumed by the fire of God’s love and join with the crowd that witnessed Jesus’ Sabbath work of healing and rejoice at all the wonderful things Jesus is doing still.

-- The Rev. Lawrence Womack currently serves as associate rector at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has served parishes in Baltimore, Maryland; and Buffalo, New York (as a seminarian). He is active in HIV-AIDS ministry and advocacy and proudly serves as a husband and father of three children.