tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90671892920415422142024-03-17T16:24:04.057-05:00The Radical MiddleJohn Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.comBlogger390125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-5948805824726904182024-03-17T16:23:00.001-05:002024-03-17T16:23:19.827-05:00Walking Toward the Good I Seek<p>Sermon for March 17, 2024<br />Series: Igniting Your Spirit to Find Heaven on Earth, part 5<br />John 12:20-33</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This isn’t the last Sunday of Lent – that will
be next week, Palm Sunday – but this is the last installment in our Lenten preaching
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (There's no sermon next Sunday.) </span>Along with the devotional guide
we mailed you a few weeks ago, these sermons have been asking how we can ignite our spirits to
find heaven on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve explored
working with our spiritual wiring for relationships, scheduling to prioritize
God’s purposes, living as our best selves, choosing our companions for the
journey – and now, we’re asking, “How can I walk toward the good I seek?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope all this has been helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, so you know what’s coming, we’ll begin a
new preaching series the Sunday after Easter called “Walking the Way of Love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll highlight seven actions you can take to
experience the joy of resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
on that in next week’s <i>Messenger</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, for today – how do we walk toward the
good we seek? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess there’s an
assumption there – that, deep down, we’re all seeking “the good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, is anyone here working to make life
worse for the people around you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good;
no hands up in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, we’d
probably need an intervention. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But if we’re all on the same page, why
even bother with a sermon about this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, because we all may <i>want</i> to find “the good,” but my hunch is
that we aren’t all seeking it actively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, we may not even be able to say what it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is “seeking the good” synonymous with
altruism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does “seeking the good”
necessarily mean working against my own interest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, ask yourself:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When does my life feel most filled with
purpose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When do I feel most fully alive?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s when <i>our</i> well-being and <i>the
world’s</i> well-being intersect, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the famous words of the writer Frederick Buechner, it’s “the place
where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”<sup>1</sup> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">OK, good enough – just go find that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bye; see you next week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, not so fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it were easy, we’d <i>all</i> be living
joyful, purpose-filled lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re
not quite there, it’s probably worth asking, “Why not?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s standing in the way of investing myself
and my life in pursuing the good?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
how could I get there?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe we can get some insight from this
morning’s Gospel reading, specifically from some nameless characters in the
story: “some Greeks.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reading
begins, “Now, among those who went up to worship at the festival were some
Greeks” (John 12:20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s unpack that
a bit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, it’s always good to know
where we are in the bigger Gospel story, and here it’s at a crucial moment – Palm
Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A huge crowd is gathered in
Jerusalem for the Passover festival and to see Jesus, who just a few days earlier
brought Lazarus back to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowd
hears that Jesus is coming into the city, and they go outside the walls to meet
him as he rides into Jerusalem in triumph, looking for all the world like their
conquering king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, we pick up the story today just after
Jesus has ridden into town in royal splendor, at the pinnacle of success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And among the adoring crowd are these
“Greeks” – so, who are they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
they’re non-Jews, people from the secular, Greek-speaking culture rather than from
the people of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, most likely,
they’re also part of a distinctive subset of Greeks, a group of outsiders who
were at the edge of being insiders in relation to the Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Jesus’ time, there were people known as
“God-fearers,” which meant non-Jews who respected and worshiped Israel’s God,
even though they hadn’t gone all in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
didn’t necessarily follow Jewish law fully; the men among them hadn’t gone so
far as being circumcised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But these
folks honored Yahweh, and went to synagogue, and tried to walk the path of
loving God and neighbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe that sounds familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I think there are a lot of “Greeks”
like this in and around our churches today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On any given day, I might be one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If faith were a football game, the Greeks
would be the ones on the sidelines in street clothes – not ready to play but still
cheering the team on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said, that
might be familiar territory for some of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, these Greeks come to one of the
players who <i>is</i> dressed out – to Philip, one of the disciples – and they
say to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (12:21).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philip maybe isn’t quite sure about this – these
Greeks aren’t fully committed, after all – so Philip checks with Andrew, who
gives the OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And these Greeks find
themselves standing before Jesus himself – the king-to-be, in all his anticipated
glory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, what’d they say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t you wonder?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a would-be disciple, and you get
the chance to talk to Jesus directly, what would <i>you</i> say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, John’s Gospel doesn’t tell us what they
said, so maybe we’re invited to fill in that blank ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re looking for what we’re all
looking for: purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they want to
make a difference; maybe they want to leave the world better than they found
it; maybe they want to feel fully alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the presence of this king who raises people from the dead, being
fully alive suddenly feels gloriously possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the response they get from Jesus must
have shocked them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like just
the opposite of being fully alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, he implies, he’ll be dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
time has come for this king to be glorified, he says. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that will happen not by the crowds making
him king but by Jesus choosing to give himself up for them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when he does that, when he dies, that act
will bear much fruit, Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
like burying a seed: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it
dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What kind of fruit is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
kind that transforms your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’
death will bring salvation itself, not just to the Jews but to anyone who seeks
it – the healing of our lives and the chance to walk in heaven’s love, now and always.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, I imagine Jesus looking these
slack-jawed Greeks in the eye and raising the stakes for them
considerably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want meaning and
purpose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to feel truly
alive?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here you go, he says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll change your heart so you can change the
world, but it comes with an expectation: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The folks on the sidelines need to suit up and
get in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not just going to
die and take you to heaven, Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m setting a pattern: that “whoever serves me must follow me, and where
I am, there my servant will be also” (John 12:26). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walk in my steps of love, Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wash somebody’s feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slake somebody’s thirst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show somebody a transformed future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New life comes when we give ourselves away
for the well-being of one another. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And what’s more, Jesus tells the Greeks, the
crucial time is nearly here – the time that will reveal who’s aligned with God
and who’s aligned with the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, he calls what’s coming the time of “judgment,” the time when “the ruler
of this world will be driven out” (12:31). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how will that happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, if you follow me, you’ll have the eyes
to see it, Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’ll vanquish the
ruler of this world – not just Caesar, not just the chief priests, but evil
itself – the power of sin and death, the power that truly afflicts us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he’ll do that not with heavenly armies
but with heavenly love, being “lifted up from the earth” on a cross to draw all
people away from sin and death and to himself instead (12:32).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s the last we see of those Greeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you suppose became of them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we’ll find out if we look in the
mirror.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s the call I hear from Jesus to all
us Greeks on the sidelines: Create your own adventure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This life we long for, this life of meaning
and purpose, this life where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet
– it’s there, waiting for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
life that will cost us something; Jesus is clear about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a seminary professor of mine liked to say,
the symbol of our faith is a cross, not an easy chair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find meaning and purpose when we find what
we need to lose – the baubles of worldly happiness, the success of playing
small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we lose those idols that
bring us empty comfort, we make space for the love that changes lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, how do we begin the adventure into
which Jesus invites us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a way to
take one step, or maybe a few steps, with Jesus right by our side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next Sunday, we’ll begin Holy Week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a pilgrimage, a journey we take knowing
the destination but not knowing what we’ll experience on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It starts with Palm Sunday, greeting Jesus in
triumphant joy and leaving baffled as he hangs on the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It continues on Maundy Thursday, as he pours
himself out in love for the friends about to abandon him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It continues on Good Friday, as we linger at
the cross, marveling that it’s him up there suffering, not us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it continues on to the Easter Vigil, as Jesus’
light vanquishes the darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I invite you to join him in that Holy Week
pilgrimage, one step at a time, and let the journey speak to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experience the power, the depth, the meaning
that comes to us when we die to the rule of this world so we can bear the fruit
of eternal life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Buechner,
Frederick. <i>Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC (Revised and Expanded).</i> New
York: HarperCollins, 1993 (originally published 1973). 119.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-32444377050647303272024-03-03T16:11:00.001-06:002024-03-03T16:11:41.383-06:00Living as My Best Self<p>Sermon for March 3, 2024<br />Series: Igniting Your Spirit to Find Heaven on Earth, part 3<br />Exodus 20:1-17</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This morning, we’re continuing our Lenten
sermon series about igniting your spirit to find heaven on earth, and we’re
focusing today on this question: How do I live as my best self?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you Google “my best self,” you get a
lot of hits about positive psychology, mindfulness, and self-compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the top search result is a website
called “<a href="https://www.mybestself101.org/">My Best Self 101</a>,” which
offers a 20-item survey on “human flourishing,” as well as an 85-item survey to
help you select the right tool to improve your well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing wrong with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Human flourishing” sounds pretty appealing,
and I’d be grateful to find just the right tool to improve my well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(My hunch is that tool might be an exercise
bike, but that’s a different sermon.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nowhere on that list of search results will
you find the 10 Commandments, our Old Testament reading this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, oddly enough, I’d say those 10 Commandments
are all about human flourishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
question is where and how you see it happening. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My Best Self 101,” like most of the rest of
our culture, sees us flourishing from within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s because our culture sees us as individuals, autonomous beings who
bump up against each other sometimes but fundamentally find our purpose and
meaning internally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But I think our spiritual tradition would say
just the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That tradition begins
with people living together, with God, in paradise, only to lose the best deal
ever by thinking we could improve on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s the brokenness we all share – that right alongside the image and
likeness of God lies our original sin, the idolatry of self-worship. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Healing that brokenness is the story of
salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time and time again, God
reaches out to beloved humans and invites us to look past ourselves to find our
well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one of the most
memorable times God did that is the moment we heard about this morning – the giving
of the 10 Commandments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, this isn’t exactly a warm and fuzzy
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The divine presence descends on Mount
Sinai in cloud and smoke and fire, as trumpets and thunder herald a God who
might well be coming to make war on wayward humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moses brings the people to the foot of the
mountain to “meet God” (Exodus 19:17); and the people are scared out of their
minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they hear the laws, with
Moses translating for the frightened crowd – a list of 10 restrictions, eight
of them explicitly framed in negativity: “Thou shalt <i>not</i>….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And yet … if you’re looking for a guide to
help you live as your best self, I’d say these 10 Commandments are a great
place to start, and here’s why: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This covenant
with God invites us to turn away from seeing ourselves as the center of the
universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, counterintuitively, God
shows us we can find our best selves not by looking deep within but by looking
outward, not by maximizing our potential but by limiting ourselves for the sake
of relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How does that work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it might help to see what this original
top-10 list actually has to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To start out, notice that the 10 Commandments
come in two blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first four are
about our relationship with God, and the last six are about our relationship
with our neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, here are the
first four, about relating to God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Number 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me” (20:2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, our starting place is to
recognize which god is God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not
worshiping golden calves anymore; our idols now do a better job of blending in –
idols of power, wealth, beauty, success, freedom, progress…. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of these is inherently bad; in fact, all
of them are gifts from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they <i>aren’t</i>
God, and we’ll be happier if we don’t substitute them for the One who is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Continuing that thought, here’s Number
2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You shall not make for yourself an
idol….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You shall not bow down to them or
worship them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God….” (20:4-5)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hear two things here: that God is so much
more, so far beyond our experience, that any attempt to capture God physically
will put transcendent divinity in a box of limited human imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, metaphors are great, but idols will make
us think we’re wise enough to comprehend the incomprehensible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with that, worshiping that which isn’t God
is an insult to the One who is, a slap in the face to the Creator who’s trying
to bring us back into paradise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Number 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God”
(20:7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it’s an insult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the Hebrews, the divine Name was so holy
they couldn’t speak it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would only represent
it with letters you couldn’t pronounce, what we transliterate as YHWH, and the “name”
they used was instead a title, which we translate as “the Lord.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a recognition that God can’t be managed,
can’t be reduced to human language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even
more insulting is using that divine Name as spoken bold-face, demeaning what’s
ultimately holy into crude interjections to give our fleeting feelings a little
more pop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And here’s the last of the commandments
about our relationship with God, number 4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy” (20:8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one should make us stop short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, it’s one of only two that <i>isn’t</i>
a “thou shalt not.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, it’s the
longest of the 10, going on for four verses in how to apply it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third, it applies to all people in the
community, the people of Israel and everyone in their midst, even the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why does it get so much attention?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it’s the ultimate example of our Creator
trying to help us while we childishly wriggle and squirm for the freedom to hurt
ourselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a huge act of love for
God to say, “You don’t have to prove yourself all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, spend 14 percent of your life
resting.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just looking at that selfishly,
we’d be smart to take God up on the offer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, if a day of rest was good enough for the
Creator, it’s probably right for the creations, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even deeper than that, the sabbath is a
commandment to live like God and to observe time like God, sanctifying it by reminding
ourselves that time was God’s before God gave it to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, those four commandments are the framework
for a relationship with our heavenly Parent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other six are about relating to those heavenly siblings all around
us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s commandment number 5:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Honor your father and your mother, that your
days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (20:12).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the one about sabbath, this one’s
telling us what <i>to</i> do rather than what <i>not</i> to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the payoff is interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There seems to be a link between honoring our
elders and our own longevity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This doesn’t
compute in a world where the autonomous individual is king, but it makes great
sense in a culture where being in community is the equivalent of being alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That might be a healthy perspective for us –
that we live our best life when we build connections with, and learn from,
those who’ve walked the path before.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Number 6:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You shall not murder” (20:13) – which means, as Exodus later defines
it, “willfully attack[ing] and kill[ing] another by treachery” (21:14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, at least there’s one commandment I’m
not breaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it doesn’t take much
theological reflection to apply it more broadly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You shall not willfully attack and kill … another’s
reputation, or livelihood, or way of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if someone has hurt us, even if we despise that person, that doesn’t
give us the freedom to hurt that person without the community’s sanction.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Number 7:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You shall not commit adultery” (20:14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, this one’s pretty straightforward … until we start asking, “How
far do you have to go before you go too far?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What about building an intimate emotional bond with someone when your
heart is already bound to someone else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think emotional adultery is a thing, too, because its damage to a
relationship can be just as great.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Number 8:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You shall not steal” (20:15) – another straightforward rule … or so it
seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We probably haven’t knocked over
any liquor stores recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I knew a
clergy person who stood in the pulpit and preached sermons off the internet
without a single attribution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems
pretty clearly wrong – and not just because the act is dishonest, but because, once
someone finds out – and someone <i>always</i> finds out – then your
relationship with your people withers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
then, so what about taking material from Wikipedia?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about using A.I. to write a report?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re deceiving people by making them think
the work is yours, however you do it, that sounds like stealing to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And speaking of deceiving people, here’s number
9:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbor” (20:16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Originally, this was about legal testimony, but even in later biblical
material, the rule is applied to slander more generally.<sup>1</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day, in our relationships
with people around us, all we have is our word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without the trust that represents, there is no community to share.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And finally, here’s number 10:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house …
wife … slave … ox … donkey … or anything else” (20:17).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, this one always seemed a little unfair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I keep myself from wanting something?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not be my most wholesome thought, but
as long as I don’t act on it, don’t I get a pass?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, covetousness hurts our own hearts by
setting us up never to be satisfied with the blessings God gives us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it also damages our relationships with
our neighbors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I didn’t actually steal
someone’s stuff; but if I want his stuff and can’t have it, I’m probably not
working for his well-being. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we’re
not invested in each other’s well-being, our community spirals downward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, I’m sure there’s great advice on that
best-self website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, as it seems to
be with so much of our faith, I think what God has in mind is this paradoxical
truth: that we live as our best selves when we limit ourselves for the sake of
relationship – relationship with the God who loves us more than anything, and
relationship with those wonderful, frustrating other humans with whom we share the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need the 10 Commandments not
as a list of rules but as the paradigm of interconnected well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, how might we live God’s upside-down
logic to be our best selves?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe try
this – two acts of Lenten self-limitation, one oriented to God and one oriented
to the people around you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at those
first four commandments, and ask yourself, “What would help me remember that
God is God, and I am not?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which commandment
jumps out at you – maybe honoring God more regularly, or speaking God’s name
only in reverence, or remembering to rest as a divine offering?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, look at those six commandments about
our relationship with others, and ask yourself:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“How do I need to tie my well-being to their well-being?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which of those commandments jumps out at you –
maybe calling your mom more often, or tempering your tongue about someone you
don’t like, or asking whether you’re investing your heart with the person you covenanted
to love forever?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Remembering the 10 Commandments is a good
way to rediscover the upside-down truth of Gospel success:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come out on top when God and neighbor rank
ahead of us because our best self is a self in relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome to the crazy Good News of coming in third.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">See
Leviticus 19:16.<i> New International Study Bible</i>, 116 (note). <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-16704972298016135052024-02-26T13:01:00.003-06:002024-02-26T13:01:41.948-06:00Working With My Spiritual Wiring<p>Sermon from Feb. 18, 2024 <br />First installment of a Lenten series, "Igniting Your Spirit to Find Heaven on Earth"<br />Mark 1:9-15</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, first, a quick heads-up: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sermon will be a little longer than
usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider it a moment of Lenten
discipline. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We find ourselves now four days out from
the shooting at the Super Bowl parade, struggling to make sense of the
senseless. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a time for lamentation, as
we offered here Thursday evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But our
laments aren’t limited to prayers in church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interviewed after the shooting, Chief of
Police Stacy Graves lamented, “This is <i>not</i> Kansas City.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, mass shootings don’t fit with our sense
of community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the reality is that,
in fact, this <i>is</i> Kansas City. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
not just Kansas City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is also Las
Vegas, and Orlando, and Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook, and El Paso, and
Lewiston, and Uvalde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The difference now
is that we’ve joined the list of places where good folks thought mass shootings
wouldn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of course, Wednesday’s shooting comes on
the heels of a record-setting year for gun violence in Kansas City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every week, as we offer the Prayers of the People
and name our neighbors who’ve been killed, I shake my head and wonder, “How long,
Lord?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not a lament about God’s
inaction, by the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s shorthand
for, “How long, Lord, will we say ‘yes’ to the evil of violence that slithers
at the edges of our hearts?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is the first Sunday of Lent and the beginning
of our Lenten preaching series, “Igniting Your Spirit to Find Heaven on Earth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say, the igniting that our spirits received
this week wasn’t exactly what we had in mind for this series or for the booklet
of reflections that will soon be in your mailbox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know about you, but I came away from
Wednesday furious, which is not an emotion I know how to have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But with a few days’ time, fury can morph
into reflection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So: What’s next for my spirit, and for
yours, and for the spirit of our community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is this a moment when we have any business seeking heaven on earth?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Absolutely it is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As we start our pilgrimage, it’s good to
recognize where we begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one way to
name where we are today is where we found Jesus in today’s Gospel reading: in
the wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that fast-cut story
from Mark’s Gospel, we see Jesus flipping from what must have been joy to lamentation.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one moment, he’s being baptized and comes
out of the water to a voice from heaven proclaiming, “You are my Son, the Beloved;
with you I am well-pleased” (1:11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then
“immediately” the Spirit of the Father who loves him so much drives him out
into the wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s odd parenting, to say the
least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would God do it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that’s a different sermon, maybe the
sermon I would have preached before this Wednesday afternoon. But we’re
left with Jesus out there “in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan” (Mark
1:13). Now, in the fast cuts we get in Mark’s Gospel, we don’t hear the
dialogue that Matthew gives us – the details of temptation, as Satan offers Jesus
food, and the chance to flaunt his divine status, and an easy road to power. No, here in
Mark, we just know Jesus is out there in a desolate desert landscape, what must
have felt like hell itself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It seems to me we’re in the wilderness,
too. And that brings us to this week’s stop in our sermon series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’re seeking to ignite our spirits to
find heaven on earth, we have to start by recognizing our own spiritual wiring
and considering how we might work with it to go deeper in relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we might start a few questions before
that: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Am</i> I really wired for
relationship with God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I can’t
feel it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What stands in the way of
connecting with God for me?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The wilderness is a good place to ask
those questions, for Jesus and for us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now,
Jesus <i>knows</i> he’s God’s beloved – he’s heard it straight from the deity’s
mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we know it, too – intellectually,
at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, “God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not
perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or, as the bumper sticker on my refrigerator puts it, “God loves you
whether you like it or not.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If God’s
opening the door to heaven for you, you must be worthy of God’s love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we may believe that in our heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But knowing it in our hearts can be a
different matter, especially here in the wilderness – the wilderness of grief, the
wilderness of isolation, the wilderness of futility.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, in a community that’s lost its innocence,
just four days past the parade shooting, what do we do here in the wilderness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we’re tempted to listen to the power of
evil selling us hopelessness and empty promises, how do we “beat down Satan
under our feet” (BCP 152)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we
remember that we are each God’s beloved, and how do we live that way?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mark’s story gives us at least two clues –
a blessing and a call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, the
blessing: Jesus is indeed out in the wilderness, but he’s not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story says, “The angels waited on him”
(1:13).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, my hunch is that <i>doesn’t</i>
mean they were bringing him pina coladas on the beach by the Dead Sea. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, remember who angels are in
scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angels are God’s messengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They come bearing God’s word – a saving word –
to frightened, beloved people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a
reason why angels are always telling folks, “Do not be afraid.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message they’re bringing, from God’s lips
to our ears, is that God’s got this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter
how lonely or frightened or angry the world has made you, God’s got your back.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, that’s the blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And along with that, there’s a call – a call
that came to Jesus the Beloved and that comes to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll notice that the last scene in this
morning’s story puts the camera on Jesus as he walks out of the
wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s endured his
isolation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s lamented what must have sometimes
felt like abandonment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s been sustained
by angels, and he’s stared down Satan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
so, when the evil of the world coils and strikes, he shifts to action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ cousin and friend John the Baptist is
arrested by the authorities who want to silence him, so Jesus sets out on what
will be a long, hard road – immediately and for the next three years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He leaves the wilderness near the Dead Sea
and heads back home, a 90-mile hike to Galilee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But he’s not retreating in defeat and despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he’s on the advance, proclaiming good
news to counter the voices selling despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“The time is fulfilled,” he says, “and the kingdom of God has come near.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark
1:15) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recognize that God’s reign and
rule supersedes what the world tells you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Change your mind, which is what “repent” means, and set your heart and your
feet on the path of love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, back to this week’s focus in our
Lenten sermon series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we work
with our own spiritual wiring to deepen our relationship with God when we find
ourselves in a wilderness time like this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, remember the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
wasn’t alone there in the wilderness, and the same is true for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alongside the anger and frustration is the
assurance that we lament together, and that we lament to the God who hears us
and comes to our aid. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God will pick us
back up, and walk alongside us, and keep pointing us toward our hearts’ true
home – the kingdom of heaven, even in the brokenness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, once you’re back on your feet, keep
your eyes and ears open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for the angels
in your midst, reminding you of love’s power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Listen for the voice of God in scripture and the words of people you trust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make time to be still enough to hear God speaking
to you in the daily-ness of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look
for patterns of direction and fingerprints of blessing that affirm your
belovedness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come to worship; and drink
in the sustenance of Word and song and sacrament; and let the Spirit recharge
you for whatever lies ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, our first step is remembering the
story and listening for the voices of angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The second step is acting on what you hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steer clear of despair by using the spiritual
gifts you bring to the journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of
us are listeners, gifted at being present with people in their suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us are pray-ers, gifted at offering
God our common laments and our hopes for healing in the assurance that prayer
changes things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us are encouragers,
gifted at inspiring people to live their faith and honor God’s reign and rule
in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us are analysts, gifted
at naming different options and discerning among them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us are relationship-builders, working
with people across similarities <i>and</i> differences to find unexpected
solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some of us are mobilizers,
gifted at organizing people to translate their faith into change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a variety of gifts, as the apostle
Paul wrote, but they’re empowered by the same Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And using those gifts is our best antidote to
despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For, in our own ways, each of
us is wired to join Jesus on that road to Galilee, proclaiming the kingdom so
that God’s will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As we live our individual gifts, remember we
also walk this road together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me
close with an invitation to something that’s suddenly taken on immediate relevance
given the events of last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may
remember, two summers ago, when the abortion amendment was on the Kansas ballot,
about 25 of us gathered for a listening session – not to debate the topic but
to hear each other’s passions about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was a healing moment, a time when people could gather in love as well as
disagreement, and listen to each other, and honor the dignity of everyone in
the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, our parish
Discernment Commission has been putting together a series of listening
opportunities for the next few months, addressing issues like divisiveness in politics,
the war between Israel and Hamas, the effects of social media, the well-being
of our education system, and the ethics of end-of-life decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re calling it the St. Andrew’s Listening
in Love Forum, and it will be led by one of our resident experts in helping
people listen, counselor Ann Rainey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The series will happen on the fourth Tuesday
of the month through June, and it’ll start next week as we create a safe space to
share our hearts related to the issue of the moment – gun violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it happens, we have a presenting moment legislatively,
too. The Missouri House is considering a bill that would allow concealed carry
in churches and on public transportation.<sup>1</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, some of us will hear that and think, “Why
in God’s name would we put guns into <i>more</i> public gatherings, given the
shooting on Wednesday?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And others of us
will hear that and think, “How else can you stop someone like the shooters on
Wednesday?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, this session on Feb.
27 will not be a time to debate but a time to model the most basic skill we
must learn if we hope to find heaven on earth, and that’s listening – in this
case, listening to each other without vilifying each other, and listening for
ways the Spirit might move us forward together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bulletin and <i>Messenger</i> this weekend have more information on the
Listening in Love Forum, so I hope you’ll consider coming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here's the hope I take away from today’s
Gospel reading and from this awful week: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We <i>can</i> make our way out of the
wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can join Jesus as he hits
the road proclaiming that the kingdom of God has come near and calling people
to change their minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a matter of tapping
into the spiritual wiring God has given each of us and letting Jesus set the
course.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">HB
1708, “<span style="background: #FEFEFE; color: black;">Changes the law regarding
firearm concealed carry permits.” <a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1708&year=2024&code=R">https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1708&year=2024&code=R</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-78631592978670260632024-02-26T12:53:00.001-06:002024-02-26T12:53:15.098-06:00The Pilgrim's Pathway to Heaven on Earth<p>Sermon for Feb. 4, 2024 (State of the Parish Address)<br />Mark 1:29-39</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The State of the Parish Address might be a
good time to ask: “Why are we here?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One way to answer that would be the way the
Church has answered it at least over the past century or so – that the Church’s
purpose is to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately, that
spurs disputes between people who understand growth this way or that way – growth
in membership, or attendance, or giving, or learning, or service, or prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But whatever metric you use, the focus tends
to fall on the institution: that the Church is the focus, and our job – especially
the job of people in collars – is to build it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It doesn’t take an expert to see that focusing
on the Church hasn’t served us so well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
people critique the Church’s relevance and vote with their feet to work out, or
go to the coffee shop, or watch <i>CBS Sunday Morning</i> instead of coming
here, I think what they’re saying is they find exercise, or coffee, or good
journalism to be more valuable than what they think they’ll find here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, we keep at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be time for us to shift the focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be time for us to stop focusing on the
institution and focus on people instead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, why <i>are</i> we all here this
morning? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are you here? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could answer that question faithfully in many
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First and foremost: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re here to follow Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a sense, that’s the full answer; so, I’m
tempted to stop talking now and go have breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s dig a little deeper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re here to follow Jesus’ Great
Commandment, to love God with everything we’ve got and love our neighbors as
ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re here to follow Jesus’ Great
Commission, to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re here to love one another deeply, “that
[we] all may be one” as Jesus and the Father are one (John 17:21), so that the world
might see God’s love and join in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, as
our parish mission statement puts it, we’re here to “seek God’s healing love
and share that love with all by growing in relationship with God, each other,
and our neighbors.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of that is true. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And … underlying it might be a certain way of
seeing our relationship with God – maybe a something of transactional perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because Jesus calls me or commands me, I’ll go
and do something for the payoff he promises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He leads, and I follow, and eventually that’ll get me to heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">OK … but maybe there’s something missing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last year, I was blessed to take a
sabbatical, and the focus was pilgrimage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, I went to the Holy Land, walking in the footsteps of Jesus as he
moved back and forth between what’s now Israel and Palestine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw holy stones at holy sites and met “living
stones” of faithful discipleship (1 Peter 2:5), people who follow Jesus now in
a place divided like we can only imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, with Ann, I also made a pilgrimage to Britain, visiting cities and
villages from whence our ancestors came and learning their stories of
emigration – the religious and economic pressures that led them to risk
everything for a new life in a new land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They say pilgrimages like these are life-changing,
and it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure I would have
identified myself as a pilgrim before, but now I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m no longer just the Lord’s staff member, ready
for my list of daily assignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a
pilgrim, journeying with Jesus on a path of deepening discovery, deepening
love, and deepening trust.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, where are we going?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For me, that’s the next question for us, as
those who walk with Jesus in this family of St. Andrew’s: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are we going together?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here’s a second, related question, one that
I’ve always frowned on:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s in it for
me?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, that last one may sound like the least
Jesus-y question ever, especially coming from someone in a collar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think we must answer that question if the
Church really expects anyone to answer this call we always talk about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a long time, the institutional Church has
issued Jesus’ call and expected people to follow because … well, because they’re
supposed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the church I grew up
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You went to worship, and served, and
gave, because … you were supposed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the truth is, the Christian hope is
not about meeting obligations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
didn’t come as our boss to give us assignments and judge us on our work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus came … let’s see … to bring us healing
and wholeness, as we heard in the Gospel reading today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, he came that “that [you] may have
life, and have it abundantly,” as John’s Gospel puts it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But wait; the deal gets even better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That abundant life Jesus is offering isn’t just
our reward in heaven once we die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus offers
us the abundance of eternal life <i>now</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the benefits of all the funerals we’ve
celebrated recently is that they make you stop and think about what eternal
life really is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically, we think of
heaven (if we think of it at all) as some ambiguous “good place” we get to go
if we behave well enough on earth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
it’s so much more than that, Scripture says. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, as you’ve heard me say before, eternal
life is a story with three chapters, a play in three acts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “good place” we usually imagine is chapter
2, actually, the paradise Jesus promised to the thief on the cross next to him
(Luke 23:39-43). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, in the fullness
of time, comes chapter 3, when Jesus returns to earth to set the world to
rights, remaking creation and reunifying heaven and earth as God intended in
the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, what’s chapter 1? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s our quest now – a pilgrimage to find
heaven in this life we share, in the inbreaking of God’s reign and rule among
us now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Embodying God’s kingdom on earth
isn’t a project dreamed up either by the conservative righteousness police or the
progressive social-justice reformers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
Jesus’ own promise in the Gospels: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Very
truly I tell you,” he says, “anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent
me <i>has</i> eternal life and … <i>has passed</i> from death to life” (John 5:24).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or this: “Those who believe in me, even
though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will
never die,” he says (John 11:25-26). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or simply
this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The kingdom of God is among you,”
he says (Luke 17:21). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re looking
for heaven, look around.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This year, we’ll begin exploring what it
looks like to go on pilgrimage together in chapter 1 of eternal life, seeking nothing
less than heaven on earth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, if
you’re going on a pilgrimage, you have to name your destination – because making
a pilgrimage isn’t the same as wandering in the woods – and you have to set a
course. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That course may well shift from
time to time, but at least you need a route to begin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, this year, your Vestry and a few other
pilot groups will start identifying, for us at St. Andrew’s – if we found
heaven on earth, what would it look like and feel like? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would be with us? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would we be doing? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would our day-to-day experience be
different than it was before our pilgrimage began? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would our lives be transformed? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, once we’ve discerned that together, we’ll
begin marking out a path – a <b>pilgrim’s pathway to heaven on earth</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we journey toward eternal life day by day, what
signposts would tell us we’re headed the right way? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What trails have been blazed by those who’ve
walked this way before? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What knowledge
and experience do we need to sustain us along the way? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what foundational preparation do we need before
we can make a good beginning?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, this is the State of the Parish
Address, and the state of our parish is an important part of this discernment process,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we move into 2024, it’s not that
everything is perfect in the life of St. Andrew’s, because it never will be,
here in chapter 1. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Holy Spirit is
moving among us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take home the Annual
Report after the meeting downstairs, and read through it, and give thanks for
where we find ourselves today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday
attendance is up as worship moves our hearts through Word and sacrament and
song. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pledged giving is up – including <i>more
than double the number of new pledges </i>we typically receive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New members are joining us and stepping into
leadership. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff is stronger than
it’s ever been – a tremendous blessing to our common life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, things <i>aren’t</i> perfect. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think we’re at a point where we should
set our sights beyond tinkering with the details of ministry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Jesus is asking us to “come up higher”
(Luke 14:10) even as we keep our feet firmly planted on the ground of eternal
life, chapter 1.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s time to ask seriously about the “value
proposition” of church, as the marketing consultants would say: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you follow Jesus as part of the St. Andrew’s
family, what’s in it for you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s
time for the church to provide a pathway to help you find that value in your
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time for the Church to say
clearly how we can equip you for a journey with Jesus and lead you along the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as we want the Church to
grow, the Church isn’t here to grow as an institution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Church is here to turn flatlanders into
mountain climbers, equipping and guiding them for a heavenly trek to find purpose
and meaning and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and by the way
– if we actually do that, the Church will grow, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, it’s time to go on pilgrimage together
– a pilgrimage seeking nothing less than heaven on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-5858160173026836712024-02-26T12:49:00.000-06:002024-02-26T12:49:25.564-06:00Christmas in the Holy Land<p>Sermon for Dec. 31, 2023<br />John 1:1-18</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Welcome to Christmas according to the
Gospel of John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poetry is beautiful,
but what does it mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the best
answer is that, ultimately, it means more than we can ever comprehend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are some claims here in this prologue
to John’s Gospel that are worth noting … with awe and wonder.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">First is the claim that God the Son has always
existed with the Father and the Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Word was “in the beginning” with God and, in fact, “was God,” John
says (1:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s an astonishing claim,
right up there with its spiritual ancestor, the first verse of Genesis: that, “in
the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two claims are where we start as
Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God doesn’t just watch as
creation takes shape; God brings creation into being, the Spirit moving across
the waters of chaos to create the beautiful and well-ordered universe that the
Webb Space Telescope has shown us this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Similarly, God the Son isn’t a son along the lines of the kings of
Israel, adopted by God at their coronations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Christ, God’s true King, has been there from the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, the Son has always been and remains
the Father’s creative partner, in the power of the Spirit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the fullness of time, that creative
Word “became flesh and lived among us,” John’s Gospel says (1:14) – or, as the paraphrase
<i>The Message</i> puts it, “the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the
neighborhood.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love that language
because it’s so intimate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can hold
at arm’s length the notion of God living “among us,” imagining it’s some other “us”
the Gospel writer has in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God
moving “into the neighborhood” puts a fine point on the tangible nature of Incarnation:
God chose a particular neighborhood to inhabit back in the day; but with us as
the Body of Christ in the world and the Holy Spirit ever present, God still moves
into every neighborhood we can know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
Fr. Jerry Kolb likes to remind us when he offers the final blessing, “You
cannot go where God is not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, “the Word became flesh and blood and
moved into the neighborhood.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what or
who is that – “the Word”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On its
surface, it seems familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all,
we talk about the Bible being the Word of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, is John’s Gospel saying Scripture became flesh and lived among us? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, the logical conclusion would be that
Scripture is the object of our worship, that God is contained in these pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems like a small box for the sovereign
of the universe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And there you see the limits of trying to
read poetry as technical writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John’s
Gospel isn’t a manual for disassembling the Divine and putting God back together
in a way we can understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gospels
are mirrors that catch God at different angles, revealing a mystery so deep and
so vast, we can only take in a few glances at a time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, what is John’s poetry trying to
say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key word is “Word.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It meant something very different theologically
2,000 years ago, in the context John was using it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Word” didn’t mean printed word, or even
spoken word exactly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human words could carry
divine Word, but not all human words speak the Divine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In Greek, John’s term is <i>logos</i>, and
it meant something well beyond human expression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the ancient Greeks, whose thinking helped
shape the Good News as it spread beyond its Jewish roots, <i>logos</i> had
several meanings: “the eternal principle of order in the universe”; the “intermediary
between God and [God’s] creatures” that gave “meaning and plan to the universe”;
or the “instrument of God in creation and the pattern of the human soul.”<sup>1</sup>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jewish tradition understood the Word of
God similarly, often naming “the word of the Lord” as an active, creative, corrective,
saving force in the world, such as when it came to the prophets and impelled
them to speak on God’s behalf.<sup>2</sup> And, of course, Genesis says it’s
through God’s word that creation came to be.<sup>3</sup> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, once we glimpse what “the Word” meant,
we have to think about what it means for the Word to take flesh. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One commentator puts it like this: that as the
<i>logos</i> incarnate, “Jesus does not simply speak God’s words and do God’s
works; rather he does those things because he is God’s word and work in the
world.”<sup>4</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s worth noting
the verb tense there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not just that
Jesus <i>was</i> the <i>logos</i> incarnate; “he <i>is</i> God’s word and work
in the world” – the Word that’s still taking flesh and moving into the
neighborhood, meeting us out on the sidewalk day by day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And, of course, sometimes where that
sidewalk runs isn’t exactly Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like you, I saw the news footage last weekend
from Bethlehem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any other Christmas in
any other year, Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity would be
packed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in May, when I was there, this
church marking Jesus’ birthplace was so crowded that the pilgrims didn’t stand
in lines to touch the cave’s holy stone; we moved like a school of fish funneled
through a tiny opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Guiding us to this spot, and all through our
Holy Land pilgrimage, was a young woman named Ranya. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ranya is just the kind of person you want leading
your pilgrimage visits – not just kind and attentive but also brilliant and
faithful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ranya certainly knows her
history, but even more she lives it through her own specific incarnation in that
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and her parents and children
are Palestinians, living in the West Bank; and they’re among the 2 percent of Holy
Land residents who are Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we
walked through countless churches, she knew the traditions about what Jesus had
done in those places; and she knew the history of one force after another
seeking to control them – Romans and Byzantines and sultans and Crusaders and Ottomans
and Brits and Israelis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But beyond telling the history, Ranya also
showed us what it’s like to live as a tiny minority in a land controlled by another
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a bus ride south along the Jordan
River, she described the reality of life in the West Bank and the blame that
all sides share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, about the towering
concrete division running through cities, villages, and countryside, she carefully
called it “the Security Wall, or the Separation Wall.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What it is depends on who you are and which
neighborhood you inhabit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it keep
terrorists out of Israel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, when I
was there in May, the answer was “yes,” though I’m sure the answer would be
different today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, does the wall
separate Palestinian people from their jobs, and their loved ones, and any
sense of freedom?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer certainly
is “yes” to that, too. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But what really struck me about Ranya was
her faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all people in the Holy
Land, a local tour guide would have maybe the most cause to be a cynic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Week after week, she leads one group after
another, enduring travelers who haven’t bothered to learn much about her
land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over and over, she visits sites like
Cana – where, well, <i>maybe</i> Jesus turned water into wine there; we can’t
really know for sure whether it’s <i>the</i> spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there’s certainly been a lot blood
spilled over it, and plenty of churches built to mark it, and scores of gift
shops nearby….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of that, as a
Palestinian Christian, Ranya has nobody going to bat politically for her family’s
interests or well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And yet, what we heard in her descriptions
of one site after another in this broken Holy Land was her trust in the Truth those
sites represent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has been on the
ground there – Ranya knows it in her soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The accounts from Scripture roll off her tongue like old family stories,
narratives of identity that form us into who we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s action there through salvation history
is simply a given for Ranya, every bit as real and true as the conflicts raging
around her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What I don’t know at this point is how Ranya
and her family are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people who run
the pilgrimage company are going to the Holy Land next week to talk with her
and get a sense of the conditions on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ve been thinking about her and her
children a lot in the past two and a half months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t live in Gaza, thank God, but I’m
sure she has friends and family there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the people of the West Bank are hardly out of harm’s way, never
knowing when Israeli settlers will come and take their land … or worse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In this tragic Christmas in the Holy Land –
as pilgrims and the tiny Christian community <i>aren’t</i> filling Manger
Square and the Church of the Nativity, as the people living there don’t know what
horror might come next – regardless, we remember that the Word of God came
among us and comes among us still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
me, it comes in the person of Ranya; and Fr. Nael, the Anglican priest we met
in Nazareth; and the people serving St. George’s Cathedral in East Jerusalem;
and the staff at the hospitals and other mission sites run by the Episcopal diocese
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">John’s Gospel tells us, “To all who
received him, who believed in his name, [Jesus] gave power to become children of
God” (1:12). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In them, in us, God continues
to join humanity with the <i>logos</i>, making us not just born of flesh but reborn
of the Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why we must not
despair when we witness empty holy sites, and Separation Walls, and daily
airstrikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we must join with Ranya
in witnessing to the way the Word makes creation new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t stop the killing and the other
injustices in Gaza and Israel and the West Bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we can stand with Ranya, and John the
Baptist, and the other lonely voices crying out in the wilderness to say that
injustice and death are not God’s answers to human problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must expect better, and we must embody better
– because, after all, from that tiny speck of God’s good creation we call the
Holy Land, the place where the Word first took flesh and moved into the neighborhood,
God’s light shines in the darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
the darkness will not overcome it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brown,
Raymond E. <i>The Gospel According to John I-XII: A New Translation with
Introduction and Commentary</i>. Vol. 29 of <i>The Anchor Bible</i>. New York:
Doubleday, 1966. 520.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brown,
520-521.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brown,
521.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">New International Study Bible</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, 1905 (note).<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-45087108751234195692024-02-26T12:40:00.000-06:002024-02-26T12:40:04.338-06:00Fire the Boss and Follow the Friend<p>Sermon for Dec. 24, 2023 (Christmas Eve)<br />Luke 2:1-14</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Where do your heart and mind go when you
hear that Christmas story?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, it’s the
family room at the house in Springfield where I grew up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m maybe 8 years old, sitting on the hearth,
under the stockings, with the Christmas tree twinkling just to my right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s Christmas Eve, and every seat is taken …
which is why I’m sitting on the hearth, the littlest kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m watching my mother at the other end of
the room sitting on a barstool, taller than the rest of us, elevated physically
to match the place she occupied spiritually in the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve had dinner, and the grownups are
enjoying a glass of Christmas cheer as they await the time to leave for
Midnight Mass at Christ Episcopal Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as they wait and celebrate, my mother suggests we read the Christmas
story aloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, this wasn’t a tradition in my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I’m not sure we’d <i>ever</i> read Scripture
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing that was <i>not</i> in my
family’s spiritual DNA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we went to
church every Sunday; and my mother and we kids all sang in the choir; and
Sunday school was every bit as much an expectation as regular school Monday
through Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But sharing faith our
loud wasn’t our groove. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were very comfortable
with God being in our heads and in our understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it felt much too intimate, maybe even
risky, to say anything about how God might be in our hearts or might direct our
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my family, that would have
sounded too much like those evangelical Christians we didn’t understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, when we sat in our family room that
Christmas Eve, good Episcopalians waiting for Midnight Mass, my mother broke
the rules by inviting Jesus to come sit in the circle with us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She opened her King James Bible and read the
Christmas story with an eloquence befitting her vocation as an English and speech
teacher – even beating Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that moment was important enough to me that,
50 years later, I can see myself right back in the story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Putting yourself into the story – that’s
what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I mean that in two ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
only is Christmas about us putting ourselves into God’s story; it’s about God putting
Godself into ours.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s think about that for a minute –
because, even though my family overemphasized the intellectual aspect of faith,
it <i>does</i> matter that God be in our head and in our understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what our class at Trailside through
Advent was all about: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we sing our
favorite Advent hymns and Christmas carols, what are we actually proclaiming
about the coming of Christ – who was he, and what was he doing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, in that class, we looked at four roles
Jesus came to play in the story of our salvation – and they all start with the
letter “R” to make them easier to remember.<sup>1</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is “release”: that in Jesus, God releases
the power of divinity, emptying Godself to show us the way of humility and self-giving
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second “R” is “rescue”: that
in Jesus, God rescues us from the power of evil and death, liberating us to
choose eternal life instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third “R”
is “reconcile”: that in Jesus, God heals the divide caused by our brokenness
and self-interest, bringing us and God back into the relationship that began in
the Garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the fourth “R” is
actually two, “reign” and “return”: that Jesus reveals what God’s reign and
rule looks like “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) and that he’ll return
to bring life back into alignment with the paradise God created “in the
beginning” (Genesis 1:1).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, what unites these roles Jesus plays in
the story of our salvation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, it’s
this: that God isn’t just <i>willing</i> to save us; God goes to the extreme to
save us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, we’d expect God to act
a certain way, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the sovereign
of the universe is coming to do battle with Satan, and heal us of our sin, and give
us a new way of relating to each other – you’d think that would be a pretty
stunning display, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’d think the
anointed King would come … well, the way God’s people 2,000 years ago were
expecting, with war horses and chariots and cosmic power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, the “heavenly host” (Luke 2:13) in
the reading tonight was the army of the Most High God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those legions were supposed to be toppling
the legions of Rome, not serenading shepherds on a dark, lonely night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But instead, God enters into our story as
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cosmic King is born in a cave on
a quiet hillside in the middle of nowhere, welcomed by people on the margin of
the margins, a couple of unmarried peasants under orders to report for imperial
taxation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First on the road and then on
the run, the young parents Mary and Joseph emigrate as refugees to get away from
a ruler who wants to see them dead, taking the newborn King to a more welcoming
country where they start over, homeless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is not your standard story of divine
conquest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if we’re looking for what Christmas
is all about, Charlie Brown, here’s one way to see it: God wants so badly to
defeat sin and death, to heal our broken places, to show us how to live – God
wants so badly to set the world to rights that God will rebuild it, at great
personal cost, from the bottom up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It matters, on this holy night, that we
know that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it also matters that we <i>feel</i>
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in our culture, experiencing a
relationship with God often gets expressed in terms of “being saved.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up in Springfield, Missouri, at least
outside the friendly confines of my head-oriented family and church, I heard a
lot about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all over the bumper stickers and
billboards and other churches’ signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was on the lips of the people who came knocking on your door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it made me nervous because, although we
shared a common faith, we did not share a common language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea what they were talking about
when they asked, “Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no answer to give them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t even know what it meant to have Jesus
as your personal Lord and Savior or to be washed in the blood of the Lamb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was much more comfortable with a reasonable
God, a God who only needed to make sense.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Over time, my conceptual God gave way to a
different one, a <i>slightly</i> more relatable deity – God the supervisor, God
the boss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be an occupational hazard
for people in my line of work, but it came to define my “relationship” with
Jesus Christ: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was the one who gave me
assignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, you can have a good
relationship with your boss, but it’s not exactly a “relationship” in an
emotional sense, the kind that might change your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for years, Jesus has sat across the desk
from me in a constant state of performance evaluation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whoopee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, recently, I was talking with my spiritual
director about how I see God, who God is for me; and this image of God the Boss
came up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not be a surprise that
the way I spoke when I described this kind of God wasn’t exactly filled with joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, my spiritual director said, “What would
happen if you fired that God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would
it be like to look away from God behind the desk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would you see instead?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, in my mind’s eye, I looked in the other
direction, away from the great big desk; and what I saw was a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, it was a woman, because most of my
best friends have been women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wasn’t
sitting behind a desk, critiquing my job performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was on her feet, smiling, even laughing, heading
somewhere – and inviting me to come along.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So what does this have to do with the
birth of Jesus as our Savior and King?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think it’s this: that just as God went to the extreme to save us, entering into
our experience to remake humanity from the bottom up, so God goes to the
extreme to save me, and you, entering directly into our experience to lead us
into new life from the inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, this Christmas, I invite you to experience
God as tangibly and relationally as your spiritual wiring will allow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re in your family room, enjoying a glass
of Christmas cheer by the tree, pour one for Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re opening presents and you get some
awful Christmas sweater, imagine Jesus there giving it a belly laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And by the same token … if you’re reeling
this Christmas, if you’ve lost someone you love, if your life is on fire, if
the world is frightening, if everything’s hard … then remember the best hug you’ve
ever had, and imagine it coming from Jesus himself – because it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there’s a wall between you and someone you
love, let Jesus take down the first brick and then follow his lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re knocked down by something you just
can’t beat, feel the strength of his hand lifting you up and his arm around
your shoulders as, day by day, you take the next right step – together.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The crazy truth is this: The King who came
to save all humanity also comes to save you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s got nothing to do with you earning it, but it’s got everything to
do with you inviting it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is a
gentleman, after all, and he won’t break down the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he’s standing on your doorstep,
waiting to be let in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For, as I heard my
mother read out loud in our family room half a century ago, the most stunning
words in this stunning Christmas story are these: “to you” (Luke 2:11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>To you</i> is born a Savior, and <i>to you</i>
that Savior’s still aching to come.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Framework
taken from Urban Skye’s <i>Gloria in Excelsis Deo: The Deep Theology of
Christmas Carols</i>.<i> </i>Available at: <a href="https://www.urbanskye.org/urban-skye-publishing/the-seven-deadly-virtues-tax3l-hlwmz-5eclw-79bx3">https://www.urbanskye.org/urban-skye-publishing/the-seven-deadly-virtues-tax3l-hlwmz-5eclw-79bx3</a>.
Accessed Dec. 21, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-49813734369297443502024-02-26T12:29:00.001-06:002024-02-26T12:29:50.354-06:00The Glorious 'Yes'<p>Sermon for Dec. 24, 2024 (Advent IV)<br />Luke 1:26-38</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, as far as the Church calendar is concerned, this is the fourth
and last Sunday of Advent – at least for the next few hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past three weeks, while the holiday
season has been revving up all around us, we’ve been hearing stories that seem
intended to keep us from thinking about the baby in the manger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve heard about the coming of Christ at the
end of the age and about the work of John the Baptist to prepare the way of the
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, finally, we get to hear a
story that mentions a baby. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s the story of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel comes and
tells Mary what God has in mind for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a story many of us have heard before; and in a way, that’s the
problem with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know it too
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i> well it doesn’t surprise us much anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It might help us get a handle on this story if we consider who it’s about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one sense, the story’s about God – how God
works in the world and in our own lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The story makes it clear God specializes in the unexpected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it: Our Creator decides the way
to bring people back into relationship with God and each other is to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">become</i> <i>one</i> of those people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that isn’t strange enough, God decides the
way to do it is by coming as a vulnerable newborn in a society where he’ll be
oppressed and victimized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of <i>that</i>,
God decides to do all this through a young woman at the bottom of the social
ladder – and a woman who isn’t even married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In human terms, that’s a pretty unproductive situation God’s entering
into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s the point: God takes
the raw material of life, raw material that doesn’t look very hopeful, and
turns it into something new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
angel says, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, in one sense, the story is about God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you can also see the story being mostly
about the baby Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, this is
where he makes his entrance in Luke’s Gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The angel says to Mary, not only will you conceive and bear a son
without your husband’s assistance, but “he will be great, and will be called
the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his
ancestor David” (1:32).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, from the
moment of Jesus’ introduction, we learn that he won’t simply be a great human
being, the king long awaited by the people of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he'll be Son of God as well as Son
of Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the birth that’s about to
happen will be like no other birth before or since – even while it’s also <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">just</span> like <i>every other</i> birth,
before and since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, you could
certainly say the story is about Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But,
of course, the story is very much about Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now we don’t know a lot about her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The story is pretty sparse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re
told that she’s a virgin and that she’s engaged to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of King David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than
that, we have to fill in the blanks ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Mary was a young woman, probably somewhere in her mid-teens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, she might be a freshman or sophomore
in high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in Galilee 2,000
years ago, Mary’s teenage years weren’t about preparing her for later
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because Mary had reached
child-bearing age, a marriage had been arranged for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father and Joseph had reached a deal
about the price Joseph would pay for her, and the time of their wedding was
coming soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 14 or so, Mary’s life
was set, and she had very few choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And so it was for every young woman in Galilee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, in the
story, Mary is minding her own business when suddenly an angel appears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is no cutesy greeting-card angel with
little wings and fat, rosy cheeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is Gabriel, a general in the heavenly army; and being in his presence is a
terrifying experience because, Scripture says, humans who stand in the presence
of God usually die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reasonably, Mary is
scared and confused, wondering why a messenger of the Lord is saying she’s held
highly in God’s favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Gabriel gives
Mary his message: that she will bear a son and name him Jesus; that this child
will be called the Son of God; and that he will rule God’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All that’s a
little much for a 14-year-old to take in, and she says, “What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>
gonna happen?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gabriel doesn’t answer
the question directly but tells her that the child will be conceived through
the power of the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Mary
says, “Oh, come on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can that be?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Gabriel says, “You can believe me because
something very similar is happening to your relative, Elizabeth, who’s supposed
to be barren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember,” Gabriel says,
“with God, nothing is impossible.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, remarkably, this newly pregnant teenager looks at the heavenly
general standing before her and says, “OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am God’s servant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s do this.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s interesting is how Mary’s reaction evolves through the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t get it at first; but
she comes to understand that God might be using her as an instrument of
something much bigger than herself, an instrument of God’s saving purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in this, Mary stands in good
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Centuries before, God had come to Abraham and Sarah and had given them
news just as shocking as what Mary heard: that Sarah, who was very, very old,
would conceive and bear a son, Isaac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sarah was standing behind the entrance to their tent, listening to God
telling Abraham the news, and she laughed at the idea – until God asked her:
Well, why not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Is anything too
wonderful for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That made Sarah stop laughing and understand that she <i>wasn’t</i> just
a 90-year-old who was about to get pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was God’s instrument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
the baby was born, she said with delight, “God has brought laughter for me;
everyone who hears will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But her laughter had changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She began by scoffing at God’s crazy idea;
now she was rejoicing at God’s fulfillment of the promise of new life <i>through
her</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Like Sarah, Mary reacts to her message from God like any of us
might.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, she’s confused, even scared
to think what this angel might have up his sleeve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she reacts with disbelief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How can this be?” she demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wants to understand, but it just seems like
too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Virgins don’t even bear
children, much less children who are to be called the Son of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Gabriel reminds her that God’s ways are
not our ways, that God isn’t limited by the small expectations with which we
limit ourselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The angel helps Mary
see that what’s miraculous to us is all in a day’s work for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when she hears about the example of her
relative Elizabeth, I’ll bet Mary remembers that story of Sarah, too, the story
of new life springing from impossibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And finally Mary understands who she is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Here I am, the servant of the Lord,” she says to Gabriel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let it be with me according to your word.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So really, this story is all about
Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But ironically, by saying “yes” to
God, by allowing her life to be turned upside down so that God’s purposes could
be accomplished, Mary makes this story about us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shows us how we’re called to live as
followers of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like us, Mary’s
suspicious when God shows a personal interest in her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like us, Mary’s afraid when she learns what
God has in mind for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like us, Mary
has all sorts of questions about how this is going to work, and she’s courageous
enough to ask those questions directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But ultimately, she says “yes” to God’s crazy way of bringing new life
to the world because she recognizes who she truly is: a “servant of the Lord” –
like us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This servant, this peasant on the margins of her society, has come to
be called nothing less than the bearer of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that’s the role Mary models for us now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bearer of God shows us how to bear
Christ to those around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shows us
that when we open ourselves to the work God calls us to do, we can help bring
to life possibilities far bigger than anything we could imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She teaches us this most astounding truth of
Christian life: that you never know what glory might come from simply saying,
“Yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-42018431405115391132024-02-26T12:06:00.001-06:002024-02-26T12:06:21.699-06:00The Prophetic Butterfly Effect<p>Sermon for Dec. 17, 2023<br />Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11; John 1:6-8,19-28</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I want to start today with what may be the
central question of this Advent season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a bit of a personal question, actually: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is your hope?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m guessing I’m not the only one here who
looks at each day’s news anymore not so much with alarm as with
exhaustion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it <i>was</i> alarm,
a while back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But by now, my reaction to
war in the Holy Land and Ukraine, unconscionable national debt, a degrading
planet, record-high murders in Kansas City, and the political circus that occupies
our cathedral of democracy in Washington … my reaction to all this, sadly, <i>isn’t</i>
outrage anymore but simply shaking my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think that’s because we can’t function in a state of constant alarm,
even if it’s merited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not wired
that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, every day, we see our people
and our politics and our planet on fire, at some point we find ourselves wondering
what more we can do than just watch it burn.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Meanwhile, Advent flickers before us like
a holy flame, persistently asking: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where
is your hope?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, through this
season, God whispers insistently that neither alarm <i>nor</i> exhaustion are the
paradigms of God’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, God has
a better plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And today, like last week, to get us ready
for a redeemed world, God brings us the patron saint of strangeness, John the
Baptist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John is both a preacher’s
conundrum and delight because, for 2,000 years now, we’ve never really been
able to wrap our minds around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even the Gospel accounts of John the Baptist
don’t speak with a common voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, we get John the hairy wild man, the baptizer who needs a bath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the series <i>The Chosen</i>, he’s
described as “Creepy John,” someone even the soon-to-be disciples want to
avoid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This John the Baptist sticks it
to The Man, castigating both religious and Roman authorities for exploiting people
in poverty and powerlessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Bear fruit
worthy of repentance,” this John cries, for “even now the ax is lying at the
root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire!” (Luke 3:8-9) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Savior is coming with “his winnowing fork
in his hand,” Creepy John says, and those who don’t meet the standards of God’s
reign and rule will find themselves facing “unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:9).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the other hand, we have John the Baptist
from the fourth Gospel, who we heard today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This John is much more conrolled but also much less clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s introduced as a man “sent from God … as
a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He himself was not the light,” the gospel
writer is quick to say, “but he came to testify to the light.” (John 1:7-8)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this account, there’s no Creepy John leading
a mob in the desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, John the Baptist
is calm, cool, and collected – more a TED Talk idea-generator than a prophet
with a bullhorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But this John’s still a threat to the
religious authorities, who come asking just who he is and what he thinks he’s
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TED Talk John answers by refusing
to meet the authorities’ expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Are
you the Messiah?” they ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Nope.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What then? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you Elijah” – the Old Testament miracle
worker and killer of the priests of other gods, who many thought would return as
a harbinger of the Day of the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Nope,
not Elijah,” John says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So, are you the
prophet?” – the new Moses others thought would herald God’s coming victory over
Israel’s oppressors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Nope,” John
says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Well,” the authorities demand, “then
who <i>are</i> you?” (John 1:19-22)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, who <i>is</i> this guy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what does he represent – then and now?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The preaching purists would say I shouldn’t
conflate these different Gospel accounts, but I think it makes sense in the
case of John the Baptist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether you
see John as a rebel with a bullhorn sticking it to The Man, or whether you see
John as a TED Talk speaker silencing critics who aren’t as smart as he is, both
Johns are saying this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am the voice
of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as
the prophet Isaiah said (John 1:23).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
along that straight path is coming “one … you do not know” (1:26), the King
whom the world won’t recognize, the one who’ll save us from oppression and fear
and unholy misrule <i>not</i> by crushing the power structure but by
transforming it from the bottom up, from the inside out, one heart at a time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If there ever were a Biblical figure for
our time, it’s John the Baptist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether
you see him leading a mob in the streets or giving a TED Talk, John’s message for
us is consistent: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, our people and
our politics and our planet are on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that’s not OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it’s evil,
and buying into it is sinful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
don’t care enough about our children to take both national debt <i>and</i>
climate change seriously; when we tiptoe around the killing of 19,000 people so
far in Palestine because we think one horror deserves another; when we see the folks
wandering our streets as annoyances to be moved along rather than people
needing mental health care and affordable places to live – when we watch all
this and just shake our heads, both Creepy John <i>and</i> TED Talk John look
at us and say, “You might want to rethink that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, the reign and rule of God <i>is</i> close at hand….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Can we really do anything about problems
like these? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, if you accept my
premise that John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ, came to transform hearts that
would then transform the world – well, in that case, we can <i>absolutely</i>
do something about problems like these.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s the prophetic butterfly effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know about the butterfly effect, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a scientific metaphor of the interconnectedness
of life on our planet – that the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings on one
continent effects one tiny change after another, eventually causing storms continents
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know anything about
climatology, but I do know about the baffling way God chooses to work – and it’s
very much a butterfly-effect kind of thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seven days and a few hours from now, on Christmas Eve, we’re going to
celebrate the astonishing fact that the sovereign of the universe chose to
bridge the gap between us by coming to be one of us, redirecting history by
being born into poverty and oppression in a backwater of a tyrannical
empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inhabiting that world for 33 years
or so, God changed the heart of one individual after another, leaving the world
forever changed and millions of us forever looking to the future with crazy
hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, yes, Jesus says, the world <i>is</i>
on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been on fire for a long,
long time now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s not good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s also not the end of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, back to the question I started with: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is your hope?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your hope is to be the next in line for the
butterfly effect of the world’s salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And you do that by being exactly what John the Baptist is in today’s
reading: a witness, in both a spiritual and a legal sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John the Baptist “came as a witness to
testify to the light” – light that the darkness cannot overcome – “so that all
might believe through him” (John 1:7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John isn’t changing the world in a flash, through his own power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John just points to what he knows and who he
knows, reporting God’s truth about this world we’re blessed to inhabit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oppressive forces around you actually aren’t
in control, John says – God is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, say
the regular folks in the crowd – what should we do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, John says, it’s not enough to assume
you’re on the right team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve got to
act:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share your food and your clothing
with people who don’t have enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK,
so what should <i>we</i> do, ask the tax collectors and the soldiers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, <i>you’ve</i> got change <i>how</i> you
act, John says: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop exploiting people who
have less power than you do just because the system lets you get away with it. (Luke
3:10-14)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, why, they ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, John says – as he channels the
prophet Isaiah – because the reign and rule of God is about bringing good news
to the oppressed, and binding up the brokenhearted, and freeing the captives, and
releasing the prisoners, and forgiving impossible debts (which is what “the
year of the Lord’s favor” means), and meeting the needs of those suffering from
their land’s devastation. (Isaiah 61:1-4)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>That’s</i> God’s plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It turns out, you and I get the chance every
day to witness to that divine light – the Light that the world’s darkness
cannot overcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can we do that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s one idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can come back in seven days and a few
hours, and testify to God’s dominion over our world through a very worldly action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we’ll gather
to remember the stories of how God’s light came, not in blinding victory over
the armies of the earth but flickering in a cave on a hillside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll remember how that light sets our own
hearts on fire, turning grinches and scrooges into Love’s witnesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we’ll then get the opportunity to flutter
our own butterfly wings in an outward and visible way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we remember the Son of God who came as a
child with nothing, we’ll give in order to change the lives of one child after
another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gifts from our worship here
at Christmas will go not to the church but to children we serve – 300 kids at a
school in rural Haiti, 100 percent of whose graduating class passed the
national exam last year; as well as 43 families at Benjamin Banneker Elementary
in Kansas City, who are pairing with 39 St. Andrew’s members and friends to put
food on the table and get to know each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here in the candlelit brightness of our Silent Night, with each gift we
make, our butterfly wings will heal a broken world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that’ll be just the start. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Butterflies flutter their wings over and over
again as they cross continents, changing the world in ways they never see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so do we, if we choose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in a world on fire, hope is as real as your
next act of witness to the Light that shines in the darkness – God’s light, which
the darkness cannot overcome.</span></p><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-48387148581240181232024-02-26T11:58:00.002-06:002024-02-26T11:58:19.387-06:00Living Like the Sea of Galilee<p>Sermon for Nov. 26, 2023, Feast of St. Andrew (transferred)<br />Matthew 4:18-22</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Over the past five weeks, we’ve heard in
sermons and interviews how, indeed, it <i>can</i> be well with our souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve looked at the world around us, and
looked into our hearts, and we’ve wondered: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I have worth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is my community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I on my own?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will the kids be all right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And do I have purpose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m so grateful to the parishioners who’ve
shared their stories of finding God’s peace through the life of this church and
to Christina Santiago Turner for her great interviewing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’ve found some peace – whether through
those sermons and interviews or just through a Thanksgiving weekend with people
you love – well, now what? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you
hang onto God’s peace? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the truth
is, you don’t. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, you can’t.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s a counterintuitive truth we can see
if we stand alongside our patron saint, good old Andrew the fisherman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in
May, I can see today’s story of the call of Andrew with fresh eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I don’t know what comes to mind when you
hear about the disciples fishing on the Sea of Galilee, but it’s not a sea at
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just a lake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not one you might actually mistake for a
sea but a lake whose opposite side you can see from the shoreline. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This whole “sea” is only 13 miles long and eight
miles across at its widest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was
an economic engine for the people of Galilee – people like Andrew and Peter and
their father, Zebedee, commercial fishermen who spent much of their life out
there on that lake. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When we picture Andrew, Peter, and
Zebedee, we may miss the amazing geographical variety they would have seen in their
tiny land. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a look at the images in the
bulletin, or just enjoy the photos as they come up on your screen at home. Within the space
of about 120 miles, the distance from Kansas City to Columbia – or Kansas City to
just past Manhattan, if you prefer – within that short distance, the waters of
this land change drastically. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the very northeast corner of Israel is a
spring that starts the Banias River, one of three sources of the Jordan River. This headwater
of the Jordan really is chilly and cold, as the old spiritual says, flowing
fast and freely through a nature preserve. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the opposite of what you might expect to see
in Israel – the deep green of the trees and undergrowth, rather than dust and
rocks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Jordan runs about 25 miles from there until it creates the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus and his friends spent so much time.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even now, you see fishing boats out on
the lake, along with the pilgrims and tourists. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stayed at Magdala, on the lakeshore. I
got up early a couple of mornings just to watch the sun rise over the Golan Heights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Birds glide over the water looking for
breakfast, and the water laps at the lake’s edge as it has for thousands of
years, inviting you to do a little time-traveling of your own. The Sea of Galilee has supported all manner of life here since the waters
started flowing from those springs up north. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fishermen like Andrew, Peter, and Zebedee had
a challenging time, certainly; but even if they didn’t catch much on one day,
they could trust the fish would be there tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">From our hotel at the north end of the Sea
of Galilee, we drove south. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before long,
the east and west lakeshores come together as the lake changes back into the Jordan
River that began it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The river creates
the boundary between the West Bank and the nation of Jordan, irrigating thirsty
dust into an agricultural gem like California’s central valley. Because
of the irrigation, the river is much smaller today than Jesus and Andrew would
have experienced, but there’s still plenty of water for pilgrims to wade in at
the site of Jesus’ baptism. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be
muddy, but it’s life-giving, both now and eternally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then, about nine miles from the place
where John the Baptist brought the crowds through the water of life, that water
changes drastically. You’ve come to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on
earth and a site that certainly deserves its name. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only living creatures in this water are
the folks who’ve come to float in its super-buoyancy and smear mineral-laden
mud all over themselves. Across the road are the ruins of the community of
Qumran and the caves where ancient scribes left the Dead Sea Scrolls. But
the folks at Qumran certainly didn’t drink the water in the Dead Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Captured in the pit of the lowest point on
earth, the Jordan River mixes with ancient minerals to lie flat, still,
and poisonous,<sup>1</sup> evaporating in the blazing sun to create one of
earth’s most desolate landscapes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why am I telling you all this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it’s one of God’s very best metaphors,
a geographic parable about the life into which Jesus invited Andrew – and
invites us still.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, I need to acknowledge that I’ve
stolen this from countless other writers and preachers, including our Presiding
Bishop Michael Curry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the spirit
of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, here’s God’s own truth about
the Christian life and our search for peace in a world gone mad.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps you’ve known moments when you’ve dwelt
in peace and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life feels abundant,
like the headwaters of the Jordan at Banias.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You drink in blessing as you watch God’s abundance flow to you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gathers like a lake, like the Sea of
Galilee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You fish from it, and swim
through it, and stand by the water’s edge letting life’s soft waves lap at your
toes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This lake of blessing could feed
you forever, body and soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are
the times of heaven on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And there’s a surprising reason why it
works that way: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sea of Galilee is a
desert oasis because the water of life flows <i>through</i> it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day, millions of gallons flow into the
lake from the cool springs up north; and every day, millions of gallons flow
out of the lake as the Jordan River runs south, watering the fertile valley as
well as welcoming pilgrims looking to die and rise with Christ in baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sea of Galilee is a source of life because
God’s lifegiving water flows through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s constantly renewed and refreshed with water from above because it
constantly gives its life away downstream.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There’s your model, God says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let my abundance of blessing flow <i>to</i>
you and <i>through</i> you, God says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
abundance will keep coming, renewing your life always – if you pass it along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’ve heard nothing else from the sermons
and interviews over the past five weeks, we’ve heard this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your friends here at St. Andrew’s are finding
God’s peace precisely by letting God’s love flow through them to bless the
people around them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The other model, of course, lies at the river’s
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dead Sea is dead because it has
no outlet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water of life flows in,
and the lowest spot on earth grabs hold of it, clinging to divine blessing with
a zero-sum mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It acts the way we
act when faced with our fear of scarcity: “If I share what God gives me, there
won’t be enough left for me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God
says, “No, no; my love turns your fears upside down.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christianity is a religion of paradox, and
one of our greatest paradoxes is this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
more you give love, the more you get love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more God’s peace flows through you, the
more peace you know yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s love
<i>only</i> lives when it’s shared.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe this counterintuitive truth is what
flowed through Andrew’s heart when he took that crazy step to leave his boat
and his father and his livelihood, and trust that even more abundant love was
on its way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew had learned the lesson
of the Sea of Galilee, and now he knew he had to share himself with a world
that taught him to be afraid and clench God’s blessings before someone else could
take them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Andrew found later, at
the feeding of the 5,000, there’s plenty when we take what God gives us, and
ask God to bless it, and break it faithfully, and share it with all who come to
the banquet table. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, today, we’re gathering our pledges of
estimated giving to our church family for 2024; and in just a few minutes, we’ll
stand at the altar and bless the pledges we’ve received so far. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you haven’t yet made your pledge for God’s
work here next year, you’ll find pledge booklets at the ends of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the pew racks near the center aisle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or you can pledge through the church website.
But let me say this directly: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your
giving doesn’t just bless the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even more, it blesses you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your soul
needs for you to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You sleep better
when you give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cope with loss better
when you give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You deal with annoying people
better when you give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have more
patience with your kids, and your parents, when you give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here’s why: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s by giving that God’s love flows through
you, and it’s only <i>when</i> God’s love flows through you that you know God’s
peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t make sense, according
to the rules of the world – which is why the apostle Paul called it “the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As you consider what you’ll give back next
year from the abundance God gives you, remember Andrew looking
across the Sea of Galilee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the
clear, cool water flowing into the lake from the northern Jordan River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the lake teeming with life and
supporting thousands living nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember
the Jordan flowing freely again to the south, watering dry ground to make it a
regional breadbasket. Just as life-giving water flows through an arid land, so does God’s
love flow to us, and through us, to water the dry places of our world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And if we don’t?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we grasp and cling to the love God gives so
freely; if we dole out God’s blessings in drips and drabs, thinking we can keep
that living water for ourselves?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
when we find ourselves living on the shores of the Dead Sea. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Andrew would ask us to choose differently –
in fact, to see our lives as God’s life in microcosm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the chance to stay put, move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the chance to hang onto what we think
is ours, let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the chance to store
up resources in fear, give them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let
God’s waters of blessing flow through you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your Lord, and your world, and your soul will thank you for it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2916785/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2916785/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-61063121283939326452024-02-26T11:44:00.000-06:002024-02-26T11:44:17.180-06:00Standing With the Saints<p>Sermon for Nov. 5, 2023, All Saints' Sunday<br />Revelation 7:9-17; Matthew 5:1-12</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I want to tell you a story for All Saints’
Sunday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see where I was sitting,
in my Sunday school classroom at Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield, the
morning when being a Christian actually meant something to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 9 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, my family went to church every week, but
I had no idea why, other than my mother told me to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t mind it, and I enjoyed singing in
the choir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I couldn’t have told you
why I was there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, when I was 9 years old, I’d had a rough
fall and winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My grandfather had died
in late October, and my grandmother had died three months later, to the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both deaths were sudden and unexpected; both
times, I went to school one morning and came home to learn they were gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been close to both of them; and, of
course, I didn’t get to say good-bye.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But that morning in Sunday school, as the
goodhearted teacher was laboring to share celestial wonders with a bunch of squirmy
kids, I heard something I’d somehow missed before – <i>eternal</i> life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait, what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heaven means my grandma and grandpa are still around somehow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it means I get to see them again?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It turns out, little John Spicer needed to
know that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at 9 years old, it made
a world of difference that these people I loved weren’t unreachable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point, they and I would be able to
pick back up where we’d left off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn’t explain <i>how</i> it was going to work, but that didn’t matter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I knew was that they were still
accessible to me – and that, at some point, I’d get to be with them again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As you know, we’re in the third week of
this sermon series asking, “Is It Well With My Soul?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the question for this week is, “Am I on
my own?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve lost someone dear to
you, you’ve probably asked that question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you love someone whose health is dicey, you’ve probably asked that
question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve stood in a crowd and
wondered what you had in common with any of these people, you’ve probably asked
that question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve longed for a
connection with God, looking for answers or looking for help that always seems
just out of reach, you’ve probably asked that question: Am I on my own in this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today, on All Saints’ Sunday, we’re
remembering not just those we’ve loved and lost but a much deeper mystery –
that they’re <i>not</i> lost after all, and neither are we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our faith joins us together in what we call
the company of saints – “the intercommunion of the living and the dead in the
body of Christ.”<sup>1</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, that
may sound like a dubious proposition to our postmodern minds, but it’s more straightforward
than it seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone starts following
Jesus, like the kids being baptized here this morning, that person becomes more
than who they’d been, being grafted in as a component part of the Body of
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how we act as the hands
and feet and heart of Jesus in the world today: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loves and serves as we love and serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, if it’s true that Christians are no
longer living for themselves alone but together comprise the Body of Christ, then
we don’t become separated from that spiritual body just because our physical
bodies die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continue in praise and
service across all time, until Jesus comes again to judge the living and the
dead and we experience “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting,”
as the Apostles’ Creed puts it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, once we die, what happens while we’re
waiting for Jesus to return?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the
theologians call it “paradise,” and I think we will, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paradise isn’t just a resort for Christian
all-stars, which is who we tend to think of when we hear the word “saint.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve been making that mistake for centuries,
actually – seeing “saints” as just the heroes, those who die a martyr’s death
or proclaim Jesus in everything they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those people certainly are in paradise, but so are regular Christian
folk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the theologian N.T. Wright says,
there’s no reason to think the apostles and martyrs are “more advanced … than
those Christians … who have died quietly in their beds. …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[A]ll Christians, living and departed, are to
be thought of as saints.”<sup>2</sup> The difference is that the saints who’ve departed,
like the thief who died next to Jesus – they’re already with him “in paradise”
(Luke 23:43), while we’re still making our way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, how can we believe that? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re people who need evidence to believe something,
not just ancient stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if something
can’t be proven scientifically, at least we need to experience it ourselves if
we’re going to say it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I
can’t point to a clinical study to document our connection with the company of
saints or with Jesus himself, and there’s a good reason why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Science lives in the three-dimensional world –
and that’s a good thing, because science seeks to understand and predict what our
three-dimensional world will do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asking
science to document our relationship with God, or our connection with the
company of saints, is like asking someone in a two-dimensional universe to investigate
“up” – you can’t explore “up” if all you know is length and width, not height.<sup>3</sup>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, for a dimension beyond what we know
day by day, we Flatlanders (as C.S. Lewis put it)<sup>4</sup> have to turn to
experience rather than science. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to find
that experience, one of the best locations is … well, where we are right now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why do we come to worship?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do we find when we come here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You probably know the ancient Celts talked
about “thin places” between heaven and earth, holy sites where their three-dimensional
universe intersected with something beyond it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, that’s what worship is – a thin place between the faithful in this
time and space and the “angels and archangels and … all the company of heaven” (BCP
362) with whom we gather each week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I think that’s what our readings today point
toward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Revelation’s vision of the
redeemed in heaven, those who’ve been “sealed” (which is an ancient word for
baptism) – they’re doing what we’re doing, just experiencing the One we worship
more intimately. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we stand before the
altar, they’re standing before the throne of God and the resurrected Christ, offering
their praise and worship and thanksgiving. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what we come here to do, too – offer our
praise and worship and thanksgiving to God primarily through this service of
Eucharist, which in Greek means “thanksgiving.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, the writer asks, who are these worshipers
“robed in white, and where have they come from?” (Rev 7:13). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his guide explains, “These are they who
have come out of the great ordeal” (Rev 7:14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re the martyrs, which at its root means “witness.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a martyr isn’t just someone who gets
eaten by lions in the Colosseum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A martyr
is someone whose life bears witness to the all-powerful, all-giving love of God
– those who deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow Jesus (Matt
16:24); those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and practice mercy, and
make peace, and walk the path of the pure in heart (Matt 5:6-9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve come through the waters of baptism and
emerged as saints of God – just folks like us who decided they want to be one,
too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We saints can find thin places all around
us; the church doesn’t have a unique claim to God’s kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s also true that worship is a doorway
to heaven that’s always unlocked, always standing open, always inviting you to
step through for a moment of life’s fullness before God’s throne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Open your eyes, and see heavenly beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Close your eyes, and hear the voices of the
angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Open your ears, and hear God
whispering the Word to directly to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come
to the altar, and extend your hands into God’s sanctuary, and receive the Body
and Blood of Christ empowering you to <i>be</i> his body in the world, healing
others as you yourself have been healed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Worshiping God is the fundamental work of
God’s people, now and forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as
you’ve heard before, it’s the <i>people’s</i> work, not the clergy’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word “liturgy” doesn’t mean the work of
the religious professionals; it means the work of the folks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And just here in this thin place at the
corner of Meyer and Wornall, so many of you take on specific work to make liturgy
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a typical, run-of-the-mill,
miraculous Sunday, if you combine the 8 and 10:15 services, we have about 55 people
each week involved in leading worship “before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev
7:9) – Altar Guild sacristans, ushers, greeters, musicians, Eucharistic
ministers, Tech Guild members, clergy, acolytes, lectors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then there’s the most important group, the
congregation of the saints – the hundreds here on a Sunday morning, and the hundreds
and thousands and millions down the streets and across the world, the company of
saints across time and space, the “great multitude that no one can count” (Rev
7:9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is it we’re here to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
praise and thank God for the promise that both is and is to come, glimpsed now
and then gained fully – the assurance that we “will hunger no more and thirst
no more; the sun will not strike [us] nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at
the center of the throne will be [our] shepherd, and he will guide [us] to
springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes”
(Rev 7:16-17).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In this thin place between earth and
heaven, straddling “is” and “is to come,” you are part of something vastly greater
than yourself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You stand with God and
the Lamb and the company of saints, past, present, and future. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And alongside that great company, you never stand
alone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lesser Feasts and Fast</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">s 2022. New York:
Church Publishing, 2022. 488.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wright,
N.T. <i>Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, Resurrection, and the Mission of
the Church. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New York: HarperCollins,
2007. 170.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inspired
by <i>Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions</i> by Edwin A. Abbott (1884). See
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lewis,
C.S. <i>Miracles</i>. Available at: <a href="http://www.basicincome.com/bp/files/Miracles-C_S_Lewis.pdf">http://www.basicincome.com/bp/files/Miracles-C_S_Lewis.pdf</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-10619480755702537082024-02-26T11:41:00.000-06:002024-02-26T11:41:00.375-06:00Your Market Value<p>Sermon for Oc.t 22, 2023<br />Isaiah 45:1-7; Matthew 22:15-22</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Welcome to the stewardship season! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve been part of other churches’ stewardship
efforts, you may be familiar with the variety of ways congregations tackle this
annual time of gratitude and fundraising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s the “give us money” approach: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the church’s financial needs; please pony
up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the duty-based approach: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible says give, so give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the “pray and pay” approach: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we pray hard enough, we won’t have to ask
for pledges because the money will just come in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the assessment approach: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us know your adjusted gross income, and we’ll
figure your pledge for you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(That
actually happens in some faith traditions.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Our approach is a little different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there’s a lot that will bless you over
the next five weeks, and I don’t want you to miss it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we offered a “road map” in this weekend’s
communications, but I want to give you a quick overview now, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><a name="_Hlk148598463"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The theme is “going
deep and going wide to find God’s peace,” so we’ll be offering several resources
to help us on that journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in
worship, we’re beginning a sermon series titled, “Is It Well With My Soul?”;
and today we’re kicking it off by asking, “Do I have worth?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In these sermons, we’ll ask God questions that
keep us up at night, which certainly beats trying to wrestle with them alone.<o:p></o:p></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148598463;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, after each
sermon, we’ll hear an interview with a St. Andrew’s member who’s tapping into
God’s love, and the peace it brings, through the life of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, today we’ll hear from Sara
Welch, a relatively new member who came into St. Andrew’s through classes and discussions
from our Adult Formation ministries – and who’s now helping to lead them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148598463;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A final resource you’ll
have is a daily prayer-and-Scripture guide, inviting us to still the anxiety of
our lives by reflecting on God’s love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, in this first week, as the sermon asks, “Do I have worth,”
the daily Bible readings and prayers will help us remember that God loves us unconditionally
– and what greater worth could we seek?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ll find these readings and prayers on St. Andrew’s daily social media,
on the website, and in your mailbox, part of the stewardship packet you’ll receive
this week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148598463;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, at the end
of this season, we’ll ask you to make a financial pledge, an estimate of your
giving for 2024 to support God’s work here at St. Andrew’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does that have to do with finding God’s
peace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, to me, it works this way: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church is like an app, a resource for
tapping into the peace the world cannot give. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more you use it, the more peace you find. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more peace you find, the more gratitude
you feel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the more gratitude you
feel, the more you want to give back – in thanksgiving for the blessings you’ve
found and to support the church’s work to bless others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148598463;"></span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, for today – here’s the first big
question in our sermon series: “Do I have worth?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a little looking for ways the world
around us conceives of self-worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You probably
won’t be surprised to know there’s a psychological instrument for measuring the
“contingencies of self-worth,” showing us where we tend to look to gauge our
own value. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These sources of our
self-worth fall on a range from more extrinsic to more intrinsic – categories like
personal appearance, approval from others, success in academics, success in
competition, family support, the practice of virtuous behavior, and an
awareness of God’s love.<sup>1</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
instrument doesn’t make judgments about those different contingencies of self-worth;
it just lets you identify where yours lie. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I mention this because it illustrates the different
places we might look to gauge our worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m no psychologist, but I’d bet my next paycheck that those who find their
self-worth in their appearance or in approval from others have a less-peaceful
life than those who find their self-worth in virtuous behavior and the love of
God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To me, seeing our worth is about claiming
our true identity and the blessings that flow from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think we get a glimpse of that from our
readings today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They aren’t explicitly
about such a modern construct as self-worth but about the true source of our value
instead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the Gospel reading, Jesus is still confronting
the religious authorities, who are trying to get him sent to prison. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve joined forces with the lackeys of King
Herod, himself a lackey of the emperor in Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They try to get Jesus to indict himself by preaching against paying
taxes to Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus beautifully
avoids the trap by rejecting the either/or, stepping out of the false choice by
turning the question around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, Jesus
says, “give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s” – coins bearing
his name and face – but “give to God the things that are God’s” (Matt 22:21). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And what are those things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, in one sense, those things are … everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As God says in the reading from Isaiah, “There
is no one besides me, I am the Lord, and there is no other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I form light and create darkness … I the Lord
do all these things.” (45:6-7)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, you
could say that what we should give to God is … everything. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what I find amazing in that Isaiah reading
is where God goes with this overwhelming authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am the Lord, and there is no other” … <i>and</i>,
I know you by name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may not fully
know me, but I know you, God says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am Love,
and I made you in love, and I will use you to bless the world with love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is willing to come to us, to begin the relationship,
because that’s what Love does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if we’re
called to “give to God the things that are God’s,” the most fundamental thing you
can give is relationship – returning the love that comes to you as a beloved child
of the One who knows you and calls you by name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Contrasting with that source of our worth,
we have the culture around us insisting it has the power to define our value. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The culture says our worth comes from our possessions
or our assets or our power. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The culture says
our worth comes from what others think of us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The culture says our worth comes from how hard
we work and what we achieve, that our value is a function of our outputs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The culture says our worth comes from making
it on our own, pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps to achieve individual success.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then there’s maybe the loudest voice arguing
with God about our worth – our inner critic, the voice that tells us we’re
imposters who’ll never be good enough anyway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t it amazing, and a little tragic, how we can
hear 10 affirmations of our talent and maybe begin to accept it, but just one
well-placed criticism affirms the inner critic and sucks the wind out of the sails
of our self-worth?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, here’s a way to see our worth
differently, a perspective from a higher authority than the culture or the inner
critic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the principles of economics, how do
we assess something’s value? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the
market tells us value is the price someone is willing to pay for a good or
service. So, imagine that someone is God, and the good being paid for is
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What price is God willing to pay for you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The calculation works regardless of the
theology of the atonement you prefer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You could say the Father sent the Son to suffer and die to pay the debt
for our sin, a debt we could never pay ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or you could say God took human flesh and dwelt
among the lowest of the low, enduring constant oppression and unimaginable
suffering, to share the Love that gives us eternal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or you could say God went to war against the
forces of evil, dying in order to vanquish sin and death and win a battle we
could never win on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">However you see Jesus’ work to redeem us,
the message is the same:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are of
ultimate value to the sovereign of the universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are worth dying and rising for, because
God loves you enough to pay the ultimate price for you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That sounds great. But how do we come to
believe it for ourselves?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, by walking
the pilgrimage of faith, going deeper with God and coming to know God’s love one-to-one.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a journey of being formed into the
person God has created you to be, coming more and more into spiritual “<span style="background: white; color: #010000;">maturity, to the measure of the full
stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)</span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church calls that process Christian formation,
and it can happen all along and all across our lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it happens explicitly through ministries
here that give us the chance to go deeper in relationship with God through
learning, praying, and sharing with others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re formed into the full stature of Christ
through Bible studies, book groups, discussion opportunities, classes, podcasts,
daily Scripture reading, daily prayer, and contemplative practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">All those formation opportunities point us
toward the God who sees such worth in us that God gave up the distance of
divinity, paying the ultimate price to let you know how deeply you’re beloved. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what does God ask in return? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just that you return the favor, making your own
effort to bridge the gap between humanity and divinity, giving back to God the
ultimate gift, the best you can offer – the gift of love.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/psychology/crockerlab/documents/CSWscale.pdf">https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/psychology/crockerlab/documents/CSWscale.pdf</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-89670862519335643472024-02-19T13:41:00.004-06:002024-02-19T13:41:51.461-06:00The Story of God in the World<p>Sermon for Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023<br />Psalm 23; Matthew 22:1-14</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I find myself today in the position of
preaching a sermon no one will like. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you’re looking for me to rally us around horrific images of mutilated Israeli
children, you won’t get that this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you’re looking for a historical review of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, you won’t get that this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you’re looking for me to share heartbreaking stories from people I
met in the Holy Land, I’m afraid you won’t get that this morning, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one person whose story I felt I learned
with any depth was that of our guide, a Palestinian Christian whose family has
been among the tiny minority of Christians in the Holy Land for centuries … and
who, I’m sure, is now keeping her head down, literally and figuratively,
praying the conflict doesn’t spread to her family in the West Bank. Her name is
Ranya, and I certainly pray for her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a God-awful moment like this, as we’re
bombarded with bloody images and stories that enrage and frighten us, I think we
yearn most for clear answers, especially to the question of who’s right and who’s
wrong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what we want to hear,
right? – clear judgment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Fr. John, we
should be standing with Israel, right?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Fr.
John, we should be seeing the humanity of the Palestinians, right?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, if we want guidance on what’s right
and what’s wrong beyond our gut reactions, we might turn to the field of
ethics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That gets complicated quickly
because, of course, there’s no single way of approaching ethical
decision-making, even just within the narrow framework of Western ethics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A utilitarian ethicist might look at the war
in Israel and Gaza and argue for the solution that brings the greatest good to
the greatest number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A virtue ethicist
might examine the values being followed by the two sides and advocate for actions
that reflect virtuous character. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
deontologist, or duty-based ethicist, might focus on the rules governing this
conflict and advocate for strict adherence. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I remember the first day of ethics class in
seminary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The professor began by asking
us a question: What sets Christian ethics apart from other ethical approaches?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We students mined our paltry intellectual
reserves and came up with possible answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe Christian ethics applies the rigor of philosophical investigation
to religious life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe Christian
ethics places love above all other values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe Christian ethics develops the rules and models for life in an
explicitly Christian community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This went
on for several minutes, but finally, the professor shook her head and said, “No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re trying too hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What sets Christian ethics apart from other
ethical approaches is … Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
called <i>Christian</i> ethics because we start with Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember him?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The point she was making was this: Our beliefs
and actions as Christians must reflect something different from the dominant narratives
of society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Our</i> ethics must be
specific to our call to follow Christ, to live out his reign and rule in the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Where does that start?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I think it starts with what we proclaim
here all the time: Love God and love neighbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s the constitution of the kingdom of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then we learn what that looks like,
primarily through Scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see
Jesus in the Gospels, and we reflect on Jesus in the rest of the New Testament,
and we hear the foundations of his Good News in the Hebrew Scriptures – and through
all that, we get the story of God in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That story forms us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible
isn’t there to give us verses we can pull out to reinforce what we already think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible is there to give us a narrative by
which we can pattern our lives in contrast to the forces pushing back against God’s
living and active presence in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, all that gets especially tricky when
we ask what Christian ethics might say about war, because war is maybe the
ultimate example of not-the-kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now,
you can find a verse or two where Jesus’ words might seem to justify violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, in the parable today, the king “destroyed”
the people who killed the king’s messengers, and he burned their city (Matt
22:7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s a <i>parable</i>, a story
that brings us to a surprising conclusion and makes us wrestle with what it
means to pattern our lives on God’s life in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also find a verse where Jesus says, “I
have come not to bring peace but a sword” (Matt 10:34).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But would any of us really say Jesus advocated
violence over peace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at his life
and his teaching: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn the other
cheek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love your enemies, and pray for
those who persecute you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find the people
you like least, and break bread with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Forgive not seven times but seventy times seven times – even the people
who are crucifying you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s kingdom
living, the story of God in the world – and it’s the path we’re called to walk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, how do you apply that to war?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, even within <i>Christian</i> ethics, faithful
followers of Jesus offer a wide range of answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian realists would say that, because of
sin and the danger it poses, we have to be willing sometimes to use means that <i>aren’t</i>
consistent with Jesus’ life and teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s the basis of a theology of just war, which goes back to St.
Augustine in the 400s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be just, the
tradition says, the decision to go to war must meet several criteria: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must be waged by a legitimate authority through
a formal declaration, not just insurgent action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its cause must be just, in the sense of
promoting justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The war must be a
last resort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The war plan must practice
proportionality, only enough violence to defeat the evil it opposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The war must have a reasonable chance of success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the war must be fought with right
intention, motivated not by hate but by the need to right a wrong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are criteria for the just conduct of
war, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They come down to discrimination
and proportionality:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Discrimination
means only legitimate targets may be attacked, and proportionality means only the
necessary destructive force may be used.<sup>1</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, that’s what Christian realists might
argue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, Christian pacifists
would say that, regardless of a war’s purpose, a follower of Jesus simply may
not use a means unworthy of Jesus’ reign and rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to honoring his call to love the
enemy and not to retaliate, Christian pacifists would say their nonviolence embodies
allegiance to God as the ultimate authority, superseding allegiance to the
state. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, in a different setting that where we
are here this morning, we could have a great conversation about how all this
applies in the war between Israel and Hamas, the extent to which Hamas’ attacks
on Israelis and Israel’s attacks on Gaza meet those criteria for just war. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m working on putting that conversation together,
actually, so stay tuned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for now –
in this past week, as appalling attacks on children came to our devices and TVs
– I had to decide what we should do in the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in the spirit of narrative theology, I
want to tell you a story. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The week’s news and images have hit me as
hard as they’ve hit you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few months
ago, my pilgrimage group was driving along the highway from Jerusalem to Jaffa,
the ancient port city next to Tel Aviv.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jaffa is 40 miles from Gaza, the distance from Belton to KCI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, some of you may remember that on that
same day, I wrote on Facebook about how I was cutting my trip short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d planned to stay two days on my own once
the pilgrimage ended, but Hamas had started firing rockets into Israel, not far
from the road we were traveling that day to get to Jaffa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all felt a little too close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, rocket attacks are scary enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never even imagined hand-to-hand killing of
people at music festivals or schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clearly, last weekend, Hamas was slaughtering noncombatants; and just as
clearly, this would be only the beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Early in the week, Rabbi Alan Londy at New
Reform Temple emailed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and I have
met for coffee before, though we hadn’t taken it to the next step of figuring
out some way our congregations could collaborate on something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now, Rabbi Londy was asking for help –
simply the blessing of pastoral presence in the midst of deep grief and
fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He invited us to join their
congregation for Shabbat prayers that Friday, a service of solidarity with Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I knew there would be folks at St.
Andrew’s who would see this as taking sides – people who would cheer that we
were supporting Israel and people who would point to the moral evil of 75 years
of Israeli governments taking Palestinians’ land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the last thing I wanted to do was divide
us here over a conflict thousands of miles away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, I know it sounds trite, but I found
myself wondering, “What would Jesus do?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If Jesus had a church, and a nearby synagogue asked his disciples to
come and stand alongside them in their grief and fear, what would Jesus do?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, Friday night, about 25 St. Andrew’s people
showed up at New Reform Temple for Shabbat worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I don’t know what each of those 25
people believes about the morality of the Israelis or the Palestinians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t ask just for Israel’s allies to
gather at New Reform Temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked
anyone who wanted to stand with a neighbor in pain to come out and pray – to
pray for them and to pray for peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Queen
Elizabeth the First once said about whether her English subjects needed to
believe the same things in order to worship together, “I would not open windows
into men’s souls.”<sup>2</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
know what our members who came out on Friday think about the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <i>do</i> know they showed up for their neighbors
who needed love and support in a horrifying moment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To be clear: I’m not arguing for moral equivalence
in the war between Israel and Hamas. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not even arguing for <i>immoral</i> equivalence between Israel and Hamas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to know how I see the conflict, I’d
be happy to share a coffee or a beer, but what<i> I </i>think isn’t what
matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I’m saying that our need
to argue about who’s right reflects our own brokenness, our need to see “my”
side as virtuous and “their” side as sinful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For followers of Jesus, I’d argue that what
matters most is that our actions reflect the example and the sovereignty of the
one we call Lord. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, that title
is the same one that the Roman emperor claimed, <i>Kyrios</i>; so when we use
it for Jesus, we’re saying something specific about where our allegiance
lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that beautiful, familiar psalm
we prayed today, we named the Lord as our “shepherd” (23:1) – which, for the
ancient Israelites, implied not just tender care but political authority: The kings
of Israel were known as the people’s “shepherds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, if we’re following our Lord and our royal
Shepherd, what might be a faithful response?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the face of war in the Holy Land, what would Jesus do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I think he would grieve, because if <i>we’re</i>
grieving the atrocities of the past week, imagine how they break the heart of
pure Love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, he might ask us to look
to God, to the Trinity of Love, as the model for human behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, he might ask us not “whose side are you
on?” but “which ruler are you following?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then, he might ask, “What neighbors need you to come alongside them
in love?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://iep.utm.edu/justwar/">https://iep.utm.edu/justwar/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191826719.001.0001/q-oro-ed4-00004114">https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191826719.001.0001/q-oro-ed4-00004114</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-61382823173024782772024-02-19T13:38:00.005-06:002024-02-19T13:38:55.618-06:00God's Executive Leadership Profile<p>Sermon for Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023<br />Matthew 21:23-32; Philippians 2:1-13</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In today’s Gospel reading, the religious
leaders, baffled by Jesus, sputter at him, “By what authority are you doing
these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matt 21:23). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, there’s a conflict here about where
real authority comes from – and, by extension, what real leadership looks like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, to make sense of that conflict, we
need to know what Jesus has done to upset the religious leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, with today’s reading, we’ve skipped
ahead in Matthew’s Gospel, leapfrogging over Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and we find ourselves this morning in the rising
conflict leading up to Good Friday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, here’s
what Jesus has done to push the religious leaders’ buttons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s ridden in triumph into Jerusalem, the political
capital and center of the Jewish universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then he’s driven the merchants out of the Temple, literally turning
the tables on the existing religious order. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In two quick strokes on the same day, Jesus has
taken on the Roman Empire and the Jewish leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both church and state need to be turned upside
down, Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No wonder the leaders
are asking him, “By what authority are you doing these things?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then, as if this fire needed stoking,
Jesus responds by telling a series of parables against the religious leaders, letting
them know their days in the sun are numbered because of their arrogance and self-righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s a story we still know all too
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past week, the news has given
us pictures of a powerful senator who’s become a cartoon character, with bars of
gold and wads of cash sticking out of his pockets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like all characters in a political
cartoon, Senator Menendez is a symbol of so much more that’s wrong in our world
of political leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday, our
legislators did, actually, meet the deadline to attend to their most basic
responsibility, keeping the government’s doors open and the lights on … at
least for 45 more days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we’ll get
to watch them fight over shutting down the government again, substituting their
own agendas for the nation’s interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sadly, arrogance doesn’t stop at the Capitol
steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s been plenty of it in beautiful
spaces like this, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years, the
Church could count on social pressure to drive people to come to worship on
Sundays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question was which
congregation had the more attractive preacher or music program or kids’
ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the social pressure to go
to church is gone; and, as we hear over and over, folks are voting with their
feet, leaving to find meaning somewhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2006, the proportion
of Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated was 16 percent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, it’s 27 percent and growing.<sup>1</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Episcopal Church faces the same problems
but even more intensely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our general Church’s
membership has dropped 21 percent in the past 10 years.<sup>2</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think much of the issue comes down to whose
needs we’ve been prioritizing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a
nutshell, I think church leaders, lay and ordained, have become conditioned to
think in terms of the well-being of the institution first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hear it all the time: “The Church needs to
grow; the Church needs younger members,” etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not wrong, it’s just not the
point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mtr. Jean and I have been blessed
to have some great conversations with a member here who’s a marketing
professional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s been helping us see
the difference between focusing on the institution versus focusing on the
people the institution is here to serve – and then communicating that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s part of the shift we’ve been trying to make
for years here, a shift toward reclaiming mission over maintenance – in other
words, trying to discern what the people in the pews and the people around us actually
need, rather than trying to cook up the next attractive offering to keep the church
chugging along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironically, paradoxically,
the Church will find success by focusing less on our desire to succeed and
focusing more on our call to give ourselves away, loving and serving the people
God brings here and the people God places alongside us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I pray that kind of reflection also will be
happening in our diocese in the months ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You may have noticed a new intercession in the Prayers of the People
each Sunday – and you’ll hear it about a hundred times more over the next 18
months. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re searching for a new bishop
for the Diocese of West Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over
the past year, our diocesan leadership bodies have studied the missional
history of the Episcopal Church in West Missouri, including how previous
bishops spent day after day on the road, visiting tiny mission stations, preaching
in larger congregations, confirming new members, speaking to civic groups, and uniting
people in twice as many West Missouri communities as have an Episcopal presence
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on that return to our
roots, we’ve redone the diocesan budget from scratch, trying to prioritize
equipping smaller congregations to serve the people around them rather than
simply gasping for breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Meanwhile, the diocesan Standing Committee
has been designing the process for our bishop search; and in a couple of weeks,
we’ll announce the members of the Bishop Search Committee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the people who will create a
profile of our diocese – telling the story of who we’ve been, who we are, and
who we hear God asking us to become. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This committee will screen the people who
apply to be bishop and raise up those whom God might be calling to lead us in
this transition time for The Episcopal Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Next August, the Search Committee will present three to five candidates
for election, and our Diocesan Convention delegates will choose one of them a year
from this November.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What kind of leader will we be looking
for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s Gospel reading gives us one
portrait of religious leadership – people who assume their credentials
privilege their point of view, people who hear a challenge and rush to silence
it, people who focus on protecting their power and end up saying and doing
little of any real value for the people they supposedly serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can definitely see that model of
leadership among the cartoon characters in Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we’ve also seen it in the Church, over
and over again – leaders who were interested in their own position, or anxious
about the appearance of their congregation’s success, rather than guiding and
forming people to follow Jesus and serve the folks God had placed around them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, as we pray for the bishop search over
and over again for the next year and a half, just who are we asking God for?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before I answer that, I want to share
something personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In search processes
like this, the typical posture is for potential candidates to “dance a little
sidestep,”<sup>2</sup> keeping their options open through artful noncommitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the same token, the typical approach for folks
in the pews, especially here in the land of Midwest Nice, is not to ask
directly so they don’t put their leader on the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think any of that does us much
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I think it leads us into
the kingdom of anxiety, into the thickets of “what’s Fr. John gonna do?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, let me tell you what Fr. John’s going
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to be a candidate
for bishop, and here’s why: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because God isn’t
calling me to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If God were, this would
be a very different conversation, but I believe I’ve gotten enough clarity to
know the call isn’t there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of that is about the historical moment:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt that a middle-aged-to-older, straight,
white man, from this diocese, is the one that we’ll be seeking once our profile
is complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also about the
ministry of a bishop:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not enraptured
with the work of the larger Episcopal Church, and a bishop spends a lot of time
and energy on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also about the
schedule of a bishop:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we’ve learned looking
back at the inspiring work of bishops from a century ago, and from the inspiring
work of our current bishop provisional, a good bishop must be on the move,
showing up all over the diocese and doing the long, slow, slogging, one-on-one
work of leading the sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were
bishop, that’s how I’d need to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
here’s the primary reason that this isn’t a good fit: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of schedule won’t work for Ann and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you know, she struggles with a lot of
health issues secondary to her lupus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly,
we never know what’s coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as it
is <i>now</i>, I struggle to be present at home enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I don’t think I’m called to a job that would
put me always on the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, back to the more important question: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who are we asking God for when we offer that
prayer for the bishop search?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically,
I don’t know yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a lot more work
to do as we discern the mind of Christ on this question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I <i>can</i> tell you this much:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking to the mind of Christ is exactly the
right way to approach this discernment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, let me leave you today with the very best answer to the question, “Who
should be our next bishop?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because this
much I know with all my heart: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our next
bishop must be the person who best fits the executive leadership profile we
heard today in the reading from the letter to the Philippians:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let each of you look not to your own interests
but the interests of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And being found in human form, he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave
him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee
should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (2:3-11)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Public Religion Research Institute.<i> </i><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social
and Political Upheaval.</span></em><i>”</i> May 16, 2023. Available at: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://www.prri.org/research/religion-and-congregations-in-a-time-of-social-and-political-upheaval/">https://www.prri.org/research/religion-and-congregations-in-a-time-of-social-and-political-upheaval/</a>.
Accessed Sept. 30, 2023. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Paulsen,
David. “Episcopal Church’s latest parochial reports point to denominational
decline, hope for future.” Sept. 21, 2023. Available at: <u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2023/09/21/episcopal-churchs-latest-parochial-reports-highlight-denominational-decline-hope-for-future/">https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2023/09/21/episcopal-churchs-latest-parochial-reports-highlight-denominational-decline-hope-for-future/</a></span></u>.
Accessed Sept. 30, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">IMDb.
“<i>The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas</i> (1982). Charles Durning: Governor.”
Available at: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083642/characters/nm0001164">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083642/characters/nm0001164</a>.
Accessed Sept. 30, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-48059091144285557092024-02-19T13:30:00.002-06:002024-02-19T13:30:20.459-06:00Reconciling Hearts of Stone<p>Sermon for Sept. 17, 2023<br />Matthew 18:21-35</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m going to ask you a couple of questions,
but please <i>don’t</i> put up your hands in response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever been badly hurt by someone you
really care about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by the same token:
Have you ever badly hurt someone you really care about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, if we <i>had</i> raised our hands, what
do you suppose we would have seen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
were honest, I think everybody in the room, and everyone at home, would have had
their hands up twice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And that’s why Jesus has a lot to say
about forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he says today flows
from his teaching last week about resolving conflicts among people of faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His best practice would go like this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, confront the offender directly and individually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that doesn’t work, confront the offender
with the concurring testimony of one or two others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that doesn’t work, take the conflict to
the whole church community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The desired outcome is not a confrontation
to throw someone out but a reconciliation to bring someone back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is repentance and return to community.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, today, Peter asks Jesus, how often do
we have to do this? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it three strikes
and you’re out? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or seven strikes and you’re
out? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, Jesus says, it’s seventy-seven strikes;
and if you’re still counting by that point, you’ve lost the game anyway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forgiveness, Jesus says, is to be boundless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as the Father has forgiven you, so you also
must forgive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Can we handle that? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The simple answer is, no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, if this came naturally to us, Jesus
wouldn’t have bothered to include it in our daily prayer: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those
who trespass against us” (BCP 364).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
the reason we don’t forgive easily is because we misunderstand what Jesus is
asking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone harms us and we’re
called to forgive, I think we hear that as a feeling – that we supposed to return
to the emotional place we were before we got hurt and feel the way we used to
feel about the person who hurt us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you’ve ever been really hurt, you know that doesn’t happen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if we wait for that loving feeling to come
back before we return to relationship with someone who’s hurt us, we’ll be
waiting a very long time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The problem is that we get the order backwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forgiveness doesn’t flow from a mended and
gentle heart; a mended and gentle heart grows from forgiveness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like love: Forgiveness is an act that
becomes a feeling, not a feeling that spurs us to act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hunch is that this is where Jesus’ words
to Peter are coming from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How many
times must I forgive someone who’s hurt me?” Peter asks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“As many times as it takes,” Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That number isn’t about setting the
parameters of justice for the offender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s about healing our own wounded hearts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And speaking of justice … our desire for
justice can be another roadblock to forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We think, “I can’t forgive this person who’s
hurt me unless and until that person gets what’s coming to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the scales are balanced, there might be
room for relationship – but not until then.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, there are a couple of problems with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is remembering that <i>God</i> is God and
we are not; and as we heard from Romans a couple of weeks ago: “Vengeance is
mine,” God says; “<i>I</i> will repay!” – not you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the more personal problem with demanding
justice before forgiving someone is that we’d have to be willing to face the
same standard ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we want the
grace that God offers – love freely given, especially when we fail – if we want
that grace for ourselves when we fail, we can’t deny it when others fail us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then there’s the question of
consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at the parable Jesus
offers today about the unforgiving servant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The servant owes his boss an unimaginable sum, ten thousand talents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a laborer in Jesus’ time, it took 15
years to earn a single talent, so this servant owes thousands of lifetimes of
pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the demands of justice require
the servant to make whatever restitution is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the boss releases the servant and forgives
him the debt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then the servant, freshly blessed by
grace, turns around and withholds that grace when he finds himself injured by a
fellow servant’s failure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, having
demanded justice, the first servant receives it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the boss drives the point home: “Should
you not have had mercy on your fellow [servant], as I had mercy on you?” (Matt
18:33).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the first servant finds
himself being tortured, and we hear that the same experience will come our way if
we don’t forgive those who hurt us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The parable says the consequences of
holding a grudge will be much worse, and far longer lasting, for the
grudge-holder than for the person who committed the offense in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that’s true in our lived experience,
too – not directly from God but from the cancer of bitterness that grows within
us when we don’t forgive. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to let our grudges go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You release the anger, but before long you
find there’s still more that you’re carrying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s because the anger isn’t a single burden on our backs that we can
toss off a cliff when we finally choose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, the anger is a backpack full of small rocks that weigh us down,
and we have to toss them off the cliff one by one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it’s not seven times but seventy-seven
times….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But each time we let that resentment go,
we make space for God to create something new. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a glimpse of this on my pilgrimage to
Israel and Palestine this summer when our group heard two men tell their
stories of forgiveness in a setting where conflict and hatred are baked into
the culture as hard as any ancient stone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the men is named Rami.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rami is an Israeli Jew who fought in the Yom
Kippur War in 1973.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that
experience, watching friends die at the hands of Arab enemies, he turned inward
and grew bitter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But 10 years later,
Rami got married; and they had a daughter, his “princess,” he said – a little girl
named Smadar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With his wife and
daughter, Rami lived in a what he called a “beautiful bubble” … until, at 14,
she was killed at school by a Palestinian suicide bomber. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rami saw no way to recover, no way out of his grief
and rage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The other man who spoke to our group is
named Bassam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s a Palestinian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he was 12, his family’s community became
occupied by Israeli soldiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little boys
taunting soldiers grew into teenagers throwing grenades; and by 17, he was in
prison for seven years, where, he said, “they tried to kill our humanity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after his release, Bassam married, and he
and his wife had six children … until, in 2007, border police killed their
10-year-old daughter at school. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The two long stories short: Rami and
Bassam found each other in their grief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Initially, they wanted to kill each other as representatives of the evil
that had killed their daughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But instead,
they chose to work toward peace through a group called The Parents Circle.<sup>1</sup>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s brought together more than 600 Israeli
and Palestinian families who’ve lost immediate-family members to the violence
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group gathers families to
heal, and it tells their stories of forgiveness to advocate for reconciliation among
Israelis and Palestinians generally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For Rami and Bassam, who sat at the same
table to tell their stories, the conflict between Israel and Palestine will be
resolved only when individuals come together as partners for peace and,
eventually, as friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Bassam said, “We
kill each other for Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s
more important? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our lives, or holy
stones? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any political solution comes
from this,” he said: “knowing each other’s narrative, history, and pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respect is <i>the</i> key.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For us, the stakes may not be as
high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people we need to forgive may
not have harmed our family members or sent us to prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe they have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But either way, there’s a reason Jesus taught
us, “When you pray, say … ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us.’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It <i>is</i>
about following Jesus faithfully and finding healing, but it’s also about more
than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forgiveness isn’t just about
being good. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not even just about
being made whole. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about making
space for God to bring new life to a world filled with hearts of stone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-home-page-en/">https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-home-page-en/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-55161324453620999622024-02-19T13:00:00.002-06:002024-02-19T13:00:17.554-06:00Weaponizing Good<p>Sermon for Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023<br />Matthew 16:21-28; Romans 12:9-21</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Following Jesus is no walk in the park. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that his
path included public execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But well
before Good Friday, if we’re listening, we hear Jesus being pretty clear that the
path ahead of him is rocky – and that he’s inviting us to come along.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s gospel reading flows from where we
left off last Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus and his friends
have been at Caesarea Phillipi, standing in the midst of Roman religion and the
imperial power that had coopted it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Mtr.
Jean said last week, there was a deep cave at Caesarea Phillipi that had been a
worship site for centuries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A temple to
the god Pan stood there, and people sacrificed sheep and goats by tossing them
off the cliff into a cave called the gates of Hades. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, the local client king Herod the Great built
a temple there to the Emperor Augustus, who saw himself as divine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standing next to these symbols of idolatry, Jesus
asks his friends who they think <i>he</i> is; and Peter names him as God’s
anointed king – the true emperor who will take on Caesar and all the other
pretenders to God’s throne.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We remember Peter’s words as a bold proclamation
of faith, and they were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they were also
sedition, and the Romans didn’t take kindly to traveling miracle workers proclaiming
themselves to be king. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today, we pick up the story with Jesus
telling his friends just what all that means – for him and for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their challenge to the culture around them
will be costly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their own religious
leaders, collaborating with the empire, will arrest him, torture him, and kill
him; but then God will raise him from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peter, the new lieutenant, takes Jesus aside and says, “Hey, wait a
minute; that can’t be the path for God’s anointed king.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, Jesus draws a stark contrast between the
culture’s definition of power and the power of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, he began his ministry spending weeks
alone in the desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Jesus weak and
hungry, Satan appeared and offered him a shortcut, saying, “Look, just worship
me, and I’ll give you an easy path to power.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, in Peter’s attempt to be supportive, Jesus hears Satan’s call again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he has to turn away decisively because he
knows the lure of easy power will dangle before his friends’ eyes, too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tells them this road they’re taking, bringing
in God’s empire to replace Caesar’s – it’ll take everything they’ve got.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“If any want to become my followers,” Jesus
says, “let them deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who want to save their life will
lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matt
16:24-25)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this isn’t just a recommended
best practice; this is the king’s decree. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you follow me, Jesus says, these are your
marching orders, and your choice whether to follow has very long-term
consequences: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For the Son of Man is to
come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay
everyone for what has been done” (Matt 16:27) – or <i>not</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, that’s a lot to take in on a
pleasant holiday weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are we
supposed to do with this very tough assignment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I mean, at least for me, it’s easier to imagine following Jesus in the context
of ancient occupied Palestine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
the real strengths of the series <i>The Chosen</i>, which we’re watching and discussing
at Trailside on Thursdays, is the way it shows the people’s everyday oppression
by Roman imperial officials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The empire
was very present, even in a backwater fishing village like Capernaum, where officials
would shake you down for their cut of your catch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being faithful to God, and being faithful to
your oppressed community, overlapped in very practical ways, like whether you chose
to keep Shabbat or go to work fishing after sundown on the Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting along with the empire was a way of
life … and Jesus was inviting them <i>not</i> to, despite the cost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For the people of first-century Palestine,
just keeping their culture was an act of resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For us, we’re so immersed in our culture that
we’re fish who can’t see the water they’re swimming in, and we’ve got to jump
out of that water to see the reality above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve been taught to value the individual so highly that we can’t see forces
that give some individuals a much rougher road than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when we do start to see those
individuals, and serve them as Jesus directed, and begin to know their stories,
then we glimpse the world that the empire of individualism creates for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we begin to say and do things that align
with a different worldview, the land we’ve glimpsed when we jump like flying
fish out of our culture’s water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
land, that “better country” (Hebrews 11:16), is the kingdom of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we identify with God’s reign and
rule first, we begin to set aside our own advantage, choosing not to save our
lives but to lose them sometimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As one
commentator puts it, to save “one’s life means not confronting the injustice of
the present, but settling for safe self-interest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To lose one’s life is to embrace the alternative
practices and community that embody God’s empire” instead.<sup>1</sup> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, as if Jesus’ words weren’t challenging
enough, then we get the reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus is calling his followers to commit
themselves to God’s reign and rule, Paul takes the cue and tells us what that transformed
life looks like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Love one another with
mutual affection,” he says; “outdo one another in showing honor” (12:10). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rejoice in hope; be patient in suffering;
persevere in prayer; contribute to each other’s needs; extend hospitality to
strangers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">OK; good enough. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, all that’s really hard, but it’s not surprising:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Serve God; love the members of your community;
welcome strangers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That sounds
familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, but wait, Paul says; there’s
more: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Bless those who persecute you” (12:14).
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Live peaceably with all” (12:18). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if
they are thirsty, give them something to drink” (12:20) – not because Christians
are supposed to be holy wimps but because this is the way to defeat your enemies,
and enemies of the way of love deserve defeat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s how to do it, Paul says:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil
with good” (12:21).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What on earth might that look like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it turns out, there’s at least one place
on earth where it’s happening. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
farm in the Holy Land, about six miles southwest of Bethlehem, in the occupied
territory of Palestine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place is
called Tent of Nations<sup>2</sup>; and on my pilgrimage this spring, we were
blessed to talk with a member of the family who owns the farm, a man named Daoud
Nassar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Nassar family has owned this land
since 1916, when it was part of the Ottoman Empire; and they have a deed from
1924 under the British.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for the last
32 years, the Israeli government has been trying to confiscate the farm,
arguing the family’s legal documentation is insufficient. Meanwhile, the Nassars
have been surrounded by five illegal Israeli settlements, and the farm’s water
and electricity have been cut off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Settlers
and soldiers have destroyed their orchards and threatened Daoud’s family
members. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t take a political
scientist to see that the settlers and the government are trying to push the Nassars
off their fertile land to make way for more Israeli settlements. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As Daoud told us, over the decades of his family’s struggle,
they had to make a choice about how to respond to all this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could have pulled up stakes and left
their land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could have returned the
violence they’ve endured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what they’ve
chosen instead is constructive nonviolent resistance, turning </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">their farm into this
organization called Tent of Nations. Its <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">mission is to build bridges among
people, and between people and the land. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tent of Nations runs educational programs and
kids’ summer camps about organic farming, and through the years they’ve welcomed
thousands of people from more than 40 countries. The farm is becoming self-sufficient
in terms of water and electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
more important, it’s become a center where people from vastly different places come
together to learn, to share, and to build understanding. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, as I’ve told this story, you might
have pictured Daoud Nassar and his family as Muslims, but it turns out they’re
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family has been Christian for
longer than anyone can remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re
part of the 1 percent of Palestinians who are Christian. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s from their countercultural faith that
the Nassar’s strategy comes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faced with
violence from their neighbors, obstruction by the courts, and land seizures by
the government, the Nassar family looked to the apostle Paul’s words in Romans
this morning and said, “We will not be overcome by evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will overcome evil with good.”<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Daoud told us, <b>“</b></span><strong><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">We refuse to be enemies. Instead, we</span></strong>
live in hope for a better future.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here at home, we get a lot of input about what
it should look like to follow Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
political parties are more than happy to tell you what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a messy thing, teasing out their
interest in people from their interest in power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I actually believe following Jesus <i>is</i>
a political act, in the sense that, on this side of eternity, following him can
only happen in the lived experience of our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And especially in a democracy, political
processes have a lot to do with how we choose to manage this world God gives us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we might gain some clarity by looking
beyond the boxed-in options our political culture gives us, instead rising
above like flying fish and glimpsing a reality beyond the muddy waters in which
we swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hunch is that, anytime we’re
faced with the question of what’s the right thing to do, we’d be representing
God’s kingdom well by asking two questions in response:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is the classic, “What would Jesus do?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even before that comes the question I
think Jesus was challenging his friends to ask themselves: What empire am I
representing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I believe the only way out of the intractable
conflicts that beset us, the knots of priority and policy that only tighten as
we fight to untangle them – the only way out is a path in contrast to the
culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must love, and love
hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do not be overcome by evil but
overcome evil with good,” Paul said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
good, in fact, is love’s weapon; and with it, God will complete evil’s defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And our call from Jesus is to join in that
fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evil is not to be tolerated or
endured; it is to be resisted by the choice to rise above, in love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, the words of the old spiritual do
not say, “We shall tolerate.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They say, “We
shall overcome.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">New Interpreter’s Study Bible</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nashville: Abingdon, 2003. 1776-1777 (note). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tent
of Nations website, <a href="https://tentofnations.com/">https://tentofnations.com/</a>.
Accessed Sept. 1, 2023. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-30398516732373177082024-02-19T12:50:00.004-06:002024-02-19T12:50:32.814-06:00How Not to Know What We Know<p>Sermon for Aug. 20, 2023<br />Isaiah 56:1,6-8; Matthew 15:21-28</p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is good to see you! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say – having a sabbatical is one of
the greatest blessings I’ve ever experienced, and I thank you so much for the
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been back a grand
total of six days now, which is almost nothing; but I do know this much about
what happened while I was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
staff and clergy, led by Mtr. Jean, did an amazing job continuing God’s holy
and life-giving work in this place, so please give them a hand. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, I came back to a Vestry meeting at
the end of my first day in the office, so I know the Vestry members, led by
Paul Wurth and Susan Paynter, have also done an amazing job working on the ministry
priorities we set in February and March. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So please give your Vestry members a hand,
too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This sabbatical was all about pilgrimage –
in explicit and implicit terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went
to the Holy Land in May; and then in June, Ann and I took a pilgrimage to places
in Britain that members of our families had left to come to the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll resist the temptation now to go into these
trips in detail, but I will say this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
a deep level, I think pilgrimage is great lens for seeing the Christian life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least for me, being a pilgrim is all about
going somewhere outside your normal experience, inviting Jesus to come along, seeing
what God does with that encounter – and knowing, for sure, that you’ll be surprised.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As it turns out, Jesus is on the move in
today’s Gospel reading, intentionally heading into foreign territory – to “the district of Tyre and
Sidon” (Matt 15:21), which today is in Lebanon just north of Israel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aren’t told why. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe he’s off to connect with a Jewish
minority population living there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe
he needs a break from Israel’s religious leaders, who’ve been criticizing him
for failing to observe the “tradition of the elders” (Matt 15:2). Just before today’s
reading, Jesus has been arguing with the Pharisees, who want him to follow strictly
the ritual practices of Jewish life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
can’t see past the boundaries of their tradition, their own received truth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might say the religious authorities know
what they know, and they know it very well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Jesus tells them, look – what you eat or when
you wash your hands – that’s not what separates you from God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What separates you from God is what comes from
your heart – a focus on yourself, a disregard for the needs and interests of the
people around you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what defiles
you, Jesus says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, don’t worry about the
particulars of religious practice; worry about whether your own practice reflects
a right relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, Jesus has this confrontation with the
Jewish authorities and then takes off for a place where their closed-mindedness
carries no weight. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe he’s going to
Tyre and Sidon to clear his head. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
he wants to see beyond the constraints of his own culture, beyond the
presumptions and expectations of his tribe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s a little pilgrimage – a chance for Jesus
to go somewhere outside his normal experience and see what God does with it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, in this foreign territory, a woman comes
alongside Jesus and his friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew’s
Gospel describes her as “a Canaanite” woman (15:22) – in other words, about as “other”
as it gets for a bunch of good Jews. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Calling
her a “Canaanite” categorizes this woman along with Israel’s ancient enemies, the
folks who were in the Promised Land first and against whom Israel battled for
centuries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the roots of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict even today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, Jesus has nothing against this specific Canaanite woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he treats her with benign neglect,
ignoring her so he can keep to his mission. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He understands that the kingdom is coming for
God’s people first, not for Israel’s historic enemies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, that means Jesus sees <i>what</i> this
woman is, not <i>who</i> this woman is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In truth, he really doesn’t see her at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disciples take this othering one step
further, asking Jesus to get rid of the annoying outsider. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, surprisingly to us, Jesus agrees with
them, saying, Right; “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”
(Matt 15:24). That’s my mission, after all. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, the woman is coming from a very
different place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s not thinking about
categories or ethnicities; she just wants her daughter healed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when Jesus ignores her cries, she comes and
gets in his face, kneeling and asking for the healing that she trusts he can provide.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In that awkward moment, Jesus tries to
explain why he’s been ignoring her, but he frames his explanation in fairly insulting
terms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says, Listen, I’ve got nothing
against you; it just “isn’t fair to take the children’s food and throw it to
the dogs” (Matt 15:26). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, it’s an <i>endearing</i>
term for “dog” that he uses – the Greek word means “small dogs” or “puppies.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here’s what <i>she’s</i> thinking: In this
scenario, you all are God’s children, and I’m God’s puppy? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks so much. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, Jesus doesn’t mean to hurt her, but
his language <i>does</i> hurt because it comes from a place of superiority and implicit
judgment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, the woman still wants her child
healed, so she sets aside her frustration with the demeaning language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She says, Yessir, but “even the dogs eat the
crumbs from their masters’ table” (Matt 15:27). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words: Are you really so wrapped up in
your own culture’s priorities that you can’t bother to share a little healing
love with me? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, her deep trust in his power to heal and
her willingness to speak the truth make Jesus do a spiritual double-take – and make
him see his own mission more clearly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironically,
the messiah who critiques the Pharisees for getting hung up on tradition comes to
see how his tradition, and his own expectations, might limit even <b><i>his</i></b>
revealing of God’s love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Jesus grows
in his understanding of how God might ask him to see the people around him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Jesus grows in his understanding of who
might come faithfully knocking on God’s door. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not just the people whom our tribes tell
us are good and blessed – conveniently, other people like us. <b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Even Jesus gets surprised by what he
learns about his tribe, and about himself, and about God’s purposes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing what God shows you when you journey
somewhere as a pilgrim.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I believe we are similarly afflicted today
with the spiritual malady of knowing what we know and knowing it way too well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the certainty that “my way is right” grows
all the more virulent when we’re afraid. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we think “the other” isn’t just different
from us but a threat, then “we know what we know” with a vengeance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">On my pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May,
I saw this vividly in an otherwise lovely woman giving an otherwise lovely
tour. Our group was visiting Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem to see the beautiful Marc
Chagall stained-glass windows in the hospital’s synagogue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But before taking us there, the guide took
us to the hospital’s visitor center to tell us about Hadassah’s healing work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People travel there from many other countries
just to seek treatment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the guide
proudly told us about Hadassah’s mission even to Palestinians from the occupied
West Bank and Gaza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hospital has
arrangements with health-care providers in the occupied territories who
transport patients to Hadassah clinics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
was saying Palestinians are the people many Israelis see as their worst enemies,
but even <i>they</i> can come to Hadassah for world-class treatment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s a great ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And … as I looked
at the map on the wall showing where those Hadassah treatment sites are
located, that map looked very much like the map of Israel with the occupied
territories effectively carved out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly,
there are no Hadassah clinics in Gaza or the West Bank. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I asked a question that my status as a
stupid, naïve tourist allowed me to ask: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Could</i> Hadassah open clinics in the
places where the Palestinians live? After all, it’s a huge ordeal to cross a military
checkpoint to get from the West Bank or Gaza into Israeli territory –
especially if you’re sick or injured. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, the guide looked at me as if I’d
said the sky is green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She <span style="color: black;">informed me that those areas are under the control of the
Palestinian Authority. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said I knew
that, but I wondered whether it would be possible to offer services in those
locations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked at me sternly and said,
“No. That’s a no-go.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, she
didn’t want to talk about it further, so I let it go. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But – regardless of whether the hospital <i>can’t</i>
offer services there, or <i>won’t</i> offer services there, or has made a
business and security decision <i>not</i> to offer services there, it’s a
tragedy – and one that undermines the hospital’s work toward God’s mission of healing.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the blessings of pilgrimage is that
it challenges us to ask ourselves, “What am I missing?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do my personal and cultural blinders
keep me from seeing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And more to the
point for us as Christians:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Who</i>
do my blinders keep me from seeing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
does my understanding of “neighbor” need to grow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone lives in a different part of town,
or comes from a different race or ethnicity, or loves people differently than I
do, or believes the political spin from the “wrong” news channel – do I see
them as God’s beloved children or as dogs under the table?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To share God’s healing love, to reach across
what divides us, we have to see “the other” as a sibling instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I believe that here at St. Andrew’s, we have
a particular calling, in this moment, to be a place where pilgrims can gather
with people they might never talk with otherwise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the deepening divisions of our once-common
life, where else but the church are we invited to cross boundaries and really listen
to another point of view – to go outside our normal experience, and invite
Jesus to come along, and see what God does with that encounter? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, we just might find that one of our
most powerful pilgrimage sites is right here, this big tent of ours – this “house
of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7) that stands in contrast to a world
where we know what we know and know it way too well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-33621401489167561632023-07-16T09:17:00.001-05:002023-07-16T09:17:36.986-05:00Ordination Sermon: Fierce and Fearless Pilgrims<div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;">Ordination of the Revs. Brittany Sparrow Savage, David Wilcox, Ryan Williams, and Ryan Zavacky</span><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;">Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 43; 1 Peter 5:1-4; John 10:11-18</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;">July 15, 2023</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;"><div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV623S12bDf2-aAqoFrNvQFkTyht-gH36KlBYxkV3Vv_SMDwS0uTIKrZLkI6Aer46JwsAt8Pn-wE40QQm7r4jn2_slKaS0vbW_C95mM4zKjkQ7vP2DpAWtbJjzPnPaOXLctNElfNTSz1gTiYeDUSxkaiOtLZXcpr9aBEOHfuIg7CVnBASZPGS3wHsSFZU/s1687/Ordination%20with%20bishop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1687" data-original-width="1349" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV623S12bDf2-aAqoFrNvQFkTyht-gH36KlBYxkV3Vv_SMDwS0uTIKrZLkI6Aer46JwsAt8Pn-wE40QQm7r4jn2_slKaS0vbW_C95mM4zKjkQ7vP2DpAWtbJjzPnPaOXLctNElfNTSz1gTiYeDUSxkaiOtLZXcpr9aBEOHfuIg7CVnBASZPGS3wHsSFZU/s320/Ordination%20with%20bishop.jpg" width="256" /></a></div> Maybe it’s just me, but perhaps the other
ordained folks in the room today might agree that what we want most, deep down,
is simply for God to give us a clear assignment. Right? It’s
not about getting a good gig or climbing the clerical career ladder. At the end of the day, we just want to know
where we’re being sent and what we’re supposed to do there. If we learn nothing else through seminary, and
CPE, and life in ministry, we learn not to pray for the outcomes <i>we</i> want
but for <i>God’s</i> purposes to be accomplished. But still – you know, Lord, would it hurt to
make it clear just where and how you want us to be part of that?<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">From today’s amazing Old Testament reading,
we might think our friend Isaiah got a little more clarity than he wanted. Imagine the hem of God’s robe filling this temple,
and giant flying cobras hovering in the rafters singing the <i>Sanctus</i>. We might well join Isaiah in saying, “Woe is
me!” (6:5) – or something more colorful. Certainly, we’d agree that “I am lost, for I am
a person of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (6:5). And we unclean people are supposed to drop
dead when we see God face to face. But still,
Isaiah says, “My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Hosts!” (6:5). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Brittany, David, Ryan, and Ryan, I have no
doubt that’s happened for each of you, in God’s own unique ways. Maybe it was a knock-your-socks-off moment
like Isaiah had. Or maybe, as it was for
me, it was more a progressive, persistent knock on the door, a divine dripping
of the faucet you can’t ignore. But they
all count. Regardless of <i>how</i> it
happened, it happened to you. Somehow,
the sovereign of the universe looked you in the eye and in the heart and said, “Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us?” And
you had the fierce fearlessness to say, “Here am I. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Remember that. <i>Always</i> remember that. Whatever is your story of crazy risk-taking, your
moment of stretching out over your spiritual skis; whatever gave you the
temerity to think you’re good enough to take on God’s mission – remember it,
because it’s true. Bind it on your forehead,
and write it on your heart, because the fierce fearlessness of your trust in
God is precisely what will empower you for your divine mission. And because it’s God’s mission, and not yours,
you will not fail. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And … that truth doesn’t mean you’ll fully
understand your mission or how to accomplish it. We are most assuredly sent by God, so by
definition we’re apostles, missionaries deployed as our Lord directs. And yet, look back at that story of Isaiah’s
call. The reading conveniently ends on
an inspiring note – “Here am I; send me!” But if you keep reading, God’s call immediately
gets very messy. God tells Isaiah, “Go,
and say to this people, ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but
do not understand.’ Make the mind of
this people dull,” God says, “and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that
they may <i>not</i> look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and
comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10) Wait – what? As God’s spokesperson, Isaiah’s first
assignment is to make the mind of the people dull so they won’t understand. OK, well, then I guess the preacher’s bar for
success is set pretty low, right? – just keep ’em confused. Now <i>there’s</i> an assignment I can
succeed at. Seriously, though – what kind
of inaugural prophetic call is this? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Well, in Isaiah’s case, his call is to set
the stage for God’s judgment of the people of Judah. God knows they aren’t going to follow the lead
of the people of Nineveh, who heard Jonah’s whiny call and responded with full
and faithful hearts anyway. Instead, God
sees a tough trajectory for Judah, that things aren’t going to end well, regardless
of the quality of the prophet’s work. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But here’s the thing: <i>Isaiah</i> doesn’t
know that. How must he feel, his first assignment
from the Lord of Hosts being to go out there and <i>fail</i> to turn people’s hearts?
The bigger story isn’t clear to him yet
because he’s just begun exploring this call of his. He has years, and several national political crises,
awaiting him along his journey as God’s spokesperson. And to start off, he’s being sent to people
who don’t want to hear about radical allegiance to God’s sovereignty; ministry “success”
isn’t even on the table. Rather than
being sent to succeed, Isaiah’s being sent to learn, to be a pilgrim every bit as
much as a preacher. Hmmmm.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Also in the category of dubious ordination
readings is our selection from the Psalms, at least the first few verses. In the <i>New International Study Bible</i>, Psalm
43 is identified as a “prayer to God in time of trouble,” so maybe the compilers
of the ordination rite were a bit more self-aware than we might have guessed. Of course, the verses on which the four of you
will hang your birettas are verses 3 and 4, the prayer asking God to “send out your
light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and
to your dwelling; that I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness…”
(43:3-4 BCP). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yeah, that’s pretty great. But think about <i>why</i> the psalmist is
offering this prayer. It’s because the
writer has looked around and seen “an ungodly people,” the “deceitful and the
wicked” (43:1 BCP). This is a plea for God’s
help – for light and truth and direction to cast out darkness and deceit and
confusion. And we’re hearing it at an
ordination because the motto of the priesthood is not, “Let the good times roll.”
Plenty often, you’ll wonder instead, “Why
are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? And why are you so disquieted within me?”
(43:5 BCP). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Well, when <i>those</i> stops come along your
journey, remember the psalm’s next line: “Put your trust in God” (43:6 BCP), even
when your rector or your vestry or your own heart heavily oppresses you. Because that <i>will</i> happen, and not just when
you’re newly ordained. God is sending you
on this lifetime journey, whose stops are not scripted, in order to help you
remember, “Oh, yeah. That’s right. First, always – <i>trust</i>.” Because if your trust is well-placed, the
journey’s end is guaranteed, regardless of the “deceitful and the wicked” who assail
you along the way (43:1 BCP). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So, as if that weren’t enough realism and
irony on this high and holy morning, we come next to the first letter of Peter.
There, the presbyters of the Church –
the folks we now call priests – are being called to oversee the people in their
charge “not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it,” by
being “examples to the flock” (5:2-3). The
writer is dead-on here: As you offer yourself
in one act of “send me” after another, the folks you serve will respond in
kind. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But, as we’ve seen before, the omitted
verses following today’s gentle reading underscore what you’re truly up
against. They call you to “discipline yourselves
[and] keep alert,” because “like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls
around, looking for someone to devour. Resist
him,” the writer says, “steadfast in your faith.” (5:8-9) Yes, you are called to be a shepherd, but that’s
not someone who sits on a rock playing a Pan flute in the sunshine. It’s someone who stands between the sheep and
the lions. And the only defense you can
rely on is trusting that your own Good Shepherd is standing right beside you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Which brings us to the Gospel reading, about
Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Talk about a
tough act for a new priest to follow. The <i>poor</i> model of sheep-tending here is
the “hired hand” (John 10:12) – the one who’s <i>supposed</i> to be looking out
for the sheep but really is looking out for Number 1. He skedaddles when the wolves circle, leaving the
sheep to be poached and scattered. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For a long time now, this image has struck
close to home for me. Some of you know
this, but for my first call after seminary, Bishop Howe sent me to be vicar of Church
of the Good Shepherd in Springfield. If you
visit its address on Primrose Street in south Springfield now, across from
Kickapoo High School, you’ll find a sea of condos for seniors. But before that, there was a metal building
with a steeple set on top of it and a playground that several of us built with
our own hands. And more than that, there
were 50 or 60 faithful souls who wanted a shepherd like the good one, like
Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I was sent to that congregation with a
mission either to grow it or to close it, and we had three years of decreasing diocesan
funding to work with. Long story short,
we didn’t grow enough to support my salary. And I felt like the hired hand, who skedaddled
north to the big city while the church closed, its members scattered to other congregations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Was it failure? Or was it what needed to happen? That’s a good conversation for a beer, later,
but I can tell you this much: It was an
opportunity for all of us to grow deeper in trusting God. In the end, all the congregation’s leaders and
most of the members thought closing it was the right thing to do, and we joyfully
celebrated the Sunday of the Resurrection as our last service together. They found their ways to other churches, and I
found the remarkable truth that “failing” in your first gig can be a deeply holy
thing – and that Jesus will be there to walk with you to your next stop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Brittany, David, Ryan, and Ryan: You don’t need to stand yet, but just listen. As you begin this high and holy calling of
priestly ministry, ordained to follow in the missional footsteps of the
apostles themselves, know that you will always be disciples, too – pilgrims led
to meet our Lord in ways you might expect and ways you’d never choose. That both/and of being apostle <i>and</i>
disciple, missionary <i>and</i> pilgrim, it can drive you crazy sometimes. “I know you’re sending me, Lord – so, how
about shining some light on the path?” Well,
here’s the dirty little secret our discernment processes don’t always share: When you say, “Here am I; send me,” you’re committing
to a life of saying it <i>over and over again</i>. It’s actually, “Here am I; <i>keep</i> sending
me” – but into what, you won’t exactly know. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So that’s why you have to see yourselves
not just as apostles but as disciples, not just as missionaries but as pilgrims.
Because when the call <i>isn’t</i> as
clear as you’d like, when the niggling questions keep you up at night, you’ll
need to remember that Jesus is always there, walking right alongside you. Our hope is <i>not</i> in finding the best
assignment, as good as your assignments will be. Our hope is in remembering what the writer and
preacher John Bunyan taught us centuries ago, after spending 12 years locked in
an Anglican jail. So, as you’re able, please
stand with our ordinands. Please turn to
page 9 in the service booklet, and sing the fierce fearlessness that equips us
pilgrims for the journey of a lifetime.</span></p></div>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span class="diff"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">W</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ho would <span class="diff">true valor see</span>,<br />
let them <span class="diff">come hither.</span><br />
<span class="diff">They here will constant be,</span><br />
<span class="diff">come wind, come weather.</span><br />
<span class="diff">T</span>here’s no discouragement<br />
shall make them once relent<br />
their first avowed intent<br />
to be a pilgrim.<br />
<br />
Whoso beset them ’round<br />
with dismal stories<br />
do but themselves confound;<br />
God’s strength the more is.<br />
No <span class="diff">lion can them fright;</span><br />
<span class="diff">they’ll</span> with <span class="diff">a </span>giant fight<span class="diff">.</span><br />
<span class="diff">But </span>they will <span class="diff">have the</span> right<br />
to be a pilgrim.<br />
<br />
<span class="diff">Hobgoblin nor foul fiend</span><br />
<span class="diff">can daunt their spirit;</span><br />
<span class="diff">they</span> know<span class="diff"> they</span> at the end<br />
shall life inherit.<br />
Then, fancies fl<span class="diff">y</span> away<span class="diff">;</span><br />
<span class="diff">they’ll fear</span> <span class="diff">not </span>what folks
say<span class="diff">;</span><br />
<span class="diff">they’ll</span> labo<span class="diff">r</span> night and day<br />
to be a pilgrim.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> — John Bunyan (ed. Spicer)</span></span></div></div>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-60026111207309467542023-06-26T15:27:00.000-05:002023-06-26T15:27:04.538-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 17<p><b>June 22, 2023, 5:20 p.m. (10:20 p.m. body time)</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We’re at JFK in New York after an uneventful flight from
London. Blessedly, Ann was discharged yesterday from the hospital in Exeter in
time for us to drive to London and have a late dinner at the airport hotel.
Also, thankfully, there was no drama in returning the car, other than some
shaming about the scratches I’d put on the new car’s wheel covers (we’ll see
how that plays out with the “zero deductible” insurance I’d purchased).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHAooM13n1_LwUcnQWJT2WygTTlgVMYPBUGx6MCAK-nl2utHcC9tIG6sJI4FyFInzZhRpVx_h4u54LKgsp2LaSwQU0qizJ_VF2SKFpGEtXS0fnhbHMSG2ZtBvhWqL82jdP4lyNMU1RTVg3ZNEZpc-L_8ZDqXG30aGAEoYYi3KPtroQqvE2NeQJRrO3x0/s3072/Salisbury%20martyr%20plaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHAooM13n1_LwUcnQWJT2WygTTlgVMYPBUGx6MCAK-nl2utHcC9tIG6sJI4FyFInzZhRpVx_h4u54LKgsp2LaSwQU0qizJ_VF2SKFpGEtXS0fnhbHMSG2ZtBvhWqL82jdP4lyNMU1RTVg3ZNEZpc-L_8ZDqXG30aGAEoYYi3KPtroQqvE2NeQJRrO3x0/s320/Salisbury%20martyr%20plaque.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the martyrdom in Salisbury in 1556 (a site we missed).</td></tr></tbody></table>Our last two days in Britain didn’t go the way we’d have
hoped to conclude this wonderful trip. I know international hospital tourism
certainly wasn’t on Ann’s bucket list. I’m also sorry not to have visited the
site of John Spicer’s burning at the stake in 1556, one of three Salisbury
martyrs. And I would have enjoyed going to Romsey, south of Salisbury, to see a
couple of churches related to the Holts, ancestors on my father’s side who left
for Massachusetts in 1635, during the Puritan emigration. But over the past two
weeks, we’ve seen so much, and experienced so much together, that the details
of sites we missed don’t really matter. What matters is that Ann is well enough
to come home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">So, what stands out from these past two weeks of family
pilgrimage? Certain moments were especially meaningful: finding a McLagan
tombstone at Old Scone Cemetery outside Perth; finding a Gibson tombstone at
Govan Old Church in Glasgow; dining in the jail where Ann’s Owen ancestor was
imprisoned for being a Quaker; visiting churches where other ancestors were
baptized, married, and buried. As an exercise in family connectedness, standing
in these places mattered. Thirty or 40 years ago, when my mother was spending
so much of her time researching and recording our family’s history, I wasn’t
mature enough to transcend my own story and appreciate my connections with the
people from whom I’d come. There were names I knew, and some of those names
came with stories my mother told – a great-great-grandmother, Nellie Josephine
Crane Reading, who threw a washtub of water on a cougar in the Utah mountains;
another great-great-grandmother, Mary Beaufort Lively Brundage, who threw her
first suitor’s engagement ring down the privy when he went on a trip without
telling her. But being in the places from which family members emigrated helped
me ask better questions about my history and theirs: What made them uproot
their lives, and leave behind the known and familiar, and take the huge risk to
start new lives in places they could barely imagine? And along with that: What
would I have done then, and what risks would I be willing to take now to
provide a better life for those who follow me?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Then, of course, there’s the spiritual pilgrimage that’s
been running alongside the path of family history. Where and how has God shown
up over these past two weeks (and in the months of preparation beforehand)?
Among the things I’d missed in my mother’s stories was the extent to which my
ancestors’ journeys were journeys of faith. The converging and diverging
streams of British religious history were raging rivers for the individuals who
struggled to navigate them day to day. John Spicer and Thomas Spicer being
burned at the stake during Bloody Mary’s Protestant purge – a mason and a
laborer, respectively, willing to die rather than recant their faith – may be
the most dramatic examples. But I think about Ann’s Quaker ancestor Robert Owen
being imprisoned in Wales before he and his family helped settle Pennsylvania …
or my Brundage and Hubbard ancestors leaving as part of the Puritan exodus
during the Stuarts’ strident imposition of Anglicanism … or my Reading and
Brown ancestors finding spiritual renewal with the Latter-Day Saints and
heading to the Promised Land in the Utah desert. For each, the presence of God
in their lives charted their course.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">At the cathedral in Glasgow, we heard a sermon from the
diocesan staff member for mission, whose job boils down to working with even
very small congregations to identify the thing about which they’re most
passionate, and then helping them discern how to live out that mission in their
own contexts. It’s a great example of the truth in my family’s emigration stories,
too – that trusting in the call and power of God is what it takes to accomplish
astonishing things. We – or at least I – tend to intellectualize that truth too
readily, reticent to let the Spirit act through us to change our lives and the
lives of those around us. Remember, even while the Mormons were a small and
mistrusted band, driven out of one American community after another, they were
sending missionaries to England and filling thousands there with the reality of
God’s Spirit empowering their lives. Too often, I think, we let ourselves play
small as Jesus’ followers called to bring the Spirit to life in the world. But
the stories of those who’ve gone before – and the stories of those who hear and
heed the call in unlikely settings today – remind us that God has so much more
in mind for us than simply heavenly rest. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-21806007271614332232023-06-26T14:43:00.004-05:002023-06-27T12:21:59.125-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 16<p><b>Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 9:45 a.m.</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Well, so much for leaving Exeter and heading to
Salisbury. Instead, we’re still in Exeter, in the hospital. Yesterday morning,
Ann experienced a urinary blockage resulting from bleeding and blood clots. The
ER visit (inevitably) led to admission, bladder flushing, etc. At this point
(9:45 a.m. the next day) we’re awaiting a transfusion to deal with anemia and
praying for normal-enough urinary function to be able to drive to London this
afternoon and get on a plane tomorrow morning. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">In the category of silver linings, I’m grateful this
happened in Exeter, a city with a real hospital, rather than on the long rural
drive from Scotland to Wales. And if our greatest worry now is having to
reschedule the flight and a hotel stay … that’s a First-World problem if ever
there was one. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7PTRL6YkXZi1tyfpUdc0k9vwUJT1CWBb62Fxoy9xoh1PcFvLThUfnTLOg09HvXP0fk87dklcs_PrZ17_draeNvz80v_jF99zm-Q3jxuhRpNHRJxRMai1VRSlm3ZRWdmuauEqztmqbIZ5jPo81go8RCKFP6mf9-yovKVdSTvhUA-6igkFIb_AgxeWWQs/s2048/Ann%20in%20hospital.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7PTRL6YkXZi1tyfpUdc0k9vwUJT1CWBb62Fxoy9xoh1PcFvLThUfnTLOg09HvXP0fk87dklcs_PrZ17_draeNvz80v_jF99zm-Q3jxuhRpNHRJxRMai1VRSlm3ZRWdmuauEqztmqbIZ5jPo81go8RCKFP6mf9-yovKVdSTvhUA-6igkFIb_AgxeWWQs/s320/Ann%20in%20hospital.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like hospital tourism....</td></tr></tbody></table>The experience at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital has
been good, overall – very attentive care from the nursing staff, as well as
understanding from the physicians about our desired treatment outcome being
“good enough to travel.” The major difference from what we’d expect in the
States relates to privacy. Patients are in wards in the old-school sense, six
people in a large room with the beds separated by drapes. Of course, you can
hear the other patients’ conversations with their doctors and nurses (“Did we
collect some poo yesterday?”), as well as the other patients’ TV shows, phone
conversations, and late-night moaning. Another difference relates to the
facility itself: English buildings typically don’t have air conditioning, and
hospitals are no exception. So, the windows are open to let in fresh air,
allowing you to hear the pigeons and seagulls on the ledge outside. (Given that
they don’t use screened windows here, the pigeons could hop right in if they
wanted to.) But the quality that matters most has been excellent: The
caregivers are present, attentive, and compassionate to a fault (“Do you mind
if I remove the catheter now, Luv?”). Again, more than anything else, I’m
grateful. <o:p></o:p><p></p><div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 4 p.m.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We’re free! Now, on to London and tomorrow’s flight.<o:p></o:p></p><br /></div>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-63011013262830025332023-06-26T14:35:00.002-05:002023-06-27T12:13:46.002-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 15<p><b>Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 6:30 a.m.</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Yesterday’s visits included a few family-related stops
(one accidentally), a visit to a stunning cathedral, and some gift-shop
browsing along the Exeter quayside. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqFt7IQpRYB8Bbg7p7Vg0Tl_qrh6cDg-9PD8ijnp_gjob2EjcDOw5HjEgmVS5QQM66zzDN6zOEur5SoNIjOMXQvHf-_0loJxuIMFENc8mwYljRe9ytAQXX6ItG3FuwBq5gSuA0gw3lMhdbqUYJkoDzXXcJqle411nGSF26BfjjXLR8uITsGTgJONu0_w/s2048/Exeter%20-%20Turks%20Head%20and%20Guildhall.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqFt7IQpRYB8Bbg7p7Vg0Tl_qrh6cDg-9PD8ijnp_gjob2EjcDOw5HjEgmVS5QQM66zzDN6zOEur5SoNIjOMXQvHf-_0loJxuIMFENc8mwYljRe9ytAQXX6ItG3FuwBq5gSuA0gw3lMhdbqUYJkoDzXXcJqle411nGSF26BfjjXLR8uITsGTgJONu0_w/s320/Exeter%20-%20Turks%20Head%20and%20Guildhall.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-OQgg7b6yTBkZnE4YbbSBsA-V7Rb3i_zlQza_cYHvN783uv-tbaYJffZxdczUKMFEdsYGq7tAZ7-0nQH5GdpOYrdNpE860mqo9irb2IvOkyXFecfSdgP4ZTOaU7s0CNBUQViuX0P65HunSLTpQyxwaOVo3XBCmBeoX3nP1-KV1bPgkahFlb_zO5xhJ8/s2048/Exeter%20-%20Guildhall%20doors.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-OQgg7b6yTBkZnE4YbbSBsA-V7Rb3i_zlQza_cYHvN783uv-tbaYJffZxdczUKMFEdsYGq7tAZ7-0nQH5GdpOYrdNpE860mqo9irb2IvOkyXFecfSdgP4ZTOaU7s0CNBUQViuX0P65HunSLTpQyxwaOVo3XBCmBeoX3nP1-KV1bPgkahFlb_zO5xhJ8/w150-h200/Exeter%20-%20Guildhall%20doors.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above: The Turks Head Pub, where we stayed, adjacent to the <br />historic Guildhall. Below: The Guildhall's ceremonial doors. </td></tr></tbody></table>Our lodging in Exeter – a room over the Turks Head Pub, apparently one of Dickens' favorite watering holes –
abuts the historic Guildhall, claimed to be England’s municipal building with
the longest continuous use. A guildhall has been located on this site since 1160,
and the present structure dates from about 1470, with exterior stonework from
about 1590. Along with the age, the stone exterior and the beautiful oak roof
and paneling inside would be impressive enough. But in the great chamber, where
the Exeter City Council still meets, there are shields circling the room,
honoring trade guilds and noteworthy individuals across the city’s history. One
of those shields remembers a John Spicer, who served five years as mayor of
Exeter in the 1350s. He was one of four Spicer mayors but apparently the only
one to earn a spot on the wall. I haven’t been able to trace direct descent
from these mayors, but my family genealogy asserts that my ancestor Peter Spicer, who came to Connecticut around 1660, was part of this line. <o:p></o:p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7Mm9bdyBFia1Q6Up93I4L_xwFCmYzyvvOYr9pUtBzX4l1gKHgSS5j4fJL8XRbEE3S9z9mgrsoVRNiSVOcYc00plHlZQClFGv9F1jTXjoytDsZ40V3DuVvAPDlV_jMMYH_I7GWNnmxhVtCTDKysTk2x3g4u9nO5VqxIbYDFOLrz3ncLmMVt8Mn_3ZHLE/s2048/Exeter%20-%20cathedral%20exterior.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7Mm9bdyBFia1Q6Up93I4L_xwFCmYzyvvOYr9pUtBzX4l1gKHgSS5j4fJL8XRbEE3S9z9mgrsoVRNiSVOcYc00plHlZQClFGv9F1jTXjoytDsZ40V3DuVvAPDlV_jMMYH_I7GWNnmxhVtCTDKysTk2x3g4u9nO5VqxIbYDFOLrz3ncLmMVt8Mn_3ZHLE/w320-h240/Exeter%20-%20cathedral%20exterior.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The western doors of Exeter Cathedral.</td></tr></tbody></table>Just around the corner from the Guildhall is Exeter’s
inspiring cathedral. A great example of Gothic architecture, the building –
inside and out – lifts your eyes and your heart to heaven. The conquering
Normans began building a church on this site in 1144. In the late 1300s, the
cathedral’s leadership took most of that church down and replaced it with this
Gothic wonder — as a priest here said, it must have been a tremendous change
from “the way it had always been” for those first 150 years. The building features
the longest continuous medieval stone vaulted ceiling in the world. But
unfortunately, another change — the addition of giant ranks of Darth Vader-esque organ pipes in
the early 1700s — now disrupts the view, so you have to use your imagination to
appreciate the length of the vaulted ceiling. But with the pipes facing the
congregation, the sound must be incredible. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KwfSxqDaY4APSjMLZSMdQIWvlWTyKvTmsF3n7hMPrzqhyT-i2n9Xf_gU2zOI0-gt6B_nXLsy-ZzKURmttOH1NyTMhX8eivtMX-xAzWmYnl5M8vBXgfKGEUQdqwMgpG5ZZTj0_gGO3L_Kn5Itnb_Ojsu7A86shM7g7n8pkVvbW7NtFg0hlab7LaRvFs4/s1300/Exeter%20-%20cathedral%20organ%20pipes%20v2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="887" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KwfSxqDaY4APSjMLZSMdQIWvlWTyKvTmsF3n7hMPrzqhyT-i2n9Xf_gU2zOI0-gt6B_nXLsy-ZzKURmttOH1NyTMhX8eivtMX-xAzWmYnl5M8vBXgfKGEUQdqwMgpG5ZZTj0_gGO3L_Kn5Itnb_Ojsu7A86shM7g7n8pkVvbW7NtFg0hlab7LaRvFs4/w218-h320/Exeter%20-%20cathedral%20organ%20pipes%20v2.jpeg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organ pipes dominating the space.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>(Sorry about the construction noise in the video.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyqxqs47KhQ7WufTun56YxsETDo7faSu1qEo5IwRjJizXseWjTttX9L4heIUNtLEEIWtTGZLYE1WJRIRtIt_Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4cxF63jdIq7Z_0hbNVpmmm8x6TpgVVURwNxnHan2pNqfjYAgeuSCn8JE5nbks3jT_KhZ7jX3HVTmDDvj4r5dV9JeLC6LowDZGKQEp4bRRSSaxCdRmVUNE1yCZj9o_NtgYbSlysdHeKzpW_Q3FApkQ5x5prO1oq7A5F8IoDmsyINXtWj5L3uZ-uACZOQ/s2048/Exeter%20-%20cathedral%20jaunty%20knight.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4cxF63jdIq7Z_0hbNVpmmm8x6TpgVVURwNxnHan2pNqfjYAgeuSCn8JE5nbks3jT_KhZ7jX3HVTmDDvj4r5dV9JeLC6LowDZGKQEp4bRRSSaxCdRmVUNE1yCZj9o_NtgYbSlysdHeKzpW_Q3FApkQ5x5prO1oq7A5F8IoDmsyINXtWj5L3uZ-uACZOQ/w150-h200/Exeter%20-%20cathedral%20jaunty%20knight.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A jaunty knight enjoying the <br />sunshine on the cathedral square.</td></tr></tbody></table>You also have to use your imagination when looking at the
cathedral’s exterior and its scores of statues. Unlike many British churches,
whose statues were demolished in the Reformation, Exeter Cathedral’s company of
saints is largely intact today. Many have quite a bit of character, sitting
there cross-legged and taking in the beauty of the morning along with the folks
having a coffee on the square. Apparently, the statues were even more lifelike
hundreds of years ago, when they were painted in living color.<p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiEjxie42TLSS2HSnQgRPkmqhUGx108U5tn35r6_uZgz_WZBcx5sogr_cBLrV6PtazOQVKF-GRcGP8S7ADhicogmWjNqDNFEk_DK1oVXXgAbl41sgDcp2zKCEQAuG8k6lDr6DEx9imfbrJlt-w_fml6fOAu0xW9mVJmZ9OGc4wqr9epdsXALIZkU8QbA/s2048/Exeter%20-%20St.%20Martin's,%20Spicer%20plaque.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiEjxie42TLSS2HSnQgRPkmqhUGx108U5tn35r6_uZgz_WZBcx5sogr_cBLrV6PtazOQVKF-GRcGP8S7ADhicogmWjNqDNFEk_DK1oVXXgAbl41sgDcp2zKCEQAuG8k6lDr6DEx9imfbrJlt-w_fml6fOAu0xW9mVJmZ9OGc4wqr9epdsXALIZkU8QbA/w150-h200/Exeter%20-%20St.%20Martin's,%20Spicer%20plaque.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument to Thomas Spicer<br />in St. Martin's Church in Exeter. </td></tr></tbody></table>In addition, we stopped into St. Martin’s Church across
the square from Exeter Cathedral and found monuments honoring alderman Thomas
Spicer and his widowed daughter, Judith Wakeman. St. Martin’s is tucked
somewhat awkwardly into a tight corner leading onto the square, up against a
Tudor-era pub. Given that the church dates to 1065, the pub was the
late-arriving neighbor. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KL2PozsEb8RMHrPXHw9fORhcc0tGq0pQmbm9FAb2mML-n-TnqVUumcpEw17pm_pQXnrsBFdSQUkDPPsX9ga4L0O3zA7-mLG1H35B8-8Wdm0bXnfwR1ZaiKfk5Hx9qNxWHGP0_QnhQhrvDGpxj-7JdfbSQkKD_c6MKLxq-ww4aosFyW9RJbxhXbO3I7w/s2048/Exeter%20quayside.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KL2PozsEb8RMHrPXHw9fORhcc0tGq0pQmbm9FAb2mML-n-TnqVUumcpEw17pm_pQXnrsBFdSQUkDPPsX9ga4L0O3zA7-mLG1H35B8-8Wdm0bXnfwR1ZaiKfk5Hx9qNxWHGP0_QnhQhrvDGpxj-7JdfbSQkKD_c6MKLxq-ww4aosFyW9RJbxhXbO3I7w/w200-h150/Exeter%20quayside.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful afternoon at the quayside.</td></tr></tbody></table>In the afternoon, we relaxed at the quayside along the
Exe River, checking out the local gift shops. This area was Exeter’s commercial
center back in the day, with about a quarter of all English woolen goods going
through Exeter’s customs house, as well as coal, tobacco, tea, wine, and spirits.
Today, the pace is much more laid back, with tourists and locals enjoying a
coffee or a pint and watching the ducks on the river.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSNw2UmMGkTaPpZTZ-FWueB9HxqRq6wWr_xli9O_CrEqk7gv9j13vS3EotaQfnAEbcPetztqDXDqV9a6KbR2JRlo0HMv8-4EUwrn98xwCf0EcreLLSNRxsNpvXCnnlkoetQOjoZelGTshtCUwnHo0jI9T4UjwXk-ohB-lDpne9nu8n4iNwBPCiCt__lE/s2046/Exeter%20-%20Spicer%20road.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="2046" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSNw2UmMGkTaPpZTZ-FWueB9HxqRq6wWr_xli9O_CrEqk7gv9j13vS3EotaQfnAEbcPetztqDXDqV9a6KbR2JRlo0HMv8-4EUwrn98xwCf0EcreLLSNRxsNpvXCnnlkoetQOjoZelGTshtCUwnHo0jI9T4UjwXk-ohB-lDpne9nu8n4iNwBPCiCt__lE/w200-h151/Exeter%20-%20Spicer%20road.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, looking for an EV charging station, I found
myself passing by Spicer Road, so I took the obligatory selfie at the sign.
Back home, Ann and I have a shot of Kathryn, Dan, and me standing by the same
sign from our trip in 2008. That earlier photo is better, with cute kids and
less gray hair.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">This morning, we’ll be leaving Exeter and heading east to
Salisbury – our last stop on this pilgrim journey.<o:p></o:p></p></div>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-52907031333633144252023-06-26T14:03:00.000-05:002023-06-26T14:03:06.276-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 14<p><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0r-P8yrHD_H8dd1j46JH2sof28maeUWAbb8Ccut4WoiY-CZ53kmASnQ55RkjAgSqJPQ8cyZdNTVI-2Z2wJcU90Hk7sRQCobj3YiwDfxl5u0CCCO41ZRIQe_t4qi2jlfvidX2S_ynuKdl_vc7EODct6DTXL3lz5P-b4F6osii8PSvnbMnB6fv9ETgAYA/s2048/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20cathedral%20exterior.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0r-P8yrHD_H8dd1j46JH2sof28maeUWAbb8Ccut4WoiY-CZ53kmASnQ55RkjAgSqJPQ8cyZdNTVI-2Z2wJcU90Hk7sRQCobj3YiwDfxl5u0CCCO41ZRIQe_t4qi2jlfvidX2S_ynuKdl_vc7EODct6DTXL3lz5P-b4F6osii8PSvnbMnB6fv9ETgAYA/w150-h200/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20cathedral%20exterior.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cathedral in <br />Bury St. Edmunds.</td></tr></tbody></table>Monday, June 19, 2023</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We celebrated Father’s Day yesterday morning with a card
that Ann had very kindly brought from the States. It turns out she could have
picked up one here; the Brits do Father’s Day, too. It seemed fitting on that
day to remember not just fathers but ancestors more generally. But, ironically, Ann and I didn’t make yesterday’s planned family-history stop for two
reasons. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0in2cFk5Hm0safqm3oTd-dVFL109yTAcca83TqCbZ4D1soDMoymLCn1Tckh-RP1SLxhIcyX86JlPnMG6j1jBZcBLU0EE2AFoI-RuvbtNKDdqyWGBqL77DIoisGb5u-yvIP6RbV0pmXUKvfbbS1t5qXRh_LWWjJR-g_84HvF3kuPwSEMb9ZuTKNCNFPY/s2048/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20cathedral%20organ%20and%20ceiling.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0in2cFk5Hm0safqm3oTd-dVFL109yTAcca83TqCbZ4D1soDMoymLCn1Tckh-RP1SLxhIcyX86JlPnMG6j1jBZcBLU0EE2AFoI-RuvbtNKDdqyWGBqL77DIoisGb5u-yvIP6RbV0pmXUKvfbbS1t5qXRh_LWWjJR-g_84HvF3kuPwSEMb9ZuTKNCNFPY/s320/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20cathedral%20organ%20and%20ceiling.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful organ and ceilings at Bury St. Edmunds. </td></tr></tbody></table><br />First, we chose to stay later in Bury St. Edmunds so we
could attend the cathedral’s late-morning Choral Eucharist. As it happened,
there was a baptism, too, a wonderful celebration of the ongoing life of this
ancient worshiping community (with maybe 25 kids present for children’s chapel
and to observe the baptism). An abbey and a parish church were founded there in
the 1000s, and a “new” chancel and nave were added to the church in the 1400s
and 1500s, respectively. Then, in the 20<sup>th</sup> century, the church
became the new diocesan cathedral, and the building was extended with a new chancel
and sanctuary. Enjoy the view:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwBwLzZdyGAFMmogCs_SPp7Lrd5oirF4df2pHxQ8szyak866stk7gojPmcBXojCCWdGlgqjhUH69lW1nx73xQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSA7nSYECrl92XsbB_5ubCgHNMHD6oNZXcAVSNr8UXVlelev68WHiCBhjliFnyJII6xRc49CzgOnhoKRERYvGi1xB9BHkL3CRyLGv40o4AhGp_Aa50yHsS15Ak96ZjJ9jDP-Hm3xWJ3rNao6EEoxR8_P4CTI3Gy0byjCDtbnzp_6xYnGrmHT2JNN_AQs/s2048/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20home%20in%20abbey%20ruins.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSA7nSYECrl92XsbB_5ubCgHNMHD6oNZXcAVSNr8UXVlelev68WHiCBhjliFnyJII6xRc49CzgOnhoKRERYvGi1xB9BHkL3CRyLGv40o4AhGp_Aa50yHsS15Ak96ZjJ9jDP-Hm3xWJ3rNao6EEoxR8_P4CTI3Gy0byjCDtbnzp_6xYnGrmHT2JNN_AQs/s320/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20home%20in%20abbey%20ruins.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A present-day home in the ruins <br />of Bury St. Edmunds Abbey.</td></tr></tbody></table>The cathedral is on the grounds of what was Bury St. Edmunds
Abbey, a dominating presence physically, spiritually, and politically. It was
one of the largest and grandest of England’s monastic sites, enclosing much of
what’s now the city’s lively downtown. But the abbey’s power and wealth spurred
conflict with local residents because the monks could call the economic shots.
The locals rioted in 1327, damaging the gated entryway and stealing 10,000
sheep and other valuables. Then, when Henry VIII abolished the monasteries and
ransacked this abbey in 1539, the glorious structure was quarried for other
buildings and reduced to rough walls. Today, those ancient interior structures
have been converted into homes and offices, and ruins add character to what’s
now a park on the abbey grounds. Anyway, yesterday’s worship at the cathedral
was joyful, and the music was grand. The only downside was a later departure
than we’d planned. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">That, and a long stop to recharge the car during our
drive across the breadth of England, kept us from visiting Marshfield, north of
Bath. Marshfield was the home of Edward Spicer, born in 1596, who most likely
was either the immigrant ancestor, or the father of the immigrant ancestor, for
that part of my family. The Marshfield parish register includes several “Spycer”
baptisms, marriages, and burials, including Edward Spycer’s baptism in 1596. A
visit to Marshfield would have been interesting, but experience shows that
headstones from the 1600s don’t reveal much after 400 years of rain; so, I
doubt we’d have found any Spycer stones. Still, I would have enjoyed seeing the
building, the second church on that site, dating from 1470.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS37g_-_yLBZk7iuwv0KcqlJudORAsO1Dh5vyGlZ_QmFZ8Q-fGDlWVdpQIzWcE8R_rGME9WPT91xvH8LSSVwjNcCuVPjYjwuRPf9iSWvFlP0Zbo0L5a9g5drPvVFkUJMJGthwaRtpwvoMPBXXv0s01hL3_s6BjxrIH8Q1jlBsvw_m1AmxjbL96gtPmn8/s1922/Spicer%20Genealogy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1922" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS37g_-_yLBZk7iuwv0KcqlJudORAsO1Dh5vyGlZ_QmFZ8Q-fGDlWVdpQIzWcE8R_rGME9WPT91xvH8LSSVwjNcCuVPjYjwuRPf9iSWvFlP0Zbo0L5a9g5drPvVFkUJMJGthwaRtpwvoMPBXXv0s01hL3_s6BjxrIH8Q1jlBsvw_m1AmxjbL96gtPmn8/s320/Spicer%20Genealogy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Spicer Genealogy,</i> published 1911.</td></tr></tbody></table>The Spicers’ emigration story isn’t as clear as others
that my mother or I have found. Here are some possibilities. Edward and his
wife, Mary Parker Spicer, were married in England and emigrated to Virginia,
most likely in 1643. They had a son, Peter, born in Jamestown in 1644 (Mary
must have been significantly younger than Edward). One source says Mary died
not long afterward, in 1650. Eventually, son Peter made his way to New London,
Connecticut, sometime between 1656 and 1666 and married Mary Busecot in 1670 in
Rhode Island. The official <i>Spicer Genealogy</i> (1911) and its supplement
(1923) traces the Spicers in the U.S. from this couple. But other online
genealogical sources offer other possibilities. Peter may have been born to an
Edward Spicer and Jane Darby Spicer in Jamestown in 1640. Or, another source
says Peter himself was an immigrant, arriving in Virginia in 1656. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYoCTA_rtWcJe_yeb5aFOh9myYigTs3GTmwecKkIQCTorPGRoZpaGG_R29bhwNFjlKcgcBkwktD8kxhrmN6-vC2U4aIOvlB-T6AEUys-HwB2hzGBeu7MQbXYTL8oe8ZpnkchFi2jwZV3UoINmn3kxUsCiMiX4pPvyJCknUaCuctI4Na0gYljgkKEwveQ/s1964/Exeter%20-%20Spicer%20shield.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1964" data-original-width="1416" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYoCTA_rtWcJe_yeb5aFOh9myYigTs3GTmwecKkIQCTorPGRoZpaGG_R29bhwNFjlKcgcBkwktD8kxhrmN6-vC2U4aIOvlB-T6AEUys-HwB2hzGBeu7MQbXYTL8oe8ZpnkchFi2jwZV3UoINmn3kxUsCiMiX4pPvyJCknUaCuctI4Na0gYljgkKEwveQ/s320/Exeter%20-%20Spicer%20shield.jpeg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Among the shields in the Exeter Guildhall. </td></tr></tbody></table>But we’ve now come to Exeter because <i>Spicer Genealogy</i>
says Peter was descended from Spicers who lived and led in Exeter for centuries
(though the book doesn’t detail Peter’s relationship to these forebears).
Spicers served in Exeter’s local government, and four of them served as lord
mayor, remembered today with shields on the wall in the Exeter Guild Hall.
Exeter’s streets include Spicer Road, named for someone of some status, at
least. Given all that, the Spicers must have been “king’s men” through the
years. I don’t know what spurred Edward (or maybe Peter) to leave behind
centuries of local leadership and risk the uncertainties of the New World. But
if Edward and Mary left in 1643, that would have been during the English Civil War,
as Puritan Parliamentarians fought for power with Anglican Royalists. If Peter
himself came in 1656, that would have been during the Protectorate, when
Cromwell and the Parliamentarians were ruling. Either way, one could imagine
that a family of “king’s men” might see wisdom in skedaddling across the sea –
especially since they came to join the Anglican planters in Virginia rather
than the Puritans in Massachusetts. But, on the other hand, Peter went north as
an adult to establish himself in Connecticut, a Puritan colony. So, maybe the
Spicer’s religious and political story is a bit of a both/and. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>
<br />John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-9601308303953310142023-06-26T13:24:00.000-05:002023-06-26T13:24:08.306-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 13<p><b>Sunday, June 18, 2023, 7:30 a.m.</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksZ5PmmXuKxn1N1xzkeJkEb9--nV0OrqkKiJPbi5kUN6nec6vFf1ffgnS3M9C9HPIsLtpGBAf7Ri9Kzi_XK6XfgI9smPsYOK6VHm_JJX_VuAYLIChkPu5ISWHTDMcdzebQXRGEbtGyq8W3B2ntS3JOOzZioXhf-vXhUmX7BxtGTqtP3I2qOk6-z1qp38/s2048/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20Ann%20in%20garden.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksZ5PmmXuKxn1N1xzkeJkEb9--nV0OrqkKiJPbi5kUN6nec6vFf1ffgnS3M9C9HPIsLtpGBAf7Ri9Kzi_XK6XfgI9smPsYOK6VHm_JJX_VuAYLIChkPu5ISWHTDMcdzebQXRGEbtGyq8W3B2ntS3JOOzZioXhf-vXhUmX7BxtGTqtP3I2qOk6-z1qp38/s320/Bury%20St.%20Edmunds%20-%20Ann%20in%20garden.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann in the cathedral rose garden in Bury St. Edmunds. </td></tr></tbody></table>We spent yesterday exploring Suffolk and East Anglia,
using lovely Bury St. Edmunds as our base. Ann (bless her) stayed in the rental
and did laundry in the morning while I drove to two nearby towns, Rattlesden
and Mendlesham. Both had ancient churches with impressive bell towers and
gravestones so worn by the elements that dates even from the 1800s are hard to
read. My ancestors left these communities in the early 1600s, so I didn’t find
any family markers. But both churches were interesting, and one especially
might shine a light onto the exodus of my relatives in the Brundage family.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcM6Angz7fmpRSsubNBejw_7fuHARJkVaiQBshZUCwYSnXyZsxM2Ig3zJ3RdnkqUa0Wa2KreL_goBDMUTk3h10Koqz46YuY7fLmNu50i4c6u8j_Y-31G5ClgjHUgDgLTYmk1DB6vUHDOyRRB1rt2993plCypNY-4gDNwE0TLkKQl8fVS8u3gBdSLZdgjY/s2048/Rattlesden%20-%20angels%20in%20ceiling.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcM6Angz7fmpRSsubNBejw_7fuHARJkVaiQBshZUCwYSnXyZsxM2Ig3zJ3RdnkqUa0Wa2KreL_goBDMUTk3h10Koqz46YuY7fLmNu50i4c6u8j_Y-31G5ClgjHUgDgLTYmk1DB6vUHDOyRRB1rt2993plCypNY-4gDNwE0TLkKQl8fVS8u3gBdSLZdgjY/s320/Rattlesden%20-%20angels%20in%20ceiling.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angels ascending the rafters at <br />St. Nicholas', Rattlesden.</td></tr></tbody></table>Rattlesden was the hometown of my ancestor John Brundish,
born in 1593. His father, Thomas, served as warden of St. Nicholas’ Church in
Rattlesden three times, as well as being the local constable at one point.
Clearly, the Brundishes were on the Anglican/royal “team” in this period of
increasing conflict with the Calvinist Puritans and other dissenters. In 1621,
John Brundish married Rachel Hubbard from Mendlesham. She and her parents,
James and Naomi, apparently leaned Puritan. In the early 1600s, that difference
meant much more than we might imagine. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Because of her outstanding political skills, Queen
Elizabeth I had navigated the troubled waters of the English Reformation,
working with the Puritan-leaning reformers in the Church and the government.
With her death in 1603, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of
England, bringing with him both dubious political skills and a firm belief in
the divine right of kings. The religious reformers in Parliament were intent on
increasing their political power at the king’s expense. This religious and
political turbulence only got worse when James’ son Charles I came to the
throne, even more intransigent than his father. Charles I and William Laud
(Bishop of London and then Archbishop of Canterbury) tried to wipe out the
Puritans, with Church representatives traveling to each diocese to examine the
clergy about their theology and obedience to mandated ritual in worship. Clergy
who refused to follow Laud’s high liturgical practice were jailed and tortured;
and citizens who gathered for unapproved religious meetings also faced harsh
penalties. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcnQvgA_cHcPBXWuCtyDCiJ9-Z_uzQt4YTpor0CHENZKa_GeIAKw-ER6cLNbPVY2q6nIN8zlbhMubYvRfs1CQSBurhYavYfiCxS9-4y8R1EHOeVERtDGjYWllFnDqpPCwC7XMSSJGMZZyjVeasTDhALWU-QXUeinEinRwwwCPjp-TDV2M2QfmEGDfdto/s2048/Rattlesden%20-%20American%20chapel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcnQvgA_cHcPBXWuCtyDCiJ9-Z_uzQt4YTpor0CHENZKa_GeIAKw-ER6cLNbPVY2q6nIN8zlbhMubYvRfs1CQSBurhYavYfiCxS9-4y8R1EHOeVERtDGjYWllFnDqpPCwC7XMSSJGMZZyjVeasTDhALWU-QXUeinEinRwwwCPjp-TDV2M2QfmEGDfdto/w240-h320/Rattlesden%20-%20American%20chapel.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The American Chapel at St. Nicholas', <br />Rattlesden. The American 447th Bomber <br />Group was based in Rattlesden in WWII.</td></tr></tbody></table>So, as we all learned in elementary school, dissenters
from the English Church began leaving for the New World, beginning with those
on the <i>Mayflower</i> in 1620. By the end of the English Civil War, and the
execution of Charles I, in 1649, about 30,000 Puritans had emigrated. Among
them were John and Rachel Brundish, who made the journey to Massachusetts
sometime between 1632 and 1635. They settled in Connecticut, where John worked
as a tanner. He is thought to have committed suicide in 1639, but I don’t know
the story behind that. Three of Rachel’s siblings also left England for Massachusetts
in the 1630s.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4QytE1R4tiw5KxkFqDQpThFdZk6nEJShhXbMGWU5T5OkiDiEIoRsfvyf5kkZj6zzPOOrq7D0Ee_f--RVPH1dgQW1BRDXduYZ7XJS1NHXwh6htUv3lrOZ1snPgpQrHFoSCgScK6FXz1_EPj4CrV_F2qbsUfnZgO7Cc3IhpIg-MRR0lqvasGRnO4uslQ8/s1386/Mendlesham%20-%20interior.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1168" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4QytE1R4tiw5KxkFqDQpThFdZk6nEJShhXbMGWU5T5OkiDiEIoRsfvyf5kkZj6zzPOOrq7D0Ee_f--RVPH1dgQW1BRDXduYZ7XJS1NHXwh6htUv3lrOZ1snPgpQrHFoSCgScK6FXz1_EPj4CrV_F2qbsUfnZgO7Cc3IhpIg-MRR0lqvasGRnO4uslQ8/s320/Mendlesham%20-%20interior.jpeg" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saints past and present preparing for mass<br />at St. Mary the Virgin, Mendlesham.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing">One of the parishes I visited yesterday offers some clues
about the challenges of living as an English Puritan in the times of King
Charles’ and Archbishop Laud’s persecution. Even before you step into the
church of St. Mary the Virgin in Mendlesham, you know this is an Anglo-Catholic
parish. The signboard tells of daily celebrations of “mass,” as well as regular
times for the sacrament of reconciliation (confession). Also posted is a
one-pager for newcomers explaining that St. Mary’s celebrates Holy Communion
daily, in which members receive Jesus’ own Body and Blood. It then asserts that
the Church of England did not participate in the Protestant movement as did
churches on the continent and that the <i>Book of Common Prayer</i> never
includes the word “Reformation.” And at the church door is a long sign listing
the vicars of Mendlesham, beginning in 1085 and continuing to Fr. Philip Thomas
Gray, who came in 1974 and has the same name as the current vicar (it could be
the same priest, now in his 49<sup>th</sup> year of service, or perhaps his
son). </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bWuDrMyneRW4MWmanEhacmU-RXQz_bGyLAA5dc8_sh8Kedb2rlzqh4tVswRoyYaLgFbgq9mR66__aHeq9XHpeplUeb4z23eUNg3taUZqbQJlThEYrrkmVepeTF4RoxZakGacNxwiPBxFxS-hslqz9TG3Ol-X_ll1eCBffOZ1cf_16dRK4nG6rTrYiZ4/s1870/Mendlesham%20-%20vicar%20list.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1870" data-original-width="1266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bWuDrMyneRW4MWmanEhacmU-RXQz_bGyLAA5dc8_sh8Kedb2rlzqh4tVswRoyYaLgFbgq9mR66__aHeq9XHpeplUeb4z23eUNg3taUZqbQJlThEYrrkmVepeTF4RoxZakGacNxwiPBxFxS-hslqz9TG3Ol-X_ll1eCBffOZ1cf_16dRK4nG6rTrYiZ4/s320/Mendlesham%20-%20vicar%20list.jpeg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vicars of Mendlesham, <br />going back to 1085.</td></tr></tbody></table>Parishes with a thousand years of history tend to have deep-set spiritual
and liturgical DNA, so my guess is that St. Mary’s in Mendlesham has been a
strong Anglo-Catholic presence for a long, long time now. If you were a Puritan
in Mendlesham in the early 1600s, and this was your one option for
state-approved worship, and you faced legal sanction, even imprisonment and
torture, for gathering and worshiping differently, being seen as a traitor to
the Crown – well, perhaps the hard journey to Massachusetts would feel like the
best option.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybCp_HaBMyQliXxjyDHoPRpF0Zx64aCDeNRBvLKp0rtvlBuOelE-FyBTj-qgWggQMDCp53EkGIhTEohPuipf1sQM6kqam3Iq2Aw4jkOH9SnENRMfl0NMSdMC7Mj5Wh-1XFX6uLD4SHyjjbvZaGdWB8pEUAawUfIpXq2I2oP67Gar3_eXhB1q9KZhr_KA/s2048/Sutton%20Hoo%20-%20king's%20mask.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybCp_HaBMyQliXxjyDHoPRpF0Zx64aCDeNRBvLKp0rtvlBuOelE-FyBTj-qgWggQMDCp53EkGIhTEohPuipf1sQM6kqam3Iq2Aw4jkOH9SnENRMfl0NMSdMC7Mj5Wh-1XFX6uLD4SHyjjbvZaGdWB8pEUAawUfIpXq2I2oP67Gar3_eXhB1q9KZhr_KA/w150-h200/Sutton%20Hoo%20-%20king's%20mask.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The helmet of King Raedwald, <br />buried with him in his <br />great ship in the field.</td></tr></tbody></table>In the afternoon, Ann and I visited Sutton Hoo, the site
of Anglo-Saxon burial mounds from about 625. King Raedwald, leader of the
tribes in East Anglia, had died, and he was sent on his journey to meet the
gods in a huge ship, buried in a mound and filled with weapons, tokens of
office, prized possessions, and food (including lamb chops). Along with
Raedwald’ s buried ship, Sutton Hoo includes 17 other burial mounds, which have
been robbed from time to time across the centuries. But graverobbers missed the
treasures in two of the mounds, including the Great Ship Burial, and
archaeologists excavated the mounds starting in 1939. The video below shows the field of burial mounds in the English countryside. (Sutton Hoo is also the
inspiration for the British comedy <i>Detectorists</i>, which is absolutely
worth streaming.)<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx72keAS0rC-TbecYsK0udbEZAq_j5muDCj3WJ6WFC1xhbdQirgKUBqrZERwoecXXbeCMD-HB7ct_bv8_tB0Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTz7H28EW649EB2hBMKBjFBQFURGM_xss0L_Xhqx93VpJpP9HpoTto7-Ay9Af6SRkKcFXAH7j4bjVlzrZGs3uH7fJ9OMAawWwitkdtraKikqixjAjqEgzL3WkYMt-Bn8UbVwibzOsyNMp_7F5LJhAOm4FYf-sc0X6sMVsQKFnlbNDVQbIWBO9So3dBmw/s719/Beccles%20-%20Spicer%20marker.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTz7H28EW649EB2hBMKBjFBQFURGM_xss0L_Xhqx93VpJpP9HpoTto7-Ay9Af6SRkKcFXAH7j4bjVlzrZGs3uH7fJ9OMAawWwitkdtraKikqixjAjqEgzL3WkYMt-Bn8UbVwibzOsyNMp_7F5LJhAOm4FYf-sc0X6sMVsQKFnlbNDVQbIWBO9So3dBmw/s320/Beccles%20-%20Spicer%20marker.jpeg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument to Thomas Spicer, one of three<br />Protestant martyrs in Beccles in 1556.</td></tr></tbody></table>Unfortunately, because I spent time recharging the car,
we didn’t get to drive to nearby Beccles. There, in May of 1556, three
Protestants were burned at the stake during the purges of the Roman Catholic
Queen Mary, and among them was Thomas Spicer, a laborer. The three were
imprisoned for refusing to conform to Roman Catholic practice, tried for
heresy, and burned in the Beccles marketplace, reportedly praising God as the
flames grew. That’s all I know about Thomas (from <i>Foxe’s Book of Martyrs</i>),
and I can’t connect him directly to the Edward Spicer who most likely was the
immigrant ancestor on that branch of my family tree. Still, like the martyr
John Spicer in Salisbury, also burned at the stake in 1556 for being a Protestant,
Thomas offers a stunning model of commitment to his faith. And he makes me
wonder how far I’d go walking in his footsteps today. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">This morning, we’ll
worship at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral before driving off to southwest England to
pick up the story of the Spicer immigrant ancestor(s).<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-63301288260829686182023-06-26T12:23:00.000-05:002023-06-26T12:23:50.194-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 12<p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxco9_kqi8XbbaEjU4yc5y_knEKUDFSxsvbKwmsve4_0-J5qA0CDfAUN30wtct7VkhWB8ou-m2jxa8vlUt1UB7gQfe1k46nQppquYHtej4onwTzSSqXLFhQz-__FCZbKXz_iLBhwc7HyzF8CJSZKP2CSwIEhXiGmM5Tn37NZ1M0gHdZbEjhqp3J8LpbGM/s1895/Kenilworth%20castle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="1895" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxco9_kqi8XbbaEjU4yc5y_knEKUDFSxsvbKwmsve4_0-J5qA0CDfAUN30wtct7VkhWB8ou-m2jxa8vlUt1UB7gQfe1k46nQppquYHtej4onwTzSSqXLFhQz-__FCZbKXz_iLBhwc7HyzF8CJSZKP2CSwIEhXiGmM5Tn37NZ1M0gHdZbEjhqp3J8LpbGM/s320/Kenilworth%20castle.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ruins of Kenilworth Castle <br />(the oldest section is on the right).</td></tr></tbody></table>Saturday, June 17, 2023</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">We enjoyed some historical sightseeing yesterday at
Kenilworth Castle in the West Midlands. King Henry I gave the land to his
chamberlain and treasurer, who set aside part of it for a castle and grounds
and part for an Augustinian priory. The oldest of the buildings dates from the
1120s, with later additions by King John (of Magna Carta infamy) in the early
1200s, John of Gaunt in the 1370s, and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in the
1570s – a new wing for his queen and paramour, Elizabeth I. (Much to Dudley’s
chagrin, not even this gift earned him a royal marriage.) </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9feCmNQIHedGVvOj9kTbfeh-pgSEtfu8_oD-65xy2X8Z-ofSdnzTrNwvlnzX9-0Ay16YYvR3OQp7YUteHBV1LUbgEkByebLF4TCICYofyvg0d1sct8LH3XS4US6-fqKtd_3sMKbFC-tM0uCt6b624CX5WJxDdcmaB7MyGjuFi8AnHexiUDY_ZaXpj7bo/s2048/Kenilworth%20-%20Elizabeth's%20view.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9feCmNQIHedGVvOj9kTbfeh-pgSEtfu8_oD-65xy2X8Z-ofSdnzTrNwvlnzX9-0Ay16YYvR3OQp7YUteHBV1LUbgEkByebLF4TCICYofyvg0d1sct8LH3XS4US6-fqKtd_3sMKbFC-tM0uCt6b624CX5WJxDdcmaB7MyGjuFi8AnHexiUDY_ZaXpj7bo/s320/Kenilworth%20-%20Elizabeth's%20view.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed<br />from her apartments at Kenilworth Castle <br />(imagine glass in the windows and the tower complete). </td></tr></tbody></table>The once-stunning
structures now stand in ruins, casualties of the English Civil War (1642 to
1649). Puritan/Parliamentarian forces took Kenilworth early in the conflict,
though no significant action happened there. But at the war’s end, the
victorious Parliamentary forces “slighted” (intentionally damaged) Kenilworth
Castle to keep anyone from using it to overthrow them. Ironically, Oliver
Cromwell’s authoritarianism did that trick instead, leading Parliament to
restore the hated House of Stuart in 1660 as the least bad option. Over the
centuries, the castle’s structures were mined for building materials for other
projects, leaving the ruins that inspired Sir Walter Scott’s Victorian novel
about Elizabeth I and Dudley, as well as many visitors, then and now. We had a
beautiful day to enjoy the history and the formal gardens, as well as lunch in
the Tudors’ repurposed horse barn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCY4FJWMUIVWWpW2iGkB30GqlYZ9P7v1ornaH7CshGfzRnZL64QDhzkIPcN0ZUb6w2Xk2r-cVD9J9T2J7lX43WXtJYOLzexrHT67871mfb7Jxj7uMmtgILxx9S7e7lm7mPlipSf3tiFLIsyp6Uq9e2o8GhxSCaLbGJrSJgmNQZMdJV6OiYeVSefXrQaM/s2048/Cubbington%20church%20exterior.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCY4FJWMUIVWWpW2iGkB30GqlYZ9P7v1ornaH7CshGfzRnZL64QDhzkIPcN0ZUb6w2Xk2r-cVD9J9T2J7lX43WXtJYOLzexrHT67871mfb7Jxj7uMmtgILxx9S7e7lm7mPlipSf3tiFLIsyp6Uq9e2o8GhxSCaLbGJrSJgmNQZMdJV6OiYeVSefXrQaM/s320/Cubbington%20church%20exterior.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Mary's in Cubbington.</td></tr></tbody></table>Before leaving the West Midlands, we made one more stop
trying to track down my Reading ancestors who were among the thousands of
English people converting to Mormonism in the 1840s and 1850s. We visited
Cubbington, where Annie Brown Reading was baptized (the first time) in 1835.
Unfortunately, the church door was locked, so we couldn’t see the inside. Also
unfortunately, we didn’t find any family headstones in the lovely churchyard.
Still, it’s been wonderful to spend a little time in these towns of my
ancestors (Bubbenhall, Kenilworth, Leamington, Cubbington) and imagine how the
Latter-Day Saints spread their good news. Apparently, they were quite good at
using the apostolic model – showing up, leveraging existing relationships,
sharing their stories authentically, and embodying the kind of passion for God
that draws others to want that relationship for themselves. That’s how the
Mormon missionaries did their work – and with inspiring results. By 1877, half
the Saints in Utah were of British origin; 45,000 converts had immigrated. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7coXsPwXIT4xfllpetl8zQuph2KmjK6w9jL0rWS26WpKTgFdiU_jMoIOlF_KThtAT0aVe9gtNM3m_qP8y5kx-W1MQewmeFdLDmlA5ZCE8MI2x9yIz37UXczfUMxp1eLnY2CXhzyaWu3aZ6Ua3gTnlkO7i3tsb_ShlpetVet1eMlc51Tp1pzYlXIy67I/s2048/Cubbington%20churchyard.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7coXsPwXIT4xfllpetl8zQuph2KmjK6w9jL0rWS26WpKTgFdiU_jMoIOlF_KThtAT0aVe9gtNM3m_qP8y5kx-W1MQewmeFdLDmlA5ZCE8MI2x9yIz37UXczfUMxp1eLnY2CXhzyaWu3aZ6Ua3gTnlkO7i3tsb_ShlpetVet1eMlc51Tp1pzYlXIy67I/s320/Cubbington%20churchyard.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The churchyard at St. Mary's, Cubbington.</td></tr></tbody></table>Back
to my ancestors’ small part of this story: Annie Brown’s family had converted
in 1846. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">John
Reading was rebaptized a Saint in 1853, and he married Annie in Leamington in 1856.
They settled briefly in Bubbenhall before leaving for the U.S., probably in
1858. If that date is correct, Annie would have been pregnant during the voyage
(they had a child in Utah in 1859), and they also brought a toddler with them
on the long voyage to the new Promised Land. Eventually, more Browns and
Readings converted and made the harrowing journey. Once in Utah, John Reading
owned a nursery, and his sons worked for him. In those days of Mormon plural marriage, John also took a second wife,
Annie Isom, in 1868. One wonders about the resulting complications, not the
least of which being that the wives had the same first name….</span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-25475424323208052472023-06-26T11:50:00.001-05:002023-06-26T12:04:16.968-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 11<p><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TX46F7vbVFbRTGpp21YyD7BsxcML4YppumqfB2jpTO-y8XTMhiWBB9mw8LCXpIW0nV2NBWMtZG92Jp12HbvzdeLTxDeSR5p887pInhXKO0JBnL5f4G7gEITV70kEEVcNu7zE9p16ClJfIbOX4ECJRtAUMf0sVJ_bxQDi9pSXEbS9Qd5KfswgbA-xfY8/s2048/Long%20Itchington%20-%20farm%20garden.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TX46F7vbVFbRTGpp21YyD7BsxcML4YppumqfB2jpTO-y8XTMhiWBB9mw8LCXpIW0nV2NBWMtZG92Jp12HbvzdeLTxDeSR5p887pInhXKO0JBnL5f4G7gEITV70kEEVcNu7zE9p16ClJfIbOX4ECJRtAUMf0sVJ_bxQDi9pSXEbS9Qd5KfswgbA-xfY8/w150-h200/Long%20Itchington%20-%20farm%20garden.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden at our farm guest house.</td></tr></tbody></table>Friday, June 16, 2023</b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We’ve come from Dolgellau, Wales, to the English villages of
Leamington Spa, Bubbenhall, and Kenilworth in the West Midlands; and we’re
staying at a farm just outside the village of Long Itchington, perhaps my
favorite British place name ever. This is Warwickshire, home of
Stratford-on-Avon and other Shakespeare sites, but we visited Stoneleigh Abbey
in Kenilworth. </span><div><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPYjHnHvFDi_wpjjrLyy9BO-gpPKRJhJMuTdtfQUqP7rOp1TRFYPYnsS5m24R8N_C0vY8zj2Lko_2LnnvkRvyxU1r0YylQS3U4Z4wX0hTmXvBF-sF2q3oR7zG9VBrfmFlsZRyy5_CKATM5YgOJWJIxyhm4klunCC7tdLvfn1DlVQT18Qi4hRmvOvkF0E/s2048/Stoneleigh%20-%20goose%20guard.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPYjHnHvFDi_wpjjrLyy9BO-gpPKRJhJMuTdtfQUqP7rOp1TRFYPYnsS5m24R8N_C0vY8zj2Lko_2LnnvkRvyxU1r0YylQS3U4Z4wX0hTmXvBF-sF2q3oR7zG9VBrfmFlsZRyy5_CKATM5YgOJWJIxyhm4klunCC7tdLvfn1DlVQT18Qi4hRmvOvkF0E/s320/Stoneleigh%20-%20goose%20guard.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goose on patrol at Stoneleigh Abbey. </td></tr></tbody></table>Stoneleigh Abbey's history follows the pattern we’ve seen elsewhere. Cistercian
monks founded a religious community here in the 1200s and managed to find
success in worldly terms, too, producing wool for the area villages. Their success
enabled them to build an impressive church, wool-production center, and living
quarters; and things were good … until Henry VIII and the dissolution of the
monasteries in the 1530s. Really, “ransacking” of the monasteries would be a
better term. In Stoneleigh’s case, the king’s soldiers were given 10 days to
demolish everything before they moved on to the next abbey, and the
infrastructure at Stoneleigh was too great to let them get the job done. So,
the soldiers broke what they could break, stole what they could carry, and left
the rest behind. </div><div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WgViy2rvp311lHayOmUDe5FOJilMxO3IKf7yo2RuwmSwdS0nlW636zq2thhsRcRBSawDTKhVdvwUHCcFPjRzdqEXk4oal4fjpSVM3GCtCo-Zkmsply6__WuP0topD7YO2qNrocOgYKVV7na31hAClyEFgF2QQjesqInfUSMqhAGexuIiYKdFGa48M0A/s2048/Stoneleigh%20-%20abbey%20gatehouse.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WgViy2rvp311lHayOmUDe5FOJilMxO3IKf7yo2RuwmSwdS0nlW636zq2thhsRcRBSawDTKhVdvwUHCcFPjRzdqEXk4oal4fjpSVM3GCtCo-Zkmsply6__WuP0topD7YO2qNrocOgYKVV7na31hAClyEFgF2QQjesqInfUSMqhAGexuIiYKdFGa48M0A/w240-h320/Stoneleigh%20-%20abbey%20gatehouse.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1346 gatehouse remaining from the abbey. </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The land and remaining buildings were given to a family
supportive of the crown and later passed into the hands of the Leigh family. In
the early 1700s, the present manor home was completed, looking much like the
setting for <i>Downton Abbey</i>. In 1858, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
visited Stoneleigh, apparently choosing it because Stoneleigh had one of
England’s first flush toilets, designed by plumber Thomas Crapper (really). I
hope Victoria’s novel plumbing experience was worthwhile because it cost the
family the modern equivalent of £9 million to prepare for her two-day visit,
including having an entire set of China designed, produced, and then set on the
shelf, never to be used again. The estate also helped form the writer Jane
Austin, who was related to the Leighs and spent many months visiting the
family, hearing about their social dramas, and making notes for later novels.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3tjAPAO4QoHy9tw6fH3LYH__6bc60z4p0CwpKYOI6udWrsFHZ2m1BfCE-cIBKMxpLlGF2x5mQmXaBvvmj0aUFqcCGkRZgjikaR3ZAaGZ7WgIH6j5Wu7CofrJvOgsPJbB9zuS9_Q7ron9yDGjeXXQz4N2-s9Jpi9c91LDrqEL5SVDyHESwS9991XT4TU/s2048/Bubbenhall%20-%20bell%20tower.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3tjAPAO4QoHy9tw6fH3LYH__6bc60z4p0CwpKYOI6udWrsFHZ2m1BfCE-cIBKMxpLlGF2x5mQmXaBvvmj0aUFqcCGkRZgjikaR3ZAaGZ7WgIH6j5Wu7CofrJvOgsPJbB9zuS9_Q7ron9yDGjeXXQz4N2-s9Jpi9c91LDrqEL5SVDyHESwS9991XT4TU/w240-h320/Bubbenhall%20-%20bell%20tower.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 14th-century bell tower <br />at St. Giles' in Bubbenhall.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After lunch and a stroll through the gardens, we drove 15 minutes
to St. Giles’ in Bubbenhall, begun in the late 1200s and still holding its own
as a parish church. We came because of a family connection on my mother’s side.
The immigrant ancestors here were John Reading and Mary Ann (Annie) Brown
Reading. He was born in 1834 in Bubbenhall, and she was born in 1835, her
family from Kenilworth. Annie was baptized as an infant and then re-baptized in
1846, when her family was converted to the religious movement sweeping the West
Midlands at that time – the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the 1820s, Joseph
Smith had found buried golden plates </span>near Palmyra, New York, that he translated as the <i>Book of Mormon</i>. His band of followers moved west to Ohio in 1831,
then to Missouri (including being driven out of Jackson County in 1833), and
then to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1839. It’s in this period – in 1837, years before
Brigham Young led the Saints to what would become Utah – that the tiny movement showed astonishing foresight and faith by sending missionaries to England. And those missionaries had tremendous success. By 1842, there were 8,500 converts in England and 31,000 by 1850, more Mormons than in the United States at the same time. My ancestor John Reading was re-baptized a latter-day Saint in 1853, and he and Annie married in 1856. Two years later, they were on a ship to the States, with a toddler and another child on the way, joining a wagon train on the Mormon Trail to the City of Zion growing in the desert.<p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bmY_BaM3F6AnuccGA3vwsW3bJFOUfGPhkFcFni2T5C2BHj9e9lHcyJ6yILo-7PEAKRqmGemtBNC2Zb2YbcCWCTyU-N2kO1GYtWVXndMKJUWRzzgzgYgzrWI_DXxrsNrhfLeFkRzv2b-5Os-6E2FG3FDxZtWU8f_M5OrzocE6LRw_wVQF4Q1mnCGd8wE/s2048/Bubbenhall%20-%20Craig%20in%20church.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bmY_BaM3F6AnuccGA3vwsW3bJFOUfGPhkFcFni2T5C2BHj9e9lHcyJ6yILo-7PEAKRqmGemtBNC2Zb2YbcCWCTyU-N2kO1GYtWVXndMKJUWRzzgzgYgzrWI_DXxrsNrhfLeFkRzv2b-5Os-6E2FG3FDxZtWU8f_M5OrzocE6LRw_wVQF4Q1mnCGd8wE/s320/Bubbenhall%20-%20Craig%20in%20church.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbenhall churchwarden Craig Greenway,<br />an amazing steward of St. Giles'.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We searched the headstones in the well-tended Bubbenhall
churchyard but didn’t find any Readings. Helping us with this task were the two
St. Giles’ churchwardens, Craig Greenway and Sandra Hoffman. They were very
kind to open the church for us on a Thursday afternoon and show us around. But
their story of remarkable service only begins with this act of kindness for an
emailing stranger. Craig and Sandra are leading their small parish, yoked with
another local village church, after bidding farewell to their vicar of 23
years. Sandra, who is retired, was working in the churchyard when we arrived, cleaning
and trimming around the graves. Craig – who works full-time, including two days
a week in London – said he spends four hours a week cutting grass and
maintaining the grounds and the building. He spends another 10 hours a week
serving as church administrator and warden – arranging clergy coverage,
producing worship leaflets, running parish committee meetings, representing St.
Giles’ at diocesan meetings, and tending to the sundry other tasks of the
church’s life. That has included maintaining a full slate of weekly worship –
including Eucharist, Matins, and Evensong – in this congregation with typically
10 to 15 on a Sunday morning. For Craig, keeping worship going in Bubbenhall is
a passion. We also talked about ways St. Giles’ is seeking to connect with the
Bubbenhall community, and Craig noted the hiking trail that runs by the church
and its ancient bell tower. He said he keeps the church doors open when he’s
there and invites the walkers and hikers to enter, rest, and pray. Like our
small churches in the Diocese of West Missouri, St. Giles’ can make it, and
grow stronger, because of the fierce discipleship of quiet saints like Craig
and Sandra.</span><p></p> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZuHRfbWhFTi0qJUkvIW3qRPt1PiB84t7je1eJqNarcbCX9NtNbd6mr6qJmBd6iQFBvsXVGzbQldmZeBrCchsSSE2aXYTZNyC4pZ5jUiTyAflHe8Z-fJvcrLPSanu9jz_g3tU0BY9-9N4liTAf6e5WjLabMEci5qAFD2eAmukhMII_jDcaPRtc6sodaQ/s1536/Bubbenhall%20-%20boss.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1536" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZuHRfbWhFTi0qJUkvIW3qRPt1PiB84t7je1eJqNarcbCX9NtNbd6mr6qJmBd6iQFBvsXVGzbQldmZeBrCchsSSE2aXYTZNyC4pZ5jUiTyAflHe8Z-fJvcrLPSanu9jz_g3tU0BY9-9N4liTAf6e5WjLabMEci5qAFD2eAmukhMII_jDcaPRtc6sodaQ/w200-h155/Bubbenhall%20-%20boss.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorative boss at St. Giles'.</td></tr></tbody></table>So, even though I didn’t find any family headstones, I found
something better in Bubbenhall: The body of Christ in the persons of Craig and
Sandra, welcoming the stranger, connecting with their neighbors, and worshiping
God with deep faith.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067189292041542214.post-39887439228202962072023-06-25T16:58:00.001-05:002023-06-25T16:59:15.651-05:00Family-History Pilgrimage: Day 10<div class="separator"><b>Thursday, June 15, 2023, 6:15 a.m.</b></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We’re up early this morning as we leave Wales and head to
England’s west Midlands. Yesterday, we spent much of our time in awe of both human
achievement and the majesty of God’s creation surrounding us.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sf2H-n_0bIPkt_D4hkFV1XHJppaPD7NEe4isUOWegKBb-eXAO_vktCgBgbwlIqhb09f4fkv5nPUObxxaF1zYsH156dgWNIejZdzgxsIH6O34xFLvYvjI7VHGu_ip0Hfe7J8eaAm3uDyitYIilZjvFF7k4u8p7nbuRzoSG6KcRMH0L3VUFBraDDy7Me4/s2048/Caernarfon%20Castle%20entrance.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sf2H-n_0bIPkt_D4hkFV1XHJppaPD7NEe4isUOWegKBb-eXAO_vktCgBgbwlIqhb09f4fkv5nPUObxxaF1zYsH156dgWNIejZdzgxsIH6O34xFLvYvjI7VHGu_ip0Hfe7J8eaAm3uDyitYIilZjvFF7k4u8p7nbuRzoSG6KcRMH0L3VUFBraDDy7Me4/s320/Caernarfon%20Castle%20entrance.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The imposing entrance of Caernarfon Castle.</td></tr></tbody></table>We drove an hour or so to Caernarfon, on the Welsh coast,
to see Caernarfon Castle, a stunning 13<sup>th</sup>-century fortress built to
help England’s King Edward I secure his new lands in what had been the Welsh
nation. The castle now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, if for no other reason
than it looks like every castle you saw in your mind’s eye as a child. Its
walls and battlements still dominate Caernarfon, and visitors can climb and
explore it to a greater extent than most ancient sites. Like great cathedrals,
the castle gives you a new appreciation for the people who actually did the
work of designing and building such monumental structures centuries ago. I
can’t imagine doing that now, much less at a time when your tools were being
forged by the blacksmith onsite. <p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEURusqQkliGWPQfIZf0CZ0ZdMuqhX8EUdfc20NbIM7azAhnqV19u8s8DGvAIOK-VhpcChZ1SDbUxQVSp-5_ummE8jVM5sTAHWpv5xlcHNqzRU7CUbIprDXSEtMlFV0hQpeR9EgiZVlzCUMl2Bm7sIe68C1ydv_tjLDHDFO9ap_1ov3MXmRkzRS8Wuvjk/s2048/Caernarfon%20Castle%20walls.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEURusqQkliGWPQfIZf0CZ0ZdMuqhX8EUdfc20NbIM7azAhnqV19u8s8DGvAIOK-VhpcChZ1SDbUxQVSp-5_ummE8jVM5sTAHWpv5xlcHNqzRU7CUbIprDXSEtMlFV0hQpeR9EgiZVlzCUMl2Bm7sIe68C1ydv_tjLDHDFO9ap_1ov3MXmRkzRS8Wuvjk/w200-h150/Caernarfon%20Castle%20walls.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The massive defenses of Caernarfon.</td></tr></tbody></table>Politically, Caernarfon offers a moment for
reflection, too. Looking at the castle, I would have imagined the great walls
and towers were there to secure the coastline, protecting it from invaders. I
suppose that’s true, to some extent. But King Edward I built his castle here to
secure his hold on the Welsh land he’d invaded, asserting royal authority to
keep the people from taking their land back. Caernarfon Castle is like the
forts of the American West (Fort Smith, Fort Scott, Fort Leavenworth, etc.), an
outpost of territorial expansion rather than defense.<p></p><div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7x2I7jJ2R8aYeF6ZxPmMYeJir132BUQHWUKLs4jmHpyyaKfHmQCdhgxkLidHobjvHTGjKsrON2M-XwtbG7E8AimKkCuAZe784SFOBgItYeR2e6NFDOb7rkXu92gFB4XEFIn3sshwliluqUJ-djN1_q4oO16OtekqpnrtjdjZNJWfl0yHtuMEfbyM4k0/s2046/Mt.%20Snowdon%20selfie.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="2046" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7x2I7jJ2R8aYeF6ZxPmMYeJir132BUQHWUKLs4jmHpyyaKfHmQCdhgxkLidHobjvHTGjKsrON2M-XwtbG7E8AimKkCuAZe784SFOBgItYeR2e6NFDOb7rkXu92gFB4XEFIn3sshwliluqUJ-djN1_q4oO16OtekqpnrtjdjZNJWfl0yHtuMEfbyM4k0/w200-h151/Mt.%20Snowdon%20selfie.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's really windy going up Yr Wyddfa.</td></tr></tbody></table>In the afternoon, we rode a narrow-gauge railroad up Mt.
Snowdown, or <span style="background: white;">Yr Wyddfa</span>, to take
in the ruggedly beautiful Welsh countryside of Snowdonia National Park. On
British maps, areas like this are charmingly noted as “Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty,” and this one lives up to the billing. Ascending the mountain,
you see hundreds of sheep grazing on the meager greenery that clings to the
shallow soil, as well as wildflowers (mainly foxglove, Ann tells me) growing
out of the rocks. And the vistas are breathtaking. Yr Wyddfa is only 3,560
feet, and one of our seatmates on the train asked whether we don’t have much
more impressive mountains in the States. Yes, indeed, our mountains are much
taller, but each area of outstanding natural beauty shows God’s hand in its own
way.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx0sHEXl-XpNApMXrIZid7a9f6FwDEIDoTJGNOC6M8SiupbaqD_qSCSE43wNeFTSQrdbi2ExSYetENQCq7xGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eR0rr1KdrEyCT25C_aM7syR9hWeHf19eyPL2wCQe2j54J44LJ5I2yu90ezMuVWzN51YVVgdx64tbuwo9nvgEczKWVtPzljBck3tO_db6-CQ_owyi7XJIQpLg8i3uj8szrdkG5MHqCjKrGG_0_qal--wBbiH482WUvoKvhVRjKMtK15h3DtFsLb9QbSQ/s2048/Dolgellau%20jail%20and%20restaurant%20fireplace.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eR0rr1KdrEyCT25C_aM7syR9hWeHf19eyPL2wCQe2j54J44LJ5I2yu90ezMuVWzN51YVVgdx64tbuwo9nvgEczKWVtPzljBck3tO_db6-CQ_owyi7XJIQpLg8i3uj8szrdkG5MHqCjKrGG_0_qal--wBbiH482WUvoKvhVRjKMtK15h3DtFsLb9QbSQ/s320/Dolgellau%20jail%20and%20restaurant%20fireplace.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fireplace at Dolgellau prison, <br />once heating the whole ground floor.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To close out yesterday’s story of Ann’s immigrant ancestors,
Robert and Jane Owen: We didn’t find the jail where he’d been held in
Caernarfon (the “old” jail is from 1868, and Robert was imprisoned in Caernarfon
in 1660). But here’s how their story played out. Robert was released from his
five and a half years in the Dolgellau jail in 1680, and his family was part of
the group of Welsh Quakers who bought tracts of the royal land grant made to
William Penn in what would become Pennsylvania. In 1684, Robert and Jane, along
with one son and several servants, sailed on the <i>Vine</i> of Liverpool to
the new colony, where Robert had a commission awaiting him as a justice of the
peace. Two years later, a larger migration of Welsh Quakers would take place,
with Penn setting aside part of his grant for a Welsh Quaker settlement that
came to be known as the Welsh Tract. Today, the map of that area, west of Philadelphia,
shows many Welsh place names. Unfortunately for the Owens, Robert died within a
year of arriving and didn’t witness the influx of his neighbors that began in
1686.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvdSDfZnKePbPENTNULPyYWWTrr8g0rXbLfwuBXw9by_QQAtOYEKQGycrjTIhSyXAuKVEpxMMdZHDtS9MO8TLJYv-KjSpWZhOMW_a7Gi3Gfpr8CAV3kTep8Nvr7AtBUhDgzhyNK_vzpaSUqulo2z15RuENZC13MBYEZ7HrBGu3ROZiKi2DJZM4ZFichU/s2048/Caernarfon%20Castle%20flags.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvdSDfZnKePbPENTNULPyYWWTrr8g0rXbLfwuBXw9by_QQAtOYEKQGycrjTIhSyXAuKVEpxMMdZHDtS9MO8TLJYv-KjSpWZhOMW_a7Gi3Gfpr8CAV3kTep8Nvr7AtBUhDgzhyNK_vzpaSUqulo2z15RuENZC13MBYEZ7HrBGu3ROZiKi2DJZM4ZFichU/s320/Caernarfon%20Castle%20flags.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flag of Wales flying over Caernarfon.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Imagine the faith it took to make that journey, starting your life
over again in an unknown place with no guarantees other than adversity. It
would have taken all the resolute conviction Quakers came to be known for. And
along the same lines, you see signs of the Welsh independent spirit asserting
itself today even as part of the United Kingdom. Like the Scots, the Welsh have
a National Parliament. The road signs are in Welsh first, and then in English.
BBC and ITV have Welsh channels on local cable. And it’s the flag of the Welsh red
dragon that flies over Caernarfon Castle now.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p></div>John Spicerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10717564241726456440noreply@blogger.com0