Boldly Living out our Lives in the Light of Faith

Epiphany is the season of light and brightness. The Christ child has come into the world in radiant beauty and joy. This is the season of hope and self-giving. Just as the three kings traveled so far in order to honor the newborn Christ, so too are we called to go to whatever length required of us to proclaim Jesus as our Lord and King.

What length are we willing to go demonstrate the light of Christ’s hope to the world? How far are we willing to spiritually travel to proclaim him Lord and King of all creation? Like the three kings, are we willing to take the journey’s risk? Are we willing to face the terrible Herod’s of this world by standing up to global and local atrocities?

Epiphany is the season in which we are bathed in the radiance of Christ. It is the season that calls us to enlighten all nations and peoples regarding the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Epiphany leaves those who proclaim Christ as the Incarnate Word made Flesh no dark shadows to hide. It is the season in which we are called out to boldly live out our faith amidst the darkness of the world.

Pentecost 19

Proper22

Year B

Mark 10:2-16

Fr. John West

What is it about human nature that sometimes creates a need for control and the sheer unwillingness to listen to God? (Throughout world history) How often in the “name of God” have we witnessed world leaders seize power at the expense of others? How often in this world and even in the church do we see the light of the Spirit blotted out by simple human arrogance and selfish ambition?

Yet God continues to speak to us and reveal himself to us, despite (us)! The author of the Book of Hebrew’s writes – “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in various ways…in these last days he has spoken to us through a Son…” But are we listening (?) – not just with our ears, but with our hearts as well? Or are we obsessed with the need for power; the power to be right; the power to preserve our ways of doing things at the expense of Christ’s call to live as a Holy community? – A community of faith deeply grounded in God’s self-giving love.

Looking in our hearts, are we willing to turn our lives and wills over to the care of God or are we too busy pointing out the shortcomings of others in ordered to make ourselves feel better about our own shortcomings? Can we accept and listen to the voice of the Spirit even when that voice calls us outside of ourselves and our selfish need to control? After all we humans value our comfort zones (healthy or not) and we are certainly resistant to change!

Jesus was dealing with a difficult and extremely dysfunctional community. The religious leaders (both lay and ordained) of his day were drunk with power, selfish motives and the need to be in control. They did not like what Jesus had to say. After all he was not the Messiah that they envisioned or chose to accept. His words spoke the truth; a truth the leadership did not want to hear. So what did they do? They disguised their desire and relentless need to be in control behind the religious law of their day. Yet Jesus called them out at every opportunity. Still they chose to shut their hearts and minds to the voice of God through his Son. Rather Satan’s deceptive whispers were what they chose to listen too. They had power and refused to loosen their grip. That’s the thing about power. Once some people taste it they become consumed with and endless desire for more. This is a destructive course wrought with division and personal ambition. This dark path leads to an internal divorce of God, in which only unhealthy and self-serving desires are born.

Embroiled in this constant and ongoing state of conflict, Jesus moves beyond the Jordan as he approaches his final entry into Jerusalem. Although he has moved into a new territory, Mark’s Jesus continues to confront the same adversarial religious establishment; Jesus deals with the same inner fighting not only amongst the people but his disciples as well.

Today we witness another issue directed at Jesus to trip him up; to set him up for failure so that the religious establishment can point their finger at him and say, “look he is wrong! We are right!”

Have things changed that much since then? It so easy to judge others rather than look at our own hearts. It amazes me at the length some of us will go to prove we are  - right!

The Pharisees were masters at this game. Today we listen to these religious leaders approach Jesus with the difficult question regarding divorce. Of course we all know that this is a mere trap; an attempt to set Jesus up for failure and to prove him wrong. This is a ruse intended to place Jesus on the spot and embarrass him in front of the religious authorities and the crowd that has gathered.

Divorce was looked down upon as a sin in Jesus’ day – especially for the woman. It is still a topic that is an issue in this world, and one that is often avoided and not preached on in the church. We tend to sweep it under the carpet  - so to speak. Yet divorce is real and happens every single day. It is a complete tear in relationships. It creates a jagged rip that tears through the fabric of all people affected. Divorce is spiritually retching. But when we stop and listen to the words of Christ – divorce becomes more than the separation or destruction of a marriage – it becomes a powerful metaphor for life in the church and parish community. How often lately have we witnessed people separating themselves over issues from the rest of the Body because they were unhappy with the outcome of some issue? Yet the Church is Christ’s Bride. It hurts the Body; it hurts Christ when the Body is separated and broken. So in the same light of personal divorce, we can use the same word to describe broken relationships in the church as well.

A recent interview with newly wed couples revealed some alarming facts regarding marriage. Among couples (in the beginning) these couples only 5 out of every 100 comments made about one another was negative. Yet the research revealed that the negative comments increased as time went by if the couples refused to live a life of self-giving love toward one another. In many cases the relationships broke down and ended in divorce. Why? - The need to be right by one or both members of the relationship. After a while communication ceased to exist at all, and the marriage ultimately failed.

But the couples that continued to offer each other positive support and unselfish love didn’t experience the sense of smug need for superiority and need to be right. When husbands and wives feel they can build themselves up only by putting the other down, the marital relationships were in deep trouble and ultimately broke.

The same is true for us and our relationships in the church. We are called to support one another and build healthy relationships – not fall to gossip, need for power and control. When we fight and argue amongst ourselves, and form factions due to our own personal egos and agendas – we set ourselves us for brokenness and splinter the Body of Christ. Jesus calls us to support each other, just as he loves and supports us.

Let’s face it. All couples argue, fight, fuss and fume at times. That is perfectly normal in any relationship. So why do some marriages survive and others fail? The crucial difference appears to be that the positive couples learn to listen, and stop reliving the negative emotions over and over again. The need to “be right” becomes irrelevant. The relationship is far more important. On the other hand couples that allow arguments and resentment to rise, allowing pride and selfishness to rule their lives – experience the torn relationship and ultimately the separation causing divorce. We can’t ignore the need of reconciliation! It is absolutely vital in any healthy relationship.

Once again our lives and relationships with one another in the church is the same. When we flood our community of faith with constant negative emotions, or divisive agendas eventually we too cross a threshold that encourages ego-centric behavior and unresolved conflict. Left unchecked resentment and dysfunction will eventually consume the community of faith, thus creating ugly division. Constant negativity erodes the spiritual health of any congregation.

Just as Jesus spent countless hours with his followers, he needed a little space from time to time. In the same way, enduring couples don’t need to spend every free moment together, but they do need to take the time to enjoy one another in play. Play is one of the most important “repair mechanisms” in any relationship. Long time couples trust one another and enjoy times of playfulness and joy. They are able to agree to disagree, and are able to focus on the positive and let go of the resentment and anger we all experience in relationships from time to time.

This morning we witness Jesus surround himself with the most playful and spontaneous folks in the world – children. Have we as a church lost our child like identity with Christ and each other? Do we take ourselves so seriously? I hope not! It is important that we not only take care of all the day-to-day responsibilities of the church but that we play together as well. God loves to play; God loves to laugh; God loves to be in unbreakable communion with us. Thus it is vital and Christ-like to live in this community of faith with attitudes of joy, forgiveness, caring and spontaneity. It is vital that we treat this Body (the Church) like a marriage and provide one another with that unconditional, self-giving love; caring for one another with the same unconditional love of a child.

The church that plays together prays together. It stays together! As a parish when we focus outside of our individual selves and on the needs of others – suddenly all of the distractions become rather mute topics. Laying the healing hands of the church on those who suffer and are sick; embracing the broken hearts of the hopeless, the helpless and spiritually destitute is what the church is called to do in service and “marriage.”

“Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful Word.” Jesus sustains all things; all relationships – including you and me. That is so important as we live out our daily lives in an often difficult, unfair and broken world. We are all connected and touched by the same Holy Spirit.

The Episcopal Church’s work in Haiti continues

The Episcopal Church’s work in Haiti continues

The Lord is My Banner!

The Lord is my banner! As Joshua prepared to cross the Jordan River he knew that he was terribly out numbered by the inhabitants of the Promised Land. His spies even reported that there were giants! The Israelites trembled but God was faithful. He chose Joshua, a man of great faith and courage to lead his people into the “Land of Milk and Honey.” When faced with doubters, Joshua told the people to do what they wanted “but as for he and his house they would trust and have faith in the Lord.” He knew that the Lord was his banner. He knew that the Lord would go before the people and defeat their enemies. The Lord was their banner!

We often face situations in life that are daunting and overwhelming, causing us to live in fear. We often stand at the rivers edge of this life and simply freeze, afraid to move forward. What if we fail? What if we are unworthy? What if we experience defeat? What if we drown in a river of despair? What if we fall flat on our faces? What if… The list goes on and on.

Like Joshua it is important for us to remember that the Lord is our banner. God goes before us and we are called to follow in faith. Yet faith doesn’t just happen. As James tells us “Faith without works is dead.” This doesn’t necessarily mean physical activity, but spiritual as well. To have faith we must go to God in prayer on a regular basis and cultivate a trusting relationship with God. Joshua had such a spiritual relationship with the Father. Where there was indecisiveness amongst the Hebrew people, Joshua was certain through prayer and faith that God would allow the Israelites to prevail against those they faced in the Promised Land. Joshua knew that God was his banner.

My question for us is simple: Is the Lord our banner? Do we trust him enough to allow God to go before us so that we might follow no matter what difficult odds we face in this life? “As for me and my house we will trust in the Lord.”

Avoiding Toxicity

Nothing rots and corrodes a parish like toxicity. What is toxicity? It is when there are divisive and control issues within the church. Sometimes the priest, sometimes the laity and sometimes both express these traits. Nevertheless, toxicity is detrimental to the life and wellbeing of the parish.

Toxicity is contagious and creates a bitter ailment that can spread through the parish like wildfire if left unchecked. That is exactly what Satan wants to take place. The nature of sin is to divide and when the devil creates division and “sides” he inflicts a wretched wound into the Body we call the Church.

How do we avoid such a terrible situation? How do we live a life that is mutually healthy for the clergy as well as the laity? How do we learn to live with our differences? The answers are really quit simple although many times challenging to do.

These are the traits of a healthy parish: We work together in a mutual and loving manner. We talk and communicate with each other, and treat each person with dignity, civility and respect. We avoid triangulation. We become honest with one another in love and affection, rather than through venomous gossip or the ugly need to be in control (get our way at all costs!).

We have to remember that we are One Body in Christ Jesus. When one part of the Body is sick, it makes the whole Body ill. We want to attend to those areas of pain and suffering, validate them and then address the illness directly. Occasionally this healthy method of dealing with conflict comes at a cost. Perhaps we lose a parishioner or a family. While that is the last thing we want to occur, sometimes its best for the layperson or even the clergy member to move on to another place, but before they leave we strive for reconciliation; otherwise we take the baggage from one place directly into another.

The Apostle Paul was constantly battling toxicity. He wanted to eradicate it through mutual love and unity in Christ.  It hurt him bitterly deep to witness division and disunity. He became an ongoing target of abuse and slander in some areas, but that didn’t matter to him. He was willing to give his very life for his love of the church. He wanted her whole and striving to live as One in Christ.

Can we as a church live as one? Can we avoid the devastating effects of toxicity? Can we feel safe in our church environment? Are we willing to let go of our own wants and needs and embrace our neighbor in love, whether we agree with them or not?

The answer to these questions lie within our spirits and willingness to live as wholesome examples in Christ. It’s up to us to model healthy behavior to the world and keep our focus on what is truly important – the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Frm the Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Struggle

Ephphatha - Be Open!

Pentecost 15

Proper 18

Year B

Mark 7:24-37

September 9, 2012

“Ephphatha! —Open up!” This is the word that Jesus said to the deaf and mute man in this mornings Gospel. He opened the mans ears to hear and his mouth to speak. This is a truly amazing miracle. Open up! I can’t get that word out of my mind – Ephphatha! What if we as a church were to all (universally) open up? What if we as a church blew the doors off their hinges and invited every single person we encountered into our midst. What if we like Jesus listened to the Syrophoenician woman? What if we invited all of the tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and outcasts into our very midst? What would this church look like? What would any church and every church look like? To open up is frightening.

When I was in seminary I’ll never forget the first time that I knowingly was hugged by a young man with AIDS. I was terrified that I had opened myself up to that awful disease. Yet I hugged the man anyway. I stood at the point of Ephphatha. I could either remain closed and walk away or I could open up and receive the mans embrace. Years later I was able to be open to a young man and hold him while he died of the same wretched disease. Because I listened to Christ I was open and unafraid. The listening and trusting the voice of the Holy Spirit is important.

Jesus tells us (like the man he healed) to “open up!” Notice he opened the mans ears to hear before he released his tongue to speak. Perhaps it is wise to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit before we speak, before we act and before we judge. The more we listen the more we hear. The more we hear the less we speak. The less we speak the more we listen to the needs of the other, and not our own chatter about our wants. That is what Christianity is about. It is about listening to those in need such as the syrophoenician woman and the deaf, mute man and opening up our own ears to listen to their needs and then respond to their needs through not only our speech, but actions as well.

Opening up is risky! It means we have to listen to those we disagree or are prejudice towards. It means we have to speak the Gospel message to them as well as those we are close too. To open up is scary! Like the man in today’s Gospel it transforms our lives.

I have two friends who will not come to church. They are both deaf to God and are literally terrified that I might try and preach to them. What if their hearts were to open up? What if their lives could be transformed so that they couldn’t stop talking about the love of Christ? (That would be a true miracle!) But it is scary for me because if I open up to them about Christ, I risk losing them as my friends. Yet Jesus says – Ephphatha!

Jesus took a big risk opening up to the syrophoenician woman. After all she was a gentile and a woman. In Christ’s day and time speaking to her as a good Jewish person would have been scandalous. Yet Jesus set aside prejudice in order to (seemly and reluctantly) help this woman by curing her daughter. He made himself vulnerable to her needs.

When we open up we make ourselves vulnerable to the needs of others. We open ourselves up to risk – perhaps the risk of losing friends; the risk of losing our reputations (there goes another one of those ‘Bible Thumpers’); the risk of losing our place in society. If we blow the doors off the church and invite in all the AIDS victims, the prostitutes, the drug addicts; the poor and needy what will people think about the church and us? I know this sound like rhetorical questions, but they are important to ask.

We are called to be Christ like and vulnerable to our neighbor despite what the rest of the world thinks. As a matter of fact we are to be open to our critics and invite them into the church as well. The man who Jesu healed went and proclaimed the Gospel to everyone – (everyone!) not just a few safe select few. This man would have been looked down on in Jesus’ day. He or his parents would have been judged and treated with ugly prejudice. Yet we hear the words of the Gospel tell us that he proclaimed the Good News to everyone! That is how full of the Spirit he was, and that is how full of the Spirit we are called.

When we are on fire for Christ; when the Gospel (the Good News) is set ablaze inside our hearts we become people open to mission; mission is the heart of the Gospel. We willingly allow ourselves to be vulnerable to the world and all the people in it.

Whether we are criticized or not, afraid or courageous, reluctant or ready - Ephphatha! Be Open!