A Beautiful Soul

Those of us who gather between services to discuss the day’s Lectionary readings always seem to find depth and wisdom in the Collect of the Day.  We have a way of allowing it to ask questions of us and this always takes us to interesting places.  Today’s collect is no different.  I love its first petition: “Increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and charity”.  Simple and straight forward, right?  Notice what the prayer asserts: faith, hope, and charity are not something we muster in and of ourselves.  They are gifts from God and apparently they can grow and develop throughout our lives.  Conversely, it seems possible they can atrophy if not used or diminish if left unattended for a long, long time. 

Here is a question to ponder: if we ask God to increase the gifts of faith, hope, and charity in us, how does God answer our prayer.  Is it like a software update?  Is our prayer similar to clicking on a button, accepting the terms and conditions, and then having something new and more glorious operating in us – faith, hope, and charity 7.0?  Do we pray and then be passive until what we ask for is installed in us?

I don’t think so.  In my experience, the gifts of faith, hope, and charity increase in us when we are challenged and stretched and (often times) brought up short.  Reflection, confession, and amendment of life is often the process required for true growth.

So it was when I found myself in the rural, wooded countryside of Spain ten days ago walking the English Way of the Camino – an ancient pilgrim’s path to the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela.  In front of me was a dirt path on a very step uphill grade rising up approximately ¼ of a mile or more.  A woman stood at the beginning of the grade, appearing apprehensive about making the climb.  She was a large woman with the body shape and looks of an East German shot-put Olympian.  She had elastic sleeves on her knees and clearly had been struggling.  The challenge before her was daunting.

Then, from behind, an attractive young woman riding a mountain bike approached.  Now, if you know me, you know I am a big fan of mountain bikes… and attractive women.  Up the hill she pedaled in the highest gear ratio her bike offered.  Up the hill I walked in pursuit.  Much of the trail had been washed out making it difficult to bike.  Up ahead I could see her struggling.  Finally she got off her bike and walked it to the level summit.  She was still breathing hard when I made it there.  Winded, I too stopped to catch my breath.  We did not speak the same language but managed to communicate a little.  I indicated I ride a mountain bike as well.  She said of the hill “Too steep for me.”

Soon she was off and riding again and I was ready to continue walking.  I glanced down the hill and did not see any sign of the woman at the bottom.  She still had not yet mustered the energy or the courage to begin the climb.

I began to walk and as I walked I thought about the woman down the hill.  Should I have offered to walk with her?  Perhaps some encouragement and companionship was all she needed.  Why, I wondered, did I respond so positively to the youthful, athletic, attractive woman and so indifferently to the one who was unattractive?  Why does physical beauty trump spiritual beauty?  I don’t have a highly developed theology of the Christian doctrine of resurrection of the body, but I suspect once we die physical beauty will be no more.  All that will be left is spiritual beauty.  Perhaps the stocky woman one day will be a soul-beauty queen in heaven.  As I walked I began to ponder the beauty, or lack thereof, of my soul.  How attractive or how ugly will I be in the next life?

Today’s readings invite us to ask what God requires and expects of us.  The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable manifests all the outward signs of religion – prayer, fasting, tithing.  He is by the standard of institutional religion a “beautiful” person, and he knows it.  The only problem is all the outer beauty cannot mask his inner, spiritual ugliness.  The reading from Sirach describes the integrity necessary to make an offering to God and what is required to come before God with a prayer.  A certain posture of heart and spirit is absolutely essential.  The psalm describes to joy of making a pilgrimage to God’s house.  The desire to dwell in the Temple – to be in the physical place where God lives – certainly is pleasing to God.  Paul’s letter to Timothy describes his faithfulness as he endures persecution for his religious beliefs.

What is the one thing God asks of each one of us?  What is the one thing God requires of you?  As I walked on the Camino I asked myself this question and here is the answer I came up with:  All God asks of each one of us is to make it your mission in life to make your soul beautiful.

As with the prayer for faith, hope, and charity, the opportunity to make our souls more and more beautiful comes to us over and over again.  And, as with my pursuit of the mountain biker as opposed to helping the woman at the bottom of the hill, often times the moment passes us by and is lost forever.

What makes a soul beautiful?  I think it involves a certain desire for God.  It looks like growing in reverence, gratitude, and humility.  It involves a sense of awe and wonder and joy in all God’s works.  If you are bored in church it may be because your church is boring.  But still, you are sitting in the presence of the Holy One and if you believe this with even 1% of your heart, mind, and soul you will never be bored by the opportunity to praise God and to worship God. 

As we were leaving the Cathedral in Santiago after the Pilgrim’s Mass, we encountered sporadic cheering and applause outside the transept door.  John, our English guide, blurted out, “Oh my God, it’s the king.  It’s King Juan Carlos of Spain.”  He was 25 feet away and walking right toward us.  John’s entire nature changed in an instance as he was overcome with a severe case of “royal fever” – trailing after the king like a star struck zombie.  He was in absolute awe.  Every time we step into this space we are entering the presence of Royalty.  Our heavenly King dwells here.  Like the hymn says, this is a time to be “lost in wonder, love, and praise.”  A beautiful soul knows this.

What makes a soul beautiful?  I believe it also involves a certain disposition toward other people.  Kindness, compassion, generosity, selflessness, thoughtfulness, gentleness, humility, and respect – not just for some people, but for all.  We’re talking about behaving exactly the opposite of what we have witnessed in the Presidential Debates.  I believe people desire to cultivate a beautiful soul because so many of us are so repulsed by the behavior of the candidates.  Unlike what we see in some of the hard-core supporters of one candidate or another, more and more I am noticing how everyday people in and around Suffolk are consistently kind and considerate.  I think people are making a conscious choice to renounce the ugliness typifying this political season in order to embrace something more beautiful.

How, when, where, and to whom can you exhibit the marks of a beautiful soul?   The more you do it the more natural it becomes and the more natural it becomes the more beautiful your soul becomes.

Give it a Try

“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed...”

I did a lot of bike riding in my twenties and thirties when I lived in Northeast Ohio. Unlike Suffolk, that part of the country has hills, not mountains, but long, rolling hills. I can still visualize coming to the top of a climb and looking across the valley to see the next major hill. It must have been some kind of optical illusion because that hill in the distance always looked tall and steep. Only as I approached it did I begin to see the climb, while challenging, was not nearly as difficult or as ominous as it appeared from a distance. My initial reaction of “I’ll never be able to pedal up that” always gave way to “I can do this.”

Jesus’ followers ask him to increase their faith. It is a reasonable and even laudable request – much better than, say, “grant that I can sit at your right hand in glory”. But Jesus does not give them more faith, rather he tells them they can do great things with even the tiny, little bit of faith they already have. One reason this is so: as with biking in the hills, challenges are never as difficult as they seem at first and at a distance.

I don’t know how I would react if I heard the word “cancer” come out of my doctor’s mouth. Several of you do know because you have experienced it firsthand. You have seen the insurmountable hill in the distance, dreaded the climb, and doubted your ability to overcome. But once you engaged the process you learned two things. First, it is more manageable than you thought, and second, you are stronger than you know. Your faith, which you suspected to be deficient, proved to be more than adequate.

And you learned a third thing through your experience. Not only are challenges not as big as they seem and not only are you stronger than you realize, but you discovered you have more help and support than you realized. People close to you and people far away rallied to your side. There are some loads in life we have to shoulder ourselves, but most can be shared. Letting others in and letting others know is a sign of faith. Letting others help is an acknowledgement God often (and perhaps most effectively) ministers to us through the people around us.

I engaged this truth once again this past week. As many of you know, on Monday I inadvertently opened an email attachment sent to my office computer and it launched a virus. It encrypted all my files – every document, every picture, all my contact information. A ransom note popped up on the screen demanding I go through an elaborate process to pay the hacker in order to get back all of my work. Of course paying does not guarantee the perpetrator will keep his word, not does it ensure the hacker won’t leave a backdoor through which to attack again. The only other alternative is to wipe clean the computer, lose your files, reinstall all of the programs, and start fresh.

Bev Judkins’ nephew Karl Peterson is an I.T. specialist. He came to my office on Monday evening and worked until eleven. He determined nothing could be saved. Though not asked, Cindy stayed with him and the two got my computer to the point where I can move forward. I am sure in the days and months ahead I will continue to discover the magnitude of what I have lost, but I am grateful for the help around me, without which I would be lost. If you want to increase your faith, take notice of the loving care that surrounds you on every side.

Jesus tells his followers even a small amount of faith can overcome some really difficult challenges. He also tells them they already possess enough faith to do some pretty remarkable things. They don’t need more faith in their hearts, they need more faith themselves, in their own hands and in their own arms and in their own feet and in their own legs. They are fully equipped. What they need to do is act.

The Christian Century website offers ideas to put faith into action. It is aimed at teenagers so not all the ideas will be for you, but each conveys the message you can have an impact on the world by doing something simple and manageable:

· Offer to do some yard work for an elderly person or couple in your neighborhood.

· Start your own club. It can be anything from weaving baskets to playing croquet to founding a Christian club.

· Organize an auction where you and your friends can be bought for one day of service! Give the money to your favorite charity.

· Volunteer to help coach your brother’s peewee football team.

· Start your own Christian blog.

· Offer to clean the bleachers and pick up the trash on a Friday night after your school’s football game.

· Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or Food Pantry.

· Sponsor a canned food drive.

· Visit a retirement community and perform a skit or mini-play.

· Coordinate a basketball game between your teachers and varsity team. Charge a few dollars and donate the money to your school improvement fund.

· One Friday night, turn your basement into a coffee house. Serve desserts, hot chocolate, and of course, coffee! Play some good music, and offer this as a fun and safe alternative to weekend partying.

· Host a talent show or concert to support a worthy cause in your community.

· Host an ice cream party for all the neighborhood kids.

· Help out your parents by spending a Saturday giving your house and garage a good cleaning.

· Teach a Sunday school class or volunteer in the church nursery.

· Commit to becoming a “Big Brother” or “Big Sister”.

· Volunteer at the Special Olympics games nearest you.

I have found putting my faith into action gives my life meaning and joy and purpose and energy. With all that drags us down and drains us, it is the little things we initiate to express our faith that gives life. What will do?

Let me end with an old folk saying:

Pride says, “It’s impossible!”

Experience says, “It’s risky!”

Reason says, “It’s pointless!”

Faith says, “Give it a try! You can do it!”

Hope. Help. Humanity.

The date is 587 BC.  The place, Jerusalem.  Zedekiah has been king for ten years.  He was put in this position by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  The Babylonian army has already laid seize to Jerusalem twice, in 605 and 598.  But now Zedekiah is stretching his wings and testing the limits.  The Babylonians are back for a third and final time.  They surround the city and intend to tear downs its walls, burn its gates, destroy the Temple, and lead every healthy survivor into captivity.  It will be complete devastation.

The prophet Jeremiah warns the king and the people about the consequences of what he deems “sinful behavior.”  He proclaims God is going to use the Babylonians to punish the people of Jerusalem for disobeying God.  Jeremiah is also practical.  He confronts Zedekiah seven different times, telling the king it is foolish and folly to test the power of the Babylonian army.  Jeremiah gets very specific.  He warns the king his eyes will be put out and his sons killed if he continues to test his superior enemy.  It is not a popular message, to say the least, and it lands Jeremiah in the court prison at the king’s house.

In the short run, Jeremiah’s preaching is one of gloom and doom.  The fall of the city, the destruction of the Temple, and people led into captivity is not a happy scenario.  But Jeremiah also has a message for the long run and it is one of hope.  He looks at the world through the words God spoke to him in 29:11: “I know the plans I have for you, plans for welfare and not for harm, to give you a future and a hope.”  For Jeremiah, impending calamity is the prospect of the near term, but he is bullish on the long term future.  Over and over, he says God will lead the people back home to the land of Judah.   

Jeremiah is from the city of Anathoth, which is located about 2½ miles from the Temple.  His ancestral home is now in the hands of the besieging army.  God speaks to Jeremiah, saying his cousin is going to visit him at the prison.  When he does, God says, tell him you want to buy his field in Anathoth. 

The cousin appears and invokes an ancient Levitical law, asking Jeremiah to redeem his field.  The cousin has fallen on hard times and sold the land, but God intentions for property to remain in the family forever.  The law requires a relative, if able, to buy the land until the one who sold it can buy it back or until the Year of Jubilee (which occurs every 49 years) when it will be returned at no cost.  Of course this law does not apply to the Babylonians.  There is no guarantee it will ever come back into the possession of the people of Judah.

Jeremiah recognizes immediately why God commands him to buy the field.  His act will be a sign of hope, promising one day the people will return from captivity.  He goes through a very public process to buy the field.  Everyone knows an unpopular prophet in prison is purchasing a piece of property occupied by a foreign army.  Everyone must think him a dope.  Jeremiah is concerned the transaction documents be stored in a manner to preserve them for a long, long time.  He wants them in tact when the hoped for day arrives.  Once all the paperwork is complete, Jeremiah proclaims, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be brought in this land.” 

We have an expression today, “Put your money where your mouth is.”  Jeremiah reverses this.  He uses his mouth to explain what he is doing with his money and why he is doing it.  The prophet uses his wealth to promote hope.

Jesus tells a parable many know.  The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is easy to remember because of its retching details and its ominous reversal of fortunes from this life to the next.  It is tempting to construct a theology of the afterlife based on this parable.  Some have.  The reversal.  The torment.  The suffering.  The dividing chasm.   More than one commentator warns of the danger of pushing the details of the parable too far.  So what should we to take away from it?

That the poor beggar is given a name while the rich man remains anonymous is telling.  This reversal certainly is intentional and significant.  In life, everyone knows the names of the rich and powerful.  Few, if any, know the name of a homeless person scrapping to survive.  That we are told this person’s name is Lazarus tells us much about God’s love for every person and particular concern for the poor and needy. 

Notice another detail.  In spite of passing by him every day and doing nothing to help him, the rich man also knows Lazarus’ name.  Once in Hades, he asks Abraham specifically to send Lazarus with just a drop of water to sooth his agony.

As Jesus spins his story, the problem does not appear to be the rich man’s wealth.  Nowhere is he condemned for having means.  Jesus is critical because he does nothing to help a person he knows, a person in deep need he encounters day after day after day.  Should the rich man have used his position and his wealth to foster adequate opportunities for work in his society?  Should he have fought for health care and housing for the indigent and poor in the land?  Should he have brought Lazarus food and water?  Should he have provided bandages for his sores?  Should he have taken him into his home or given him shelter or done something to keep the dogs away?  Yes.  Yes, he should have done all of this and more.  He should have done something.  But, as Jesus tells the story, he does nothing.

And as Jesus tells the story, there will come a day of judgment for every person who shows similar disregard for the basic humanity of another person, for every person who grows callous or indifferent to human need and does nothing to help. 

For the past few weeks we have been reading Paul’s letter to his young protégé, Timothy.  Today we hear his counsel to seek godliness and contentment.  He warns of the dangers inherent in making money and possessions the main goal of your life.  “You bring nothing into this world, and you can take nothing out of it,” Paul says.

In lieu of the love on money, he instructs Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.”  “Fight the good fight of faith,” he writes, “take hold of eternal life.”  These personal qualities we cultivate are far more important in life than the quantity of stuff we accumulate.

Woven together, these readings challenge us to use our wealth, our resources, and our influence to provide help, to foster hope, and to acknowledge the humanity we share with every person on our planet.  As we walk this path in life we become more godly and more content. 

The Rev. Walter Whichard served as Rector of St. Paul’s from 1955-1963.  Back then we mailed the weekly bulletin to each home prior to Sunday services.  It often included reflections and teachings and Mr. Whichard was fond of passing along inspirational quotes and comments he received from others.  He shared what was titled “English Churchyard epitaph” in the December 12, 1962 bulletin:

“What I have spent, I had: What I have kept, I lost: What I gave, I have!”

Almost 64 years later, I can’t think of a better or more concise way to end today’s sermon.

“What I have spent, I had: What I have kept, I lost: What I gave, I have!”

Hope.  Help.  Humanity.

Using People or Using Money

What are some of your greatest fears, not things like spiders or thunderstorms, but things you worry about, things that cause anxiety?  If you are middle-aged, as I am, somewhere high on your list is losing your job.  In 2012, more than 3.5 million Americans ages of 45 to 64, an unprecedented 8.2%, were unemployed; 39% of them for a year or more.  Most struggle with the loss of income as well as a loss of dignity.  Their mental and physical health suffers.

Into this unhappy picture steps Jesus with a parable about a middle-aged account manager. His employer has uncovered intolerable wasteful behavior and the account manager is set to be fired.  He is told to present his records and then pack up and leave.  His inner worries ring true.  He knows his prospects are limited.  At his age physical labor is just too taxing.  He doesn’t want to beg or turn to government assistance,

What will the account manager do?  Well, it is Jesus’ story so Jesus will do with it what he often seems to do: he spins it in a startling, almost puzzling direction.  The account manager decides to approach the people who owe his employer money and cut their bills by as much as half.  This way, he reasons, they will welcome him into their homes once he is out of a job.  While there is little honest or noble about his actions, the employer praises it as a shrewd maneuver.  As I said, it is Jesus’ story so he can tell it any way he likes.

Through this parable Jesus reminds each of us we have a basic choice to make in life: either we can use people to make money or we can use money to bless people. 

Adam Smith laid out the foundational principles of a free market economy in his book, The Wealth of Nations.  In it he argues the individual person, motivated by self-interest and guided by moral behavior, is in the best position to make economic and financial decisions for himself or herself.  So, for example, the cost of milk moves based on supply and demand.  When the cost goes up, consumption goes down.  When consumption goes down supply increases, the cost drops, and people begin to buy more milk.  It is a beautiful system and one that is much more efficient than, say, a central agency such as a government setting the price of milk.

Today’s reading from the prophet Amos highlights the potential flaw in this system.  While we can count on people to be motivated by self-interest, can we depend on them to be moral?  Amos condemns the merchant class of his society accusing them of dishonest practices such as shorting the weight of what they sell (think of paying for a pound of grain, but only getting ¾ of a pound), cheating the money which also had to be weighed (today we have ‘hidden’ fees and charges), and selling substandard quality goods – wheat swept off the floor.

Like those people of old, we are still motivated by self-interest, but less and less regulated by moral behavior.  Our government cranks out more and more rules to police our economy, but can’t keep pace with what is happening and can’t find enough moral people to do the work of keeping things fair.  As a result, sometimes we get “gypped.”  A product or an exchange is not as good as advertised.  Sometimes we get the “shaft.”  Our car turns out to be a lemon.  And sometimes the entire economy collapses under the massive weight of widespread fraudulent behavior.

Jesus’ critique is as simple as this: we are using people to make money.  His solution: we should use our money to bless people.  But what exactly does this look like?

At its meeting last Monday, the Vestry needed to make several decisions about our kitchen renovation.  None has been discussed more than the purchase of a new stove.  If there is an option we have not considered I don’t know what it might be.  We got great advice by talking to a local distributer who helped us identify our needs and then connected us with a particular product.  The distributor will coordinate with the construction company to get the stove delivered and installed.  It will also be available should any issues arise.  An easy decision, right?  Well, no.  You see we can order the exact same stove on-line and save a couple thousand dollars.  We’ll have to find someone to get it into the building and hooked up to the gas line, but this should only cost a couple of hundred dollars.  The bottom line makes this an easy call, right?  Wait.

So much about our society has changed with the advent of big retailers and on-line shopping.  Hunting down the lowest price is at the click of a finger.  I can go to Wal-Mart and buy groceries and household goods at a savings of what it cost my parents years ago.  That is all well and good, except much of the money I spend there leaves our community.  Employees and suppliers earn a living, but the profit goes elsewhere.  Back in the day when local businesses where owned and operated by local people, the money we spent in their stores stayed in our community.  It benefited the owner in addition to his or her employees and suppliers.  Those business owners became civic leaders who generously supported institutions in our community – organizations like churches.  This layer of our society is shrinking and, while we can buy more products at a lower cost, we are impoverished by the process in ways we might not imagine.

The Vestry weighed all of this and decided to create a relationship with the local stove distributor.  We believe it is good for our community, beneficial to us in the long run, and in keeping with Jesus’ teaching to use our money to bless people. 

This decision has started me to think about the value of shopping locally.  The website Sustainable Connections has a top 10 list of reasons to buy from locally owned enterprises:

1.    You support yourself.  Local owners make purchases from other local businesses, thus strengthening the economic base of our community.

2.    Non-profit groups receive 250% more support from small businesses than large businesses.

3.    Local businesses make our community unique.  They make us some place, not just anyplace.

4.    Local businesses have a lower impact on the environment.

5.    The majority of people are employed by a small business.  Buying local creates jobs.

6.    You get better service. 

7.    You are making an investment in our community.  People who own or work in a local business are more invested in our community’s future and are less likely to move away.

8.    Local businesses require less infrastructure and are more efficient at using public services than big box stores.

9.    When you shop local you tend to buy what you want rather than what a national sales campaign wants you to buy.

10.    You encourage local prosperity by creating a climate favorable to resident entrepreneurs.

I don’t know if I will stop shopping at Wal-Mart or Lowe’s anytime soon, nor will I don a fake mustache and dark glasses when I do go there.  But I do want to be more mindful about the purchasing decisions I make.  Not only is a Baron burger superior to what is served at McDonalds, but so is the impact of the monetary exchange.  I don’t drink coffee, so I cannot comment of the quality of the product at a local shop verses Starbucks, but there is an economic impact to be sure.  And, at least as far as Jesus is concerned, there is a moral, ethical, and spiritual impact as well.  The bottom line of my Food Lion receipt might look better, but the quality of my community, which also has an impact on me, suffers. 

Jesus said, “Either you can use people to make money or you can use money to bless people.”

Eucharistic Liturgy for Sunday, September 11, 2016

(adapted from the hymn, God of grace and God of glory)

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is a right and good and joyful thing

  always and everywhere to give you thanks,

  O God of grace and God of glory,

       for you pour your power upon your people,

       and nourish your Church to a glorious bloom

               that guided by your wisdom and filled with your courage

               we are equipped for the facing of any hour.

Therefore we praise you,

  joining our voices with people of faith

  from all times and in all places,

  in a song of unending praise to your Name:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

    Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

    Hosanna in the highest.

We are especially mindful this day

  that the hosts of evil surround us

  and how in the cause of a radical faith

  some seek to visit us with death and destruction.

       From the fears that long have bound us

       free our hearts to faith and praise

       and give us grace for the living of these days.

On the night before he was betrayed,

knowing he was surrounded by evil,

  Jesus faced the fear of the moment by taking bread,

  offering a blessing, breaking the bread,

  and giving it to his friends, saying,

       “Take, eat:

               This is my Body, which is given for you.

               Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper, he took a cup of wine,

  gave thanks, and said,

       “Drink this, all of you:

               This is my Blood of the new Covenant,

               which is shed for you

               and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

               Whenever you drink it,

               do this for the remembrance of me.”

As we remember his death, resurrection, and ascension

  we offer you these gifts of bread and wine.

Send you Holy Spirit upon them

  that they may be for us

  the Body and Blood of Christ our Lord.

Send forth your Holy Spirit on all the people of the earth.

  Cure our warring madness

       by bending our pride to your control.

  Shame our selfish, wanton ways,

       for we are rich in things, but poor in soul.

  Bless us with your help

       so that we will not miss your kingdom’s goal.

And send your Holy Spirit upon us,

  that we may be delivered from weak resignation

       to the evils we deplore.

  Let the gift of your salvation.

       be our glory evermore.

  Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

       to serve you whom we adore.

Accept our prayers and praises, Father,

through Jesus Christ our great High Priest,

  to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,

  your Church gives honor, glory, and worship,

       from generation to generation.  Amen.

(after communion)

Let us pray.

God of grace and God of glory,
we give you thanks for nourishing us

       with the spiritual food of Jesus’ own Body and Blood;
and for being our companion on this,

       our fifteen year journey, from the pain and horror of 9/11.

We thank you for calming our fears,  

   awakening our hope, and guiding us along the way.

May we leave this meal and this moment

   refreshed and renewed for the road ahead,

       and ready always to be instruments

       of your justice, your mercy, and your love.

We ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor, glory, and praise, now and for ever. Amen.

 

 

 

The Cost

 

It never fails.  Start any kind of major renovation project – either at home or here at the church – and unexpected and expensive problems crop up.  In the midst of the construction of our Christian Education wing in the mid 1960’s, workers uncovered the need to replace or repair 23 floor joists under the Parish Hall.  In today’s dollars, this work added an additional $65,000 to a project already stretching our congregation’s financial resources. 

The single best leadership decision made by warden Tom Coxe was to organize a crew last summer to take down several feet of drywall in the kitchen in order to find out what was going on behind it.  While I don’t know if he had Jesus’ specific words in mind to estimate the cost of building a tower before you start construction, Tom certainly embraces the wisdom of it.  Once the drywall was down we discovered significant structural issues the Vestry refused to let go unaddressed.  What we hoped would be a $50,000 project, grew in scope to $170,000.  Expensive, yes, but at least we knew the cost going in.

In today’s gospel reading Jesus is not giving construction advice nor is he lecturing on methods of engaging war.  He uses two very common experiences, each requiring preparation and forethought, to convey something important about the Christian faith.  “Be aware from the outset following me is going to cost you.  Don’t jump into this only to be surprised.”

Perhaps he is looking right at James and John when he requires his followers to “hate” their families.  You will remember after teaching on the shores of Galilee Jesus calls these two brothers to follow him.  They drop their nets, leave their father Zebedee and his fishing enterprise, and follow.  Old Zeb could not have been too happy with their decision.  They don’t “hate” their father, but they do subjugate their allegiance and duty to him and in order to make Jesus their Lord.  This comes at a cost.  Jesus describes it as “picking up your own cross” in order to follow him.

By the time Luke sets out to write his gospel, the first generation of Jesus’ followers know there is a price to be paid.  Forsaking your family’s religious heritage carries with it now the potential for imprisonment or death.  It holds the possibility of being ostracized by the local community and shut off from economic opportunity.  These conditions still exist in some parts of our world today.

We here at St. Paul’s Church on Main Street in downtown Suffolk have it a bit easier in comparison.  Still, we ask a lot of you if you want to follow Jesus by being a part of our faith community: 

§ We ask you to wake up on Sunday morning and attend a service. 

§ We ask you to give your time; perhaps to teach, or to prepare food, or to sing, or to help on the Altar Guild, or to volunteer in the Food Pantry, or – worst of all – to serve on the Vestry. 

§ We ask you to contribute financially without offering the caveat Jesus will repay ten-fold for what you give him.  The money you give to our church is money you cannot use to purchase something you want or to save for the future. 

§ We ask you to support one another; praying for others when they are in need, attending special events in their lives, taking food when they are sick, and listening with an open heart to their cares and concerns. 

§ We ask you to lead a moral and exemplary life.  You cannot act one way when you are here and another when you are not.

§ We ask you to endure hypocritical behavior, to extend forgiveness, and to initiate the difficult process of reconciliation when you are in a broken relationship. 

§ We ask you to respect the dignity of every human being and will challenge your every prejudice and preconceived notion not befitting this high standard.

§ We ask you to ground your allegiance to one another in our common faith, not shared political opinions or rooting interest in college football.

§ We ask you to renounce your love for worldly things like material possessions, power, and a focus on youth and appearance.

Have I got your attention yet? 

The writer Annie Dillard once observed if we really listened to the words of scripture and the liturgy that fills this place every Sunday, and if we took seriously what they call us to do, than ushers wouldn’t hand out bulletins, they would pass out crash helmets.  If we took the words at face value Dillard says the pews would have safety belts rather than cushions.  I think she is on to something important.

We don’t do real service to Jesus or to the Christian faith when we minimize what it requires of us.  Jesus does not try to package his teachings in an attractive, persuasive offer.  He does not provide a catchy “five ways your life will be better if you follow me” polished list.  In today’s reading he talks only about the cost and demands his audience take it into consideration before signing on.

In some ways the call to the Christian faith is similar to the allure of climbing a lofty mountain.  From a distance we behold its majesty and its beauty and wonder if it can be scaled.  As we look at it a question within arises: am I up to the task?  Do I have what it takes to climb it?  Depending on the height, the cost and the risk of the undertaking can be enormous, but neither of these factors diminishes the value of the journey or the reward of summiting.

Jesus invites us to follow him, but first he insists we must count the cost.  Perhaps our journey with him will mirror his own.  He picked up his cross and was crucified on it.  Hopefully our journey with him will be far less hazardous.  This one thing he does promise: our journey with him will lead us to new life in this life and to a glorious resurrection like his own in the life to come.