Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

(The preacher is indebeted for some ideas and/or inspiration from The Rev. James Liggett who preached a sermon from these texts in 2006.)

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gen 2: 18 - 24; Ps 8; Hebrews 1: 1 - 4, 2: 5 - 12; Mark 10: 2 - 16

St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish, Portland OR

October 4, 2009

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Let us pray: Loving compassionate Jesus, we are gathered here this morning every one of us, because you have summoned us, sought us and bound us to yourself in love. We celebrate your encompassing and all embracing love. We give thanks that, even though we sometimes fall away from you, you never let us go. You continue to come for us, seek us and reach for us. Give us the grace to live our lives, to reach out to our sisters and brothers, that in some small way others might see some of your reaching, seeking and embracing love in us. Amen.

(SUNG) NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. NO MAN STANDS ALONE
EACH MAN'S JOY IS JOY TO ME, EACH MAN'S GRIEF MY OWN. WE NEED ONE ANOTHER, SO I WILL DEFEND, EACH MAN AS MY
BROTHER, EACH MAN AS MY FRIEND.

"If I speak with the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal...Love is patient; love is kind; love is not evious or boastful or arrogant or rude....Love never ends....And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." 1st Corinthians 13: various verses. "But Ruth said, 'do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go I will go; where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die - there will I be buried. May the Lord to thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you." Ruth 1: 16 - 17. "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love....I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one antoher as I have loved you." John15: various verses.

These are some of the passages and verses from our sacred scriptures that are often used at Weddings in our churches when we gather with the hope filled and happy couple that are looking to join their lives and love with the support and commitment of their Christian Community. You will notice that often the text from the author of Mark's telling of the Good News of God in Christ - the Tenth Chapter the sixth through the ninth verses will often be chosen by the happy couple "but from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the tow shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." I have yet to be asked by a couple planning their wedding or blessing ceremony to include the following verses from the Author of Mark's 10th Chapter that follow: "Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, 'whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." I wonder why?

Today as we gather to hear God's word and celebrate the sacred mysteries of bread and wine become body and blood - we are challenged and probably wanting to completely avoid these words from the writers of the texts of Genesis and Mark. It would be far easier to ignore these challenges to our 21st Century sensibilities - when we hear the words which the Genesis author records and which Jesus repeats; they are harsh to our "enlightened" ears and we've moved beyond a Church that absolutely forbids divorced people from full participation in the life of the community. The wisest thing for the preacher to do, would be to focus instead on the life and actions of the monastic 10th Century young man from Assisi in whose honor our four legged friends have joined us today to receive blessing and attention. St. Francis and the prayers attributed to his ministry about peace and simplicity would preach much easier than Divorce which is painful and private. We do not like the judgmental words of Jesus that tells us anyone who divorces is guilty of adultery. Yet these words and scriptures are part of our canon and we dismiss them at our own peril if we are to understand the heart of the message in them texts which is, I believe about the sacredness of commitment in community.

The little piece from the second chapter of Genesis that we just heard, and that we just heard Jesus quote from, is like many other passages from the sacred scriptures, so familiar that we often don't even notice it. In it's familiarity it has become almost invisible. However, it is incredibly important and says some absolutely basic things about our vision of the world and of our humanity.

Do we remember the central pronouncement in the creation story? Throughout the previous chapter in the book of Genesis God has said one thing about the creation over and over again - "and God saw that it was good." But now God looks at all that has been made, everything, and says, “It is not good.”

It is not good that the man (and here “man” means, not a male person, but a human being) should be alone. Think about that. Listen to that. Everything else is good, but this isn’t. Notice also that Adam, the human being, was hardly alone in the garden. First of all, God was with Adam in the garden. That’s a lot all by itself. Then, when the animals were all done, all of nature, all of creation, was with Adam in the garden. The whole world was there. This man was not alone!

In fact, this sounds like the perfect situation for much of popular American religion -- one man alone, surrounded by nature, with God close at hand. How many times have we heard people say that this is really all the religion anyone needs: just me, God, and the great outdoors? This is the response that I almost always receive when someone finds out that I am a priest of the Church; "I find God in the mountains; all alone with the grandeur of creation that's my Church." Notice though when God saw it, when God saw one person, God, and the great outdoors, God didn’t say, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” Instead, God said, about this and only about this: “It is not good”.

(SUNG) NO MAN IS AN ISLAND, NO MAN STANDS ALONE.
EACH MAN'S JOY IS JOY TO ME, EACH MAN'S GRIEF MY OWN. WE NEED ONE ANOTHER, SO I WILL DEFEND EACH MAN AS MY BROTHER. EACH MAN AS MY FRIEND.

Creation wasn’t finished yet. As long as the man lived in isolation from other people, the creation of a good, a complete, human being, had not yet happened. It was in order to complete creation, to make a whole human being, that the other person, Eve, is created. There are a couple of things to notice here. First of all, this story is not as much about the roles of men and women as it is about what it means to be a human being. Also, it is not saying that everyone should be married or that only married people are whole people. That’s just not true. After all, Jesus, the perfect image of God, was single. But this is saying that we human beings can only grow into who we are created to be with and through the other -- through relationship and community. This growth happens in many ways, but it does not happen alone. If you ask an honest monk where his biggest and most important struggles come from, he’ll tell you “other monks.” We do not become whole or complete in isolation, but through community, through the “other.”

It is to this end that God has given us certain structures and situations in which we can, maybe, begin to discover what it means not to be alone, and where we can have our humanity drawn, and sometimes dragged, out of us. God has given us schools of love, places to grow. One of those places is certainly in committed relationship and family. These are some examples of schools of love. While not everyone is called to the vocation of marriage, for those of us who are, this business of helping one another grow into who we are created to be is one of the primary reasons God created the partnership of marriage. To be sure, there is more to it than this, but that is primary.

In much the same way, God has called us to be the Church, and called us into this church, because without something like this we simply cannot be very Christian, in spite of -- or more likely, because of -- both the difficulty and the joy other people bring. One of the central insights of Christianity is that being a part of a real, human, chunk of the body of Christ is essential to any serious Christian growth. Like covenanted relationships and families, parish life, church life, is not really about agreement, success, having our needs met, or personal "happiness". Instead it is a school of love. It is about growth into wholeness. That is why, in Church as in families, the real ties that bind are ties of love and circumstances, not of any other sort of genetics or homogeneity. This kind of growth is simply not possible without commitment to a lifetime of effort and intentionally seeking the grace and help of God. God’s intention that marriage be life-long is not an arbitrary and difficult rule God gives us to make our lives even more difficult. Instead, such intention is a gracious and necessary (if minimal) requirement if a real covenantal marriage relationship is even to be possible. In the same way, our Baptismal vows, which include a commitment to the life of the Christian community wherever we find ourselves, are also for the long haul; for better or worse. The same is true for life vows in monastic communities and the commitments involved in the other schools of love we are given. These vows are life-long in intention, because God knows we need at least that long to begin doing what we promise to do.

Obviously there are times in our lives when that does not happen. There are situations in which the reality of health and wholeness point to separation as the only option in which hope and healing can happen. Each of us has known that reality at some point in our lives and relationships. People leave churches and find new ones as most of us know from experience. In our own communion this reality has caused painful and costly fractures to the Body of Christ. Divorce, if not part of our personal experience, is a reality in our families and friendships and we have been deeply affected by it. These failures in our intention to live in life long relationship wound deeply and those wounds need our loving, caring and compassionate attention. In our vows, either baptismal, marital or spiritual we promise before God, and in community "to do all in our power to support these persons in their new lives" baptized members of the community, as newly formed partners in life; or as ordained ministers in service to the Church. None of us enters these vows lightly. Some of us, for reasons that often God alone understands are unable to fulfill them as intended - and in those situations God is at our call to lift us up in reconciliation and compassion. The function of community is to stand with each other in our successes and our failures - and share the love of God present among us in the Christ to aid in healing our deepest woundedness.

Our vows, in baptism, in covenanted marital relationship or in ordination are sacred mysteries, built into creation and into human nature. They are schools of love, gifts of a loving God. For it is not good to be alone; and the only way to goodness, to wholeness, is through commitment, relationship, community, and the grace of God.

Amen.

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

St. Stephen's has a member who aspires to the Priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Marcos Dominquez preched this morning in that capacity.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Year B – Proper 20 (RCL) 2009
Wisdom of Solomon 1:16 – 2:1, 12–22; Ps 54; James 3:13 – 4:3, 7 – 8a; Mark 9: 30 – 37
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, September 20, 2009

THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO CHANGE IS EVERYTHING

Let us pray: God our tendency is to honor those among us who are the greatest acheivers, thinkers and leaders. We revel in competions which declare who is the greatest among us. Nobel prizes and van Kleiburn competitions – national spelling bees and American Idols grip our attentions and our accolades. You came among us to model something different. You tell us time and again that the greatest among us are those who would serve the lowliest – that achievment will be measured by the amount of service to others in your name. Help us to value the peacemakers more than the Generals, the dishwashers more than the master chief’s; the paupers more than the princesses. Challenge our conventions and shatter our sureities so that we might revel in your call to welcome the lowly and in doing so welcome you. Amen.

(SUNG) FROM THE VOICES OF CHILDREN LORD,
COMES THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE.
FROM THE VOICES OF CHILDREN LORD,
COMES THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE
THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE.

The journeing Jesus and followers continue down the paths of the Palestinian countryside, through Galilee and into Capernaum and arrive at a house to rest. All through this traveling the author of Mark’s Gospel account continues to cloak Jesus’ teachings and conversations with the disciples in secrecy. Jesus is constantly telling those whom he heals and those to whom he reveals aspects of the truth of coming among them; that they are to tell no one what has been seen or done in their midst. This “messianic secret” thread which runs through this Gospel account can often be confusing in light of the overall imperative to “preach the good news” to all the ends of the earth. Why does Jesus caution the inner circle of followers to remain silent about the deeds and revelations to which they become privy? I think that a large piece of the literary technique used by this author is to whet the appetite of those who are listening to the narrative, that we might be all the more anxious and excited to spread the message when we are finally enabled and encouraged to do so. Jesus, however, wants to be sure that the message is fully understood and grasped before the disciples set out to change the face of the world. They, like us are able to grasp the truth of Jesus’ miracles and ministry among them only in small doses; and always within the context of their everyday life experiences. Jesus, however, is always aware of the limited amount of time which he has to prepare them for their ministry – and so continues teaching in the midst of the rushed journey toward Jerusalem. Often we will experience Jesus’ frustration and observe the patient reiterating of lessons which must be grasped if the followers are to carry on the bringing of God’s Kindom among them.

Today’s story follows closely, though not immediately, on the heels of the events which we read about last week. In this 9th Chapter account we encounter the 2nd of the three passion predictions which Jesus will proclaim to the confused followers. Last week, when we heard the first – it was followed by a rebuke from Peter; this time the twelve are no more able to grasp what Jesus is trying to tell them but they have learned their lesson. No attempts at rebuking the teacher this time, instead we are told that they were afraid to ask him what they could not understand. When they arrive at Capernaum Jesus, I’m sure quite tounge in cheek, asks what they had been arguing about on the way. Can’t you just picture the response? None of them wants to admit that they had been having petty squabbles about who was the greatest among them. “No, not simon; he’s the one who’s always getting the answers wrong – and when he does get it right he sticks his foot in his mouth.” “I’m bettin on the beloved disciple – look at how much attention he gets paid?” Ego driven discipleship tends to lead to televangelists who eventually fall under the weight of their own reputations. Patiently once again the teacher takes a seat among the chosen twelve and tries to explain how different things will be in the reign of God than from what they have known.

(SUNG) FROM THE VOICES OF CHILDREN LORD,
COMES THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE.
FROM THE VOICES OF CHILDREN LORD,
COMES THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE
THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE.

In the house where they were staying, Jesus picks out one of the youngsters and sets the child in the midst of them. If you think we have seen examples of Jesus reaching out to the disenfranchized and lowliest of the society before – here is the ultimate example of the undervalued or completely ignored. It’s not that children were despised or “unclean” it’s simply that they held little to no value to the adults who surrounded them. Not really able to provide any financial or labor advantages for the household – and requiring food and shelter for their upkeep; children were seen as a necessary burden to be held onto only until they could join the labor field (males) or be bartered in marriage to the best economic advantage (females). Children’s status was just a little above that of the household slaves. A perfect example of this is illustrated in the writing of the narrative. The author not only failing to name the child whom Jesus takes into his arms – doesn’t even tell us the gender – and so the translation is “then he took a little child and put it among them.” Then Jesus takes the whole social paradigm and turns it upside down. Jesus is famous for doing this – think prostitutes, tax collectors, bleeding women and lepers! Now what was seen as having the least value is held up as the very source of our connection to God – for Jesus tells them “whoever welcomes one such Child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Those of you who consider yourselves members or at least regular attender’s of this community will receive a letter in the next few weeks from our Bob Tayler who is leading our Stewardship Planning Team and it will inform us as a community of the theological underpinning of this years campaign theme, which will in some way or another will link us to Mic’s suggestion in his remarks a few weeks ago that we need to concentrate on “A Year of Mission Building”. Over the next Sundays for the month of October we will hear from our sisters and brothers who will share their insights and passions and invite us to share ours around this special place in God’s Kindom that we call St. Stephen’s. Our time in community and around the Holy Table will remind us of the necessity of our commitment with our time, talents and treasure to the builiding up of the Kindom of God among us. Each of us has a story (at least one; and probably more) of how God’s work in our lives and in the Church has affected our families, our relationships and our lives for the betterment of the world we have been given; and instructed to guard as its stewards. We spent the past 8 weeks in small groups; and hopefully in our prayer lives and our liturgical life as Parish – reflecting on what this place has meant to us, and what we can do as a community to ensure its continuing as a presence of God’s love and healing in downtown Portland. Creative and exciting ideas are beginning to emerge – ideas which will require the commitment of ALL of us to bear fruit and blossom. We also contemplate our responsibility to ensure that God’s work continues to be done and God’s Word continues to be lived out through and among us by offering our gifts of time, talent and treasure back to the God who provided them to us in the first place. Whatever contribution we decide to set apart from the first fruits of our labor – we ask God to bless and accept our offerings because we need to make them. We will gather all of our combined offerings in November – cleaverly timed to be around the season of “Thanksgiving” that we celebrate as a Nation and also around the time that we will call a new leader to come among us as Bishop. In that timeframe we will take our offerings of treasure and talent and time - and place them upon God’s holy table as the symbol of all that we have and all that we offer.

We contribute to continue this legacy of God’s work through and among us so that we may pass it on to those generations after us just as it has been passed to us from those generations which came before. In 1977 a Presbyterian clergyperson named John Westerhoff wrote a ground breaking book in which he explored the model that Christian Churches used for education of its member, this book was titled Will Our Children Have Faith. In 2003 The National Episcopal Church’s office of Ministries With Young People sponsored a conference which they titled “Will our Faith have Children?” Over 600 faith leaders gathered to explore what the Church had lost as a result of decades of indifference to forming and enriching the faith of children, youth and adults. The conference focused on the promises of embracing lifelong learning and formation at all levels of the Church’s life. We continue to reap the benefits of placing our focus on the “little child” among us as Jesus did. Our small faith community is sadly lacking the young people that used to fill our Sunday School classrooms and noisly clammor into the pews with their parents to hear God’s Word and be filled with God’s Holy food. Our hopes and dreams as a community lead us by their very nature toward imparting that important message of God’s love for our future generations. I am confident that as we begin to more clearly define where we believe God to be calling us as a Community – God will send into our midst the laborers that are needed for the building up of God’s Kindom. In the meanwhile I share with you two stories from my work with youngsters that have filled my life with joy and my heart with hope. Harry’s family had moved quite a bit in his young life. When they arrived in town they started “church shopping.” One Sunday they would visit the Unitarians, and the next the Presbyterians. When they decided that Resurrection was going to be their spritual home – Harry was starting to get used to the place; I heard from the open car window one morning as they came rolling into the parking lot and Harry recognzied the “red doors” - “Oh great we’re going to CHURCH”! Finally, my heart will always be stirred as I remember Max who had been receving communion since his first visit after being born when I would dip my pinky into the chalice and place a small drop of the Blood of Christ the Cup of Salvation onto his tounge. When Max was about 7 months old, as I was distributing communion and approached his family waiting at the rail – out of the corner of my eye I caught his little hands reaching up from his mother’s arms and saw him making those little fingers stretch out as he screeched with joy “ah, ah, ah” at the anticipation of the small bit of sacred bread and finger full of holy wine that had become his Sunday morning treat!

(SUNG) COMES THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE
THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE.

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 19 Year B (RCL) 2009
Isaiah 50: 4 – 9a; Psalm 116: 1 – 8; James 3: 1 – 12; Mark 8: 27 – 38
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, September 13, 2009

WHO IS IT ALL ABOUT?

Let us pray: God of the burning bush, the thunder rolling across the mountains and the still small voice, we long to know who you really are. Throughout the history of our relationship with you we have struggled to know you ….the name that cannot be named; the peace that cannot be comprehended – the force and spirit that moves like the wind and can never be captured. Help us to be content in our limited knowledge. Remind us that we can compare you to things which we comprehend and probably will never fully comprehend you until we meet face to face. In the Messiah, the Anointed One you made your fullest revelation to us and it is that revelation we wish to embrace in community with you and each other. Reveal to us in your Holy One the mystery and majesty of the working out of your plan for salvation and the perfection of our lives with you. Amen.

(SUNG) JOY AT THE START, FEAR IN THE JOURNEY
JOY AT THE COMING HOME
A PART OF THE HEART GETS LOST IN THE LEARNING
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE ROAD

ALONG THE ROAD YOUR PATH MAY WANDER
YOUR PILGRIM’S FAITH MAY FAIL
ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER
DARKNESS OBSCURES THE TRAIL

The author of Mark’s telling of the Gospel continues the narrative of the ever moving and wandering itinerant rabbi from Nazareth. The Jesus revealed in this Gospel account is clearly on the move. Since the beginning of this telling Jesus has traveled from Nazareth to the banks of the Jordan, to Galilee and Capernaum, to the country of the Gerasenes, to Genesaret, to Tyre and Sidon, to Bethsaida, and now to Cesarea Philippi. The twelve have followed their teacher up and down mountains, and across the sea and back again. All along the way Jesus has been teaching and revealing more about his ministry though often through the vieled approach of parables and stories. Healings and exorcisims have marked the days of these journeys; feeding and preaching to ever growing crowds of the desperate and downtrodden of the society; Jesus moves ever forward to the destiny of events which will culminate at the cross in Jerusalem when the journey will come to rest. We can imagine conversations between them as they travel and, in fact, we are let in on some of those conversations. Jesus spends time with the twelve revealing meanings behind the metaphors of the parables, and telling them how they are to act and behave when they approach a new village to spread the good news. The conversation on this day in the journey however takes a different turn. This conversation which they have on the way toward the villages of Cesarea Phillipi will be like no other – this will be a conversation about identity; not what Jesus does or says – rather who Jesus is and what that means for them and consequently for us.

This encounter between Jesus and the inner circle of followers goes to the root of what Jesus needs to impart about his ministry and the consequences of that ministry for them in the continuation of the journey toward Calvary. In the context of our modern day understanding this would be a conversation that turns to “all about me.” We all know examples of the self absorbed neighbor or friend who turns at one point in the conversation and says, “well that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about you – what do you think of me?” It is not exactly in that exaggerated of a style, but yes Jesus does draw the conversation in and turn it to find how much of the lessons and parables, the healings and miracles his followers have been able to understand in terms of what they reveal about the true nature of his ministry. “Who do people say that I am?” How do you suppose your friends would answer that question? I imagine the responses going something like, “oh, he’s that short irish looking balding guy whose the priest over at that church by the 405.” We can gain a great deal of perspective on who we are - or more probably who we project ourselves to be by asking those closest to us what their impressions of us are. I find it rather interesting in my work that when I meet someone for the first time, someone who has come into my office to talk about questions on their spiritual journey – and I ask them to tell me something about themselves, 99% of the time the initial response will be what they do to earn a paycheck, or explain why they can’t or don’t earn a paycheck anymore. Our society has so ingrained in us the Protestant work ethic that our identity becomes firmly entrenched in our work. How refreshing it might be to have someone reply, “I’m a child of God who is struggling to figure out where that God wants me to go.”

(SUNG) CURSING THE QUEST, COURTING DISASTER
MEASURELESS NIGHT FORBODE.
MOMENTS OF REST, GLIMPSES OF LAUGHTER
ARE TREASURED ALONG THE ROAD

ALONG THE ROAD, YOUR STEPS MAY STUMBLE
YOUR THOUGHTS MAY START TO STRAY
BUT THROUGH IT ALL A HEART HELD HUMBLE
LEVELS AND LIGHTS YOUR WAY.

So Jesus enters this “all about me” territory to discover how much the followers have gained in insight and understanding of who Jesus is and what Jesus represents. The disciples share with him what they have heard. They are the ones who keep their ears open for the moods of the crowds and for the ordering of those whom they will allow to get closest to the teacher. “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” Reflecting the influence that the baptizer John had on the crowds of this time and the close link between John’s ministry and Jesus’ – many in the crowds identify Jesus with his cousin. Next Jesus is identified with the Hebrew prophets – note that the disciples reflect that the crowds do not think that Jesus is “a” prophet – rather that Jesus is one of “the” prophets. Expectation for the return of Elijah who had ascended to God without first dying was great in the lore and myth of the Jewish people. These are the stories and whisperings of the masses about Jesus since he first started moving among them. Jesus, however, wants to go deeper into this identity conversation and so the second part of the question is asked; “But who do you say that I am?” Here is where the “rubber will meet the road” to use a metaphor well beyond the context of the disciples time. Jesus wishes to know how much this band of rag tag fisherfolk have assimilated of what they have been taught. The readers know, we’ve read the author of Mark’s prologue; but the disciples have not. All the disciples have to go on are the signs and wonders which have been occurring wherever Jesus goes. Some hints have dropped for them – back in Chapter 2, the tenth verse Jesus says, “but so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and again in verse 28, “so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” In chapter 4, they are told by Jesus that they have been “given the secret of the Kingdom of God”. Again those hints are veiled and the secret obscure for uneducated common laborers like the disciples. So Peter, who we can assume is answering for all of them says “you are the Messiah”. That word, with all its baggage for the Jewish people now becomes associated for the first time in this Gospel telling with Jesus and his ministry.

Now Jesus begins to “unpack” the meaning of that word as it is used to reflect his ministry on earth. Jesus will not be the “Messiah” which the great majority of the Jewish people expect. Messiah means “annointed one” and comes from the tradition of the kings and priests who were set aside by God for the service of God and sealed by ritual annointing with oils and in that annointing are empowered for their ministry. What was expected then around the messiah was perhaps a return of a great King – or the fulfillment of the visions and promises of the great prophets wherein the people of Israel would become a great nation and the ruler of nations. Rather, Jesus reveals for them the suffering servant image from Isaiah’s prophesies and explains that he will fulfill that promise – that he will be scorned and rejected and killed and three days after rise again. This is far beyond any of their ability to comprehend, so once more Peter acts on their behalves and takes Jesus aside to rebuke him we’re told. Peter, ever Peter I can just hear him – “now teacher you don’t want to go and get everybody upset like that….we have no intention of letting you get into the hands of the chief priests and the scribes and getting yourself killed; and, by the way dead is dead, people don’t come back three days after their dead”. But the question of Jesus’ identity is too important for Jesus to ignore any longer. The twelve, at least, must be made to understand what is going to happen in the days ahead. The rebuke switches sides and Jesus now rebukes Peter and his attempt to avoid the reality of the sacrifices which must be made to bring about the promised Kindom of God. So, Jesus calls the crowd in addition to the disciples and begins to teach the reality of the Cross – not only the Cross that Jesus must bear but also the cross that each of those who want to call themselves followers must bear for the sake of the Gospel.

(SUNG) JOY AT THE START, FEAR IN THE JOURNEY
JOY IN THE COMING HOME
A PART OF THE HEART, GETS LOST IN THE LEARNING
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE ROAD
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE ROAD

I share with you the story of Georgene Johnson. Georgene was living in Cleveland OH when she turned 42 years old. She decided that if she had to be 42 years old she was at least going to be a solid and healthy 42 years old. So Georgene decided to exercise and focus on maintaining a good healthy life – as part of her exercise routine she began to run. Every day she would run and slowly she began to get better and better at her running. Georgene thought that a little competition might help to motivate her running and so she entered a 10K run. For those of you, like me, who have no idea what that distance is, its about 6 miles. Not too challenging, but challenging enough for a beginning runner. Nervous about her first race, she arrived early and much to her surprise there were already a lot of people milling around, stretching their limbs and warming up for the race. All of a sudden a voice on the microphone said “move to the starting line”. This is it, she thought, a gun sounded and they were off like a huge wave, hundreds of runners, sweeping her up, Georgene was in the race. After about four miles it occurred to her that they ought to be turning around and heading back to the finish line. She stopped and asked an official “how come the course isn’t turning around?” Then came the reply from the race official, “Ma’am this is the Cleveland Marathon, you have about 24 miles to go.” Georgene’s event, the 10K was to start a half hour after the start of the marathon. Some of us would have stopped right there and said that’s it, I’m going home. To Georgene’s credit she kept right on going, and finished the race. She said this, “this is not the race I trained for. This is not the race I entered. But for better or worse, this is the race that I’m in.”

This was not the journey which the disciples had set out on, this was not the journey which they had visioned. This was not what Peter had bargained for when he dropped everything to follow this teacher. It was however, the journey that the teacher was asking them to continue. It was the journey that would change their lives and the lives of hundreds of millions who would follow after them. It is the journey that you and I are asked to take up and continue. It is the journey which we are blessed and privlidged to share with each other and with Jesus. It is not the destination, it is the journey.

Amen.

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Senior Warden of St. Stephen's took the sermon time this morning to update the community on the results of our "discernment" work and Mission & Ministry planning for the future. I post it here for those of you who would like to read it.

DIRECTION DISCERNMENT HOMILY

This morning I am here to report to you the consensus of our discernment meetings for implementing the mission we identified in July. Our meeting phase has ended, and the planning phase begins today. I want to thank Fr. Dennis for giving me this time today.
What I have learned is that discernment works in mysterious ways.

I have no idea how Jean and I decided to offer First Corinthians as the September discussion topic for Adult Inquiry. It just came to us that it would be a good idea at this time to read it.
Corinth was the largest city in its province. It was an important port. It had more microbreweries and strip clubs per capita than any other city in the world. Its work depended heavily on slaves from other countries. Corinth was not so much un-churched as any churched. Its new Christian community was small, uncertain and contentious. But if anything, it was the downtown church of all downtowns. However, they were not in good standing with the leaders of the synagogue. They had stopped sending money to the mother church in Jerusalem. They had questions about sex and sexuality and argued about the roll of women in the church. Some drifted from one preacher to the next and had started to identify themselves with other liturgies. Others were tangled in ecclesiastical lawsuits over form and practice. Many had come to question Paul and his message and some complained that his sermons were dull. Especially compared to the new guy in town Apollos. And worst of all, perhaps, many had started to see the Eucharist as an event for socializing. Coffee hour at St. Paul’s in Corinth began at the table and often ended under it.

Paul had a vision of Christ and made it his mission to preach the good news. He believed in love above all things and invited us to think of ourselves as "servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries."
In 1 Corinthians he tries to articulate in practical terms what a church might look like. He has a vision; he has a mission and now tries the 2
difficult task of spelling out the details. How to get this thing to work.
At St. Stephen’s we believe with Paul in the stewardship of God’s mystery.
We discern that God is telling us that there is specific and special work to do at 13th and Clay. That work involves providing a spiritual home for those seeking communion and solace embraced in that mystery. And as the outward and visible expression of the grace we find here, we wish to be a community that reaches out to those of our little corner who are in need: the hungry, sick, lonely and hurt.

Our discernment process begins with the solidly expressed desire to remain in this place and to continue to search for a way to stay here permanently.
What will we do here?

First, we must project a fiscal plan for 2010 that operates within our means. For 2009 we have operated with a projected deficit. Next year we will need to make serious decisions about our priorities under reduced means.

Second, we will initiate programs to grow our presence as a center for spiritual healing.

Third, we will look to create partnerships that support our direction and enhance our capabilities.

And fourth, we are agreed to take steps to increase local awareness of who we are and what we are doing and to grow the congregation.

What are some of the practicalities?
First let’s review our financial position:

o We have no endowment or large reserve.

o At the end of August our cash position was roughly $75k. Our less liquid investments were valued at just under $60k.

o At the annual meeting in January we adopted a plan that forecast a shortfall of $56k and an intention to balance the year by drawing down our cash holdings. We are still able to do that. Our expenses are tracking very close to plan. For example YTD our music program appears to be within $17 of the forecast. But everyone needs to know we are still not paying our diocesan assessment.

o The good news is that our contributions are running at a rate of 11.6% ahead of the plan. This is due largely to some truly timely and generous gifts. At this rate our deficit would only be $32k, by the end of the year. So even though we need to continue to be concerned, everyone should know that we will not be broke at the end of December. But we cannot play the same card again.

How about our building?

o The bottom line on our building is this: it is not going to fall down around our ears on its own. It would be in trouble with a major earthquake, snowstorm or fire.

o We do not have the resources to bring it up to code. But to stay here longer we do need to consider doing some of the maintenance that has been deferred. This would include our old favorite of repairs to the roof.

How will we implement our mission?

We will start a Parish Care Program. I hope everyone has had a chance to read the article by our Deacon, Ken Arnold in this month’s Sentinel. It envisions a St. Stephen’s program, which would lead our mission to provide a downtown center for spiritual peace and healing. Some of its activities would include

1) Participation in laying on of hands during the Sunday Eucharist,

2) Visiting parishioners in hospital or at home recovering

3) Partnering with our neighbor Julia West House or Operation Nightwatch to visit the sick who are homeless or lack family care. We have two excellent and experienced trainers in Bill North and Palmer Pardington who have offered to help with this program. Those of you who are interested are invited to talk directly to Ken.

We are in discussion to start an evening service at the south waterfront. It would be a way of reaching out into our neighborhood to spread the good news among those whom we live! Kevin Countryman, the proprietor of Rilassi Coffee House is open to the idea of our doing a healing service there. Today, the south waterfront has no churches and no organized spiritual activity and just happens to be at the streetcar terminus for the line that comes past Clay Street.

We want to figure out how to tell our story at PSU. Historically we have not been very good at this; and practically no other church at this end of town has either. But it continues to be of obvious interest.

On the creative side some have suggested inviting another church to prepare and provide an additional meal using our kitchen and parish hall. I have been part of a joyous conversation envisioning a blessing of bicycles. And at our last vestry meeting one of our newest members Ed Garren proposed organizing a shared Thanksgiving meal for the entire community. I love this kind of energy!

What can each of us do?

Bob Tayler is this year’s Stewardship Chairperson. Shortly he will be talking to us about our campaign for our Year of Mission Building. It is a given that we will all need to search ourselves on the matter of treasure. But I would hold out that next year is a very important year for increased gifts of time and talent.

In Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians Paul talks about the variety of spiritual gifts, "To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit." And later in Chapter 14 he asks, "What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up."
What is your ministry today? What can be your ministry going forward? When I last spoke to you four weeks ago I gave examples of those whose ministries have run long and deep. I see in The Sentinel John Marks is back on the essay trail.

There is a new ministry I would like to tell you about today. I know they would keep this secret, but Drew and Marcos have asked to take on the church cleaning job as their gift of talent this year to start in the next few weeks. Fr. Dennis is working out the details with them, but it is a gift that takes my breath away.

What can you do? Are you a leader? We will need three new members for the Vestry next year. Are you a bookkeeper? Sue Rossiter’s time as our volunteer treasurer is coming to an end. Who wants to start an Altar Guild? Who can own the 10:00 coffee hour? Who would like to work on the library, help count money, become a lector, be an acolyte? Lead a discussion group. Help publicize our concerts. Organize a potluck. Sing in the choir. Coordinate with Portland’s hotel concierges. Work on the Parish Care Committee. We are rich in the spirit and rich in talent and the opportunities are endless.

And as Paul says concluding his letter to the Corinthians, "Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous and strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

When we depart this morning, we will offer a prayer to our God of abundance and ask to be sent forth in the power of his Spirit.
We have a joyful dream and our time is now. I personally discern a lot of love in this place and an abundant future for St. Stephen’s as we proclaim God’s redeeming love of our world.

[Amen]

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17) – Year B (RCL) 2009
Deuteronomy 4: 1 – 2; 6 – 9; Psalm 15; James 1: 17 – 27; Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, August 30, 2009

OF ALL THAT IS, CLEAN AND UNCLEAN

Let us pray: Fill our hearts, oh God with a sense of true religion; the root of that word which is a proper conduct toward others. Help us to learn that through your law we are set free to be a people ruled by love and not by law. Plant your law deep into our hearts that we might proclaim your love and justice to all who have neither. All these things we pray in your holy and life giving name. Amen.

(SUNG) BE THOU MY VISION, O LORD OF MY HEART;
ALL ELSE BE NAUGHT TO ME, SAVE THAT THOU ART –
THOU MY BEST THOUGHT BY DAY OR BY NIGHT,
WAKING OR SLEEPING THY PRESENCE MY LIGHT.

I find it incredibly ironic. As you are by now well aware, in the great majority of Christian Churches the scripture readings assigned for each Sunday are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. Now not all churches use this lectionary (and, in fact there are different and separate Lectionaries for the Roman Catholic Church and Episcopal Churches by order of General Convention have until the year 2010 to completely switch). In the RCL for this Sunday the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures in the book of Deuteronomy the second verse reads “you must neither add anything to what I command you nor take anything from it” and then the RCL jumps to verse 6 omitting verses 3 through 5! What’s up with that?

In this Hebrew book (literally meaning “second law” – as it repeats in the 12th through 26th Chapters much of the legal code found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers) Moses addresses the people of Judah in 3 distinct discourses; in the first person for the first 2 discourses and then in the third person for the final or “farewell” discourse to the people of Y—WEH just prior to their entrance into the promised land. Much of the detail of the first six books of Hebrew Scripture or Torah deals with the “legalism” of the proscriptions of the Jewish faith and tradition. It is this “legalism” that Isaiah Chapter 29 v. 13 and later Jesus in the author of Mark’s account of the Gospel decries. “Because this people worship me with empty words and pay me lip-service while their hearts are far from me, and their religion is but a human precept, learnt by rote.” Now this good Irish Catholic boy certainly has rote religion in his head. The words of the Baltimore Catechism are still emblazoned in my brain: Question, “Who made you?” Answer, “God made me.” Question, “Who is God?” Answer “God is the Supreme Being who made all things and keeps them in existence.” Question, “Why did God make you?” Answer, “God made me to show forth His goodness and to share with me His everlasting happiness in heaven.” And I could go on and on – these things just live in my brain, I don’t know why.

So, I find myself this morning reflecting on several questions that have been ruminating in my brain since I first started to prepare this sermon. The first is what we remember and how we remember. The author of Deuteronomy has Moses speak to the people of Judah these words: “But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life;” an interesting command since we might admit that it is just that tendency – to forget the things that our eyes have seen – and rather concentrate on those things which others have seen and report back to us that can lead us into the trap of living a dead faith. This is always the tendency of religion; to shroud ourselves in the ritual and tradition of our faith as it has been handed down to us and neglect the living out of that faith in our own time. This is the proscription that can lead us to a religion that bases itself on “tradition” to the exclusion of “experience” which the Caroline founder’s of Anglicanism, our spiritual ancestors called “reason”. Scripture, Tradition and Reason (relying no more heavily on one to the exclusion of the others) form the famous “three legged stool” of Anglican thought. Jaroslov Pelikan, Sterling Professor of History at Yale University is quoted as saying, “Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition is the living faith of the dead.” The writer of the deuteronomic text, addresses Moses remarks to the gathered people, we should note, in the present tense: “…so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.” I would suggest that this technique is used so that the hearers of these words into millennia beyond their writing might vision the law as a living entity, which still feeds and nourishes their hearts and souls.

(SUNG) BE THOU MY WISDOM, AND THOU MY TRUE WORD;
I EVER WITH THEE AND THOU WITH ME, LORD;
THOU MY CREATOR; THINE OWN MAY I BE;
THOU IN ME DWELLING, AND I ONE WITH THEE.

The second of the questions that I mentioned previously has to do with the message of Jesus that is addressed to the Pharisees in this morning’s Gospel reading – and for me it is difficult question. How do we respect the tradition of the faith, those things which have been handed down to us through the Church – and yet avoid the very things, which Jesus seems to be addressing to his detractors? I was less than thrilled to discover that the word which we translate “hypocrites” is from the Greek hypokritēs which is actually the Greek work for “actor”, having spent the better years of my youth in that profession. How do I avoid letting the “rituals” of my religion – becoming the rote actions of my childhood memories? The ritual prayers and actions of our liturgy are comforting and familiar and are a piece of what allows us to connect our hearts and minds to God. AND – they are not and cannot be the end all of our religious expression. One of the ways that we avoid this danger is to occasionally revise the way we pray. This may help us to call ourselves up short and re-focus our hearts and minds to the God who lives beyond our rituals – and who longs to live in our hearts as well as our churches. As a leader in ritual prayer and action for the Church – in my priesthood and sacramental ministry, I search for ways to keep myself mindful of this pitfall of my ritual becoming my prayer. One of the ways that we can do this is to remind our brains that the rote prayer and familiar wording of our liturgical expression is not the only way that we can address God in prayer. By substituting the language of the Holy Eucharist from our Book of Common Prayer with the Supplemental Liturgical Materials from Enriching Our Worship, which we do during the summer months – we have the opportunity to hear with “new ears” the ancient prayers of our sacred mysteries. I give thanks to God and to this place for that opportunity as I continue to live out my ministry among you.

Part of what the author of Mark’s Gospel has Jesus convey to the people addressed in this morning’s story is the “nuts and bolts” of the washing of hands and cups, pots and bronze kettle’s; the “purification” rituals of the Jewish people. The author who was addressing a primarily Gentile audience uses the story to illustrate the danger of allowing our ritual to become our religion. The Episcopal Church like our sisters and brothers from other “liturgical” traditions face this danger. Allow me to illustrate with a story which I found recounted by Anthony deMello, the story of the guru's cat: it seems there was a guru who would have meditation services every evening and his cat would always run in the middle of those meditating. So every evening before the service, the guru would tie the cat to the tree outside. Then the guru died and the new guru also had the cat tied to the tree every evening in the same way. When the cat died, the new guru had an assistant immediately go out and buy a new cat to tie to the tree in the same way. The new guru even wrote a manual on the correct way to tie the cat to the tree before meditation services.

I invite you to notice that the debated “hand washing” ritual purification continues in our own liturgical tradition. Before approaching God’s Holy Table, the presider participates in what is called “the lavabo” (from the Latin for “I will wash”). Water is poured over the fingers in a symbolic ritual cleansing of the priest who will participate on behalf of God’s people to offer sacrificial gifts of bread and wine in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. As a reminder around our ritual, though, Jesus tells us that it is NOT what comes from outside a person that defiles, but rather that which comes from within. During that lavabo time a silent prayer is suggested from Psalm 51 and often whispered, “Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” We might note, however, that the words translated as “wash” and “washing” which the author has the narrator use in verse 4 of our reading this morning are “baptizo” and “baptizmos” which, as you may guess are generally translated as baptize and baptism. We must be careful not to demonize and totally dismiss the ministry of the Pharisees which can be an easy temptation in the Gospels of the synoptic author’s. These men were the teachers and protector’s of not only the “law” or “Torah” but also of the interpretation of that law, or what would become known as the “Mishnah” so that it could be moved out of the temple restrictions and lived in the everyday lives of an occupied people to remind them who and whose they were. Jesus, in the events depicted in our story from the author of Mark’s retelling, simply calls them to realize that the beauty of the law lies in its spirit rather than its letter. Jesus comes, we will be told later, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Jesus calls these religious leaders to task because they are living out Isaiah’s prophecy when they are told; “You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” Therefore, we might surmise that all of the ritual hand washing and purification rites and laws will not make us clean. This does not mean that we can come to the table and eat dinner without washing our hands (me sainted Irish mither may she rest in peace would be horrified), but rather that the spiritual waters with which we are cleansed in birth and baptism have purified us before God to live as God’s chosen people, still bound by the law – but no longer slaves to it. Blind obedience to “ritual laws” will not suffice in the new Covenant – but the law written deep within our hearts, by God will set us free.

(SUNG) High ruler of heaven, when victory is won;
may I reach heaven’s joys, bright heaven’s sun!
heart of my heart, -- whatever be fall,
still be my vision, o ruler of all.

We’ve reached another turning point in our lives as community. Summer is ending and we will soon return to the familiar routines of fall – school will start and vacation times will end. Life will return to its yearly patterns in our homes and our church. As we slip back into the rhythms of soccer practice and car pools, grocery shopping and choir practices on Wednesday evenings – let us not forget what our eyes have seen and our ears have heard; God is calling us to new places in our ministries in the Church and in the world and there is much work to be done. God’s promise is to be with us in the journey wherever it may take us – if we are conscious of God in the ritual of our lives then we will have blessing in all of our comings and goings.

Amen

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – (Proper 16) Year B (RCL) 2009
Joshua 24: 1 – 2a, 14 – 18; Psalm 34: 15 – 22; Ephesians 6: 10 – 20; John 6: 56 – 69
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, August 22, 2009


THE GOD WHO OFFENDS

Let us pray: Do we offend you God? Is your power and distance great enough to ignore our feble attempts to limit you by our understanding? You offer us all that you have, even to the point of dwelling among us in the flesh – and we are often unwilling or unable to hear your voice. What we do not understand we fear and what we fear most greatly we destroy. In offering your Holy One you risked everything to continue your covenant with us as you promised. Guide us in your ways that are not our ways and speak to us in thoughts that are not our thoughts. May your Word be among us as the truth which we cannot ignore – so that your Gospel may bring hope to the hopeless and love to loveless. We pray this in name of the Holy One of God, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

(SUNG) SUNDAY MORNING VERY BRIGHT – I READ YOUR BOOK BY
COLORED LIGHT THAT CAME IN THROUGH THE PRETTY
WINDOW PICTURE.

As I was sitting in my very crowded home “office” on Saturday morning and collecting my thoughts for the words which God might give me to speak – I was able to slip my not so worse for the wear surgically altered knee under the table we use for a desk and back up the chair against the 6 drawer standing bureau that are jammed into the “spare bedroom” since our home is in the misdt of a remodel. I’m told that many in this immediate situation would avoid the cluter and confusion of our living space – the reminiscent touch of college dorm life that comes with having one’s mattress and box-spring on the floor of the living room – and the activities of this remodel event like the plague and that the bedlam and crowding of the hallways and living spaces with other family “treasures” would drive them to distraction. Several people during this weeks long process have commented to me that I don’t seem to be anywhere near as distrubed as others might be. My guess is part of that has to do with growing up in a four bedroom one bath house with thirteen other individuals all of whom had their collections and possessions; and another part of it is that I’m basically a lot more “laid back” kind of guy in many aspects then many others including my partner, who is having a much more difficult remodel expereince than am I. As I stepped out into the hallways and picked up boxes of clothes to be taken to William Temple House and chachka’s to move into the great unknown of others lives, I was struck to ask what is this thing we call “church” that will gather us in from the distance of our private lives to share with others in community and fellowship? Why do we, who live in the most “unchurched” state in the union gather together to do church, or rather to be church? The collection of individuals and families who join together every Sunday to remember God’s promise to be with us whenever two or three of us gather in God’s name is one thing. In our liturgical and eucharistic gathering and sharing in the gifts of God for the people of God we are fed and nourished by Christ’s Body and Blood; and while this happens in the midst of the gathered community that sharing can also be deeply personal and private between ourselves and our God. What amazes me even more though is our commitment to the Church and to each other, which gathers us on a weekday afternoon to contribute to the feeding program; for a bible study meeting or a Saturday at 8:00 in the morning to make coffee, pour juice and set banquet hall table to reach out and offer them to the greater community in order to feed the hungry and share the good news of God’s love in our lives with those who deperately need to hear that message. We give of our time and our money for a good cause, whatever that cause may be in our communal life. The rasing of our consiciousness around our mission and ministry in the downtown neighborhood in which we find oursleves proclaiming God’s love to the world is important and difficult work. I commend those of you who have given of your time in working out the details of our mission and ministry – I ecnourge those of you who have not to find someone in parish leadership and share your thoughts and fears; feelings and concerns with them. Perhaps what is more important and glorifying to our God is the witness which the gathered community makes to say “we are the presence of God’s Body and Blood in the downtown south park blocks of Portland Oregon for the past One Hundred and forty five plus years and we are always looking to invite others into that community of witness. “To feed those that are hungry in body and spirit, and provide spritual comfort and heartfelt welcome”

(SUNG) I VISITED SOME HOUSES WHERE THEY SAID THAT YOU WERE
LIVING – AND THEY TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOU AND THEY
SPOKE ABOUT YOUR GIVING. THYE PASSED A BASKET
WITH SOME ENVELOPES, I JUST HAD TIME TO WRITE A
NOTE; AND ALL IT SAID WAS “I BELIEVE IN YOU.”

In our shared story with the Hebrew people we heard this morning from the final chapter of the Book of Joshua which is a piece of a unique and extensive history of the wandering period in the wilderness for God’s chosen people. This final chapter is a piece of Joshua’s farewell discourse and talks of the covenant ceremony at the holy place of Shechem and of Joshua’s death. God is depicted in this history as closely involved in the events described as a God of battles whose power is clearly manifested in the conquests and successes of the people of Israel. In our pericope from the book this morning several verses are combined to create a vision in which Josuah gathers all the people, the elders, heads of families, judges and officers of Israel from all of the tribes together at the Holy place of Shechem to remind them of their covenental promise and to seek their commitment to that promise once more before he dies. It is from this pericope, in the final sentence of the 15th verse that we encounter the phrase which has become familiar to us on plaques and wall hangings in Christian bookstores, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Now I will just bet that as you listened to Choi (or Mic or Jean) this morning, you were struck by imagery and depiction of the author of the early letter to the Ephesians request that the believers “put on the whole armor of God.” I know that I was struck by it when I realised that in the epistle reading for the day all of the imagery and metaphor that speak to battle and forces of the evil one and the wiles of cosmic forces of darkness; the author encourages the faithful of Ephesus to put on their feet whatever will make them ready to proclaim the Gospel of peace – I’m sorry, say again – I didn’t hear very much of a Gospel proclaiming peace in that pericope. When we gathered in the sacristy after last Sunday’s services; I was thrilled and delighted to be reminded by Stephen that this weeks Gospel reading, was ONCE AGAIN – about Jesus’ disturbing message regarding the flesh and blood presence of our God among us. The mainline liberal protestant preaching sites and blogs which I visit on a pretty regular basis for insight and inspiration were all abuzz this week with the difficulty of finding ANYTHING more to say about the end of the sixth chapter of the author of John’s gospel, and with the challenge of addressing the author of Ephesian’s militaristic metaphor in inviting us to be strong in God and in the strength of God’s power. As difficult as that passage might be for some of my sister’s and brothers who will climb the pulpit today – I am grateful beyond description that I do not face the challenge of my brother priest’s who must address (or more probably will totally ignore) the lesson chosen for the Roman Catholic lectionary from Ephesians for today which speaks of “wives submitting themselves to their husbands.” If you think I’m going to near that, you can think again.

What I do find fascinating in the pericope from the Ephesian’s text is that “the armor” pieces which the writer identifies are, with the exception of the sword, all defensive weapon’s, to be used by the believer’s not in agression or military dominance; rather as defense against the spiritual forces of evil. The metaphor would certainly have spoken to the audience of it’s day (around 100 C.E.) which lived in the reality of the Roman Empire and it’s soldier’s, fully armed for their opression and control of the populace. How clever, for this author whom most scholars agree is of the “Pauline school” and not Paul himself, to use the common descriptors and images of the oppressive military regime and turn them into a description of the power of God to shield the faithful with salvation, righteousness, faith, truth, peace and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God! The end of this letter speaks directly to those of us who have as a principle part of our ministry the preaching of God’s Good News. The challenges and rewards of Sunday after Sunday seeking out the kernal’s of God’s guidence hidden in the treasure of our Scriptures and seeking to apply its wisdom and insight for God’s people and God’s Church. The author writes, “Pray also for me, that I may be granted the right words when I speak, and may boldy and freely make known the the hudden purpose of the gospel…” The Rev. Dr. Linda Clader who is professor of Homiletics at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA wrote in the introduction to her book Voicing the Vision: Imagination and Prophetic Preaching, the following comment which I share with you, “Preaching is dangerous because it opens doors to the holy. Whether it occurs in the context of a eucharistic liturgy or a service of lessons and carols, we believe that somehow Christ is present in the Word proclaimed and that our preaching is part of that proclamation. Whether we are guest preachers in cathedrals or long-time pastors of small churches, we believe that somehow we are called to make God's ways known anew to this group of people at this time. And whether we speak in an informal vernacular or painstakingly craft a piece of poetry, we understand that the words we use are only a small part of the message our listeners receive, and that a large share of that message is entirely out of our control. We can be totally misunderstood,. We can touch someone's hot button and spend the rest of the week having to pour water on a brush fire. And sometimes we discover to our amazement that while we thought we were preaching a sermon hurriedly prepared or ill-conceived, one of our parishioners was hearing something life-changing. We can't make that happen and yet we understand that we have a responsibility to prepare and to act as if it might.”.

(SUNG) I VISITED YOUR HOUSE AGAIN, ON CHRISTMAS OR
THANKSGIVING – AND A BALDED MAN SAID YOU WERE
DEAD, BUT THE HOUSE WOULD GO ON LIVING. HE RECITED
POETRY, AND AS HE SAW ME STAND TO LEAVE – HE SHOOK
HIS HEAD AND SAID I’D NEVER FIND YOU.


So my sisters and brothers we reach - for the fifth Sunday in a row - the author of John’s account of the Good News of God in Christ’s 6th Chapter and the discourse on the “Bread of Life”. I would also point out that we are on page 5 of my sermon text and my sermon’s are rarely longer than 5 typewritten pages in 12 point font at space and a half per line. So, I have successfully avoided having to preach on this text for which I have absolutely nothing left to say. Seriously though, in this particular visit the lectionary places the emphasis on Jesus’ question to the twelve after the other disciples have decided that the message which is being taught to difficult and they turn away from following the Nazarene carpenter’s son. Jesus turns to them and asks, “Do you also wish to go away?” Who among us at one time or another, faced with difficulties or heartbreaks, grief or burden’s has not wanted to say “yes, I do wish to go away; this is too hard, it is just more than I can bear.” Peter, in one of the brief shining moments of his ministry responds not as “ever Peter” and has the grace, and strength and blessing to respond “Lord, to whom can we go?” I can almost hear couched in that simple response the sub-text in Peter’s mind “we might not know where we’re headed, when we’ll get there or what the ending point will look like; but we’ve come this far and we ain’t turnin’ back now.” The miracle of our relationship with this carpenter’s son is that we are free to go away. God, in Christ loves us so much and so unconditionally that we are free to leave whenever we choose. We are free to stop following and Jesus will never stop loving, giving, healing and protecting, because of the covenant God made with God’s people and because of the truth revealed in Peter’s faith declaration, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Amen.

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15) – Year B (RCL) 2009
1 Kings 2: 10 – 12, 3: 3 – 14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5: 15 – 20; John 6: 51 – 58
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, August 16, 2009

HOLY GIFTS FOR HOLY PEOPLE

Let us pray: Saviour Jesus, we know you in incarnate and eucharistic revelation. In the obscure and distant “facts” of your earthly presence among us, and in the intimate and immediate gifts of your body and blood which we share week after week. When we think we have you all figured out – you enter our hearts and our souls to upset our routine and remind us of your mystery. Fill our minds with your Word, and our bodies with your body. Feed us with your holy gifts that we might be worthy to be your holy people. Comfort us with your truth – and shock us with your mystery that we might become all that you deign for us to be. Amen.

(SUNG) GIVE US A SIGN, THAT WE MIGHT BELIEVE IN YOU – MOSES
GAVE US MANNA FROM THE SKY.
LOOK BEYOND THE BREAD YOU EAT – SEE YOUR SAVIOUR
AND YOUR GOD. LOOK BEYOND THE CUP YOU DRINK – SEE
GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT AS BLOOD.

I have to begin my remarks this morning by expressing my frustration at the compiler’s of the Revised Common Lectionary. We follow that prescribed lectionary which determines the sequence of readings from the Hebrew testament, the songs or Psalms of the people of Israel, the letters or teachings directed to the earliest Christian communities forming in the first and second centuries of the common era (more commonly called the epistles) and the narration of the events and teachings of Jesus the Christ as handed down in the four canonical Gospels. My difficulty with the readings chosen for this Sunday, the eleventh after Pentecost (Proper 15) of Year B is that we differ very little from the stories as we heard them presented last Sunday – and yes, even though we were on Vacation, Michael & I attended the 8:15 Sung Eucharist (Rite 1 I might add, complete with the “prayer of humble access”) at Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish in Colorado Springs, CO. If you can remember ALL that way back – we read from the telling of the Good News by the author of John’s account about the events just after the feeding of the five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish when Jesus makes the first of the “I Am” statements refering to himself as “the bread of life”. Well, thank you very much – but we heard all that last week! Now, we are given by those responsible for the lectionary this eight verse pericope which tacks onto the ending of that discourse about eating of the body and drinking of the blood. Couldn’t we be a bit more efficent and just have included these verses last week? Why do we have to have two Sunday’s in a row where we foucs on this difficult image of eating flesh and drinking blood? Why does the author of this Gospel have to pound it out so mercilessly? Eat my body, drink my blood, yes we get it already.

Now you, the small yet faithful attendees of this urban downtown Episcopal Parish did not hear from me last Sunday, yet I trust that Palmer wrote about the bread of life and I’m sure you do not need to be reminded just a short seven days later what he felt that “I Am” statement of Jesus has to say to us who gather in Jesus’ name and share the bread and wine each Sunday. Even though I was not your preacher last week, I can assure you that I would have writen a brilliant sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost and it’s basic thrust would have been that Jesus as “the bread of life” is not sliced white wonder bread that helps build strong bodies twelve ways. Sitting so smugly in the pew last Sunday morning, I was just thrilled that I wouldn’t have to preach, yet again on the Author of John’s text that can be difficult for anyone to hear. I suppose that I could have just “borrowed” the sermon I heard last Sunday and delivered it to you this morning – [and I always find that to be troublesome since God’s spirit is trying to say something through a preacher’s remarks which are specific for the particular audience to which they are written.] No, it would appear that we will have to probe deeper into these readings this morning and find out what God is trying to convey in this most disturbing of metaphors about eating flesh and drinking blood, and that is no easy task. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

(SUNG) I AM THE BREAD WHICH FROM THE HEAVENS CAME, THOSE
WHO EAT THIS BREAD WILL NEVER DIE.
LOOK BEYOND THE BREAD YOU EAT – SEE YOUR SAVIOUR
AND YOUR GOD. LOOK BEYOND THE CUP YOU DRINK – SEE
GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT AS BLOOD.

Most of us who have been part of this liturgical tradition of a eucharistic centered community have been able to “desensitize” our ears and understandings about this eating of flesh and drinking of blood – and the Church helps us to do this by using in our weekly commemoration of Christ’s memorial redemptive act the slight twist of the language which the synoptic writers left us “Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body given for you.” I don’t know about you, but for me it is a bit more tolerable to contemplate on the eucharist as Christ’s “body” than it is to focus on it being “the flesh of the Son of Man.” The Greek, however, in this 6th Chapter of the author of John’s account is “sarx” which is definitely translated as “flesh” and not the Greek “soma” which is translated as body. One of my sermon preparation resources also notices another surprise in the Greek text in this chapter and that is the word translated as “eat”. The Greek for the word in this discourse changes from the generic polite word for eating, “phage” to the much more coarse and earthy Greek word “trogan” which is perhaps better translated as “munch” or “gnaw” or “gulp”. So here we can translate as “those who munch on my flesh and gulp of my blood abide in me and I in them.” No wonder the hearer’s of this discourse are shocked and confused. Especially in a society where what was eaten and it’s level of purity and cleanliness was of paramount importance. No observant Jew would ever think of allowing human flesh and blood to pass their lips. We are told that many turned away and no longer followed after these events.

Part of the reason for the use of the more gutteral and earthy words of Jesus around munching of flesh and drinking of blood in this author’s account might have to do with several early Christian heresy’s with which the Gospel’s audience would have been familiar. Most notably “docetism” and “gnosticism” which among other things discounted the human sufferings and death of the divine Son of God. The author of John’s account might have intentionally used this more human and earthy wording in the bread of life discourse to point up the truth that Jesus of Nazareth – the son of God, was also human and experienced all of the fleshly aspects of that humanity. Also, we should remember that way back in the prolouge to this Gospel account the author introduces Jesus as “the Word became flesh”. In this narrative event, Jesus points up that flesh and offer’s the followers this startling and shocking discourse about the eucharistic gifts which will be left as a memorial of his presence among us. Part of this, I think, also has contributed to the more protestant and evangelical branches of the Church retreating from Eucharistic centered worship and focusing more on the Word of God and not the Flesh of God.

(SUNG) THE BREAD I GIVE YOU WILL BE MY VERY FLESH, MY
BLOOD WILL TRULY BE YOUR DRINK.
THIS MAN SPEAKS HARSHLY, WHO CAN LISTEN TO HIS
WORDS, WE WILL NO LONGER FOLLOW HIM. LOOK BEYOND
THE BREAD YOU EAT, SEE YOUR SAVIOUR AND YOUR GOD.
LOOK BEYOND THE CUP YOU DRINK, SEE GOD’S LOVE
POURED OUT AS BLOOD.

So, where does that leave us, those of us who gather around this table each Sunday and share gifts of bread and wine, gifts of flesh and blood – holy gifts for holy people? We in the Catholic tradition of the Church who – although we do not hold to the understanding of transubstantiation in our eucharistic sacrifice, do hold to the understanding of consubstantiation; that in some unkown and mysterious way, through the actions of my hands and the function of our community Jesus become present to us in our bread and wine as body and blood given for the world God has made? We enter in this liturgical realm, deep theological mystery. We recall the events of the life, death and resurrection – the incarnation – of our God made flesh among us, both in the last supper narratives of the synoptic Gospels and in this earthy and gutsy retelling of the bread of life narrative in the fourth Gospel.

Folks we all come to this table loaded down with our understandings of what happens in this sacred mystery which we share each week; of what we have been taught to believe about this sacrament of God’s body and blood. I am not here to tell you what you “must” believe about this sacred moment in your week. That is one of the true graces of the “via media” in Anglican thought and theology. I would point out that if you question what the Church thinks about this gift of God for the people of God, there are no less than nine Eucharistic Prayer in our Prayer Book and Supplemental Liturgical materials which contain the details and understandings of Eucharistic Theology in nine different and wonderful ways – and even they cannot contain the totality of the grace and mystery present in events they narrate. The moment I think I understand what happens in the Eucharist, when I think I “know” what this Eucharist is all about – then I am in big trouble. Then the word of God fills my heart and my head with the nonsensical nature of eating flesh and drinking blood, of gifts given for the life of the world, of holy gifts for holy people of which I am totally unworthy of taking by any act of my own doing.

(SUNG) YOU MY DISCIPLES, WILL YOU ALSO LEAVE – LORD TO
WHOM CAN WE GO? LOOK BEYOND THE BREAD YOU EAT

SEE YOUR SAVIOUR AND YOUR GOD. LOOK BEYOND THE CUP
YOU DRINK, SEE GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT AS BLOOD.

When we affirm our “yes”, our “so be it”, or “so I believe” – our AMEN to the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ we continue the Church’s memorial commemoration of that act of Eucharist or thanksgiving which Jesus handed down to us; and we take that bread which is Body or Flesh and that common cup which is lifeblood for the Body of Christ, the Church and we are what we eat.

Amen

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Deacon Ken was the preacher this morning - and I thank him for that gift.

I will be on Vacation for the next two weeks (Ninth and Tenth Sundays after Pentecost) and so will not be posting sermons to this blog until Sunday, August 16 2009.

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – Year B (RCL) Proper 11, 2009
Jeremiah 23: 1 – 6; Psalm 23; Ephesians 2: 11 – 22; Mark 6: 30 – 34, 53 – 56
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, July 19, 2009

VACATION IN GENNESARET

Let us pray: Restful God, in Jesus you called the disciples away from their busy labors in order to rest with you in the wilderness. You pulled your followers out of the tug and pull of the demands of ministry and led them into a remote place where they might find rest and restoration. Help us to realize that we do not run the world, that it is not within our power to make history turn out right, or to fix all that is wrong with ourselves and others. Help us, God, to remember that you are God and we are not. Give us the grace to enjoy your promised rest, this day and always. Amen.

(SUNG) COME FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

Here’s the first piece of Good News, or Gospel this morning. General Convention has concluded and the sky has not fallen, nor have the consituent members of the Anglican Communion risen up and marched off with the Archbishop of Canterbury to declare the American Church expelled. The secular and sensationalist press may want to entice readers and listeners by reducing detailed and carefully crafted legislation down to catchy headlines and sintilating sound bytes. I, however, want to read the two General Convention Resolutions that have been attracting all of the attention exactly as they were amended and approved by overwhelming majorities in both of the Houses of our bi-cameral system of governing that met in Anaheim, CA for the past two weeks. I believe that it is essential to our community to hear exactly what was discussed, prayed over, debated, prayed over, resolved, prayed over and approved by the House of Bishops by 70% majority vote and the House of Deputies by 72% during the meeting of the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church: First is Resolution D-205 dealing with the qualifications required for candidates to be considered for ordination in our Church – that Resolution reads as follows:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th General Convention reaffirm the continued participation of The Episcopal Church as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion; give thanks for the work of the bishops at the Lambeth Conference of 2008; reaffirm the abiding commitment of The Episcopal Church to the fellowship of churches that constitute the Anglican Communion and seek to live into the highest degree of communion possible; and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention encourage dioceses, congregations, and members of The Episcopal Church to participate to the fullest extent possible in the many instruments, networks and relationships of the Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention reaffirm its financial commitment to the Anglican Communion and pledge to participate fully in the Inter-Anglican Budget; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm the value of "listening to the experience of homosexual persons," as called for by the Lambeth Conferences of 1978, 1988, and 1998, and acknowledge that through our own listening the General Convention has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God" (2000-D039); and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention recognize that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relationships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and are currently doing so in our midst; and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church,; and that God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge that members of The Episcopal Church as of the Anglican Communion, based on careful study of the Holy Scriptures, and in light of tradition and reason, are not of one mind, and Christians of good conscience disagree about some of these matters.

Resolution C056 that deals with the participation of all of the baptized in all of the sacraments; carried by a 2/3 majority in both orders of the House of Deptuies and by the same majority in the House of Bishops. It reads as follows:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, collect and develop theological resources and liturgies of blessing for same-gender holy unions, to be presented to the 77th General Convention for formal consideration, and be it further

Resolved, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, devise an open process for the conduct of its work in this matter, inviting participation from dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are or have already engaged in the study or design of such rites throughout the Anglican Communion, and be it further

Resolved, that all bishops, noting particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further

Resolved, that honoring the theological diversity of this Church, no bishop or other member of the clergy shall be compelled to authorize or officiate at such liturgies, and be it further

Resolved, that the Anglican Consultative Council be invited to conversation regarding this resolution and the work that proceeds from it, together with other churches in the Anglican Communion engaged in similar processes.

I am personally struck this morning by a creeping sense of delight and anticipation of my upcoming journey to Colorado and time to be spent with my birth family in “reunion”. Next Sunday the sermon will be delivered by our hard-working and dedicated Deacon. The following Sunday and the Sunday after that will be covered by Supply clergy as I spend my time and energy navigating the challenges and blessings of 8 of my siblings; their spouses, children and grandchildren in the beauty of the Rocky mountains and against the background of the Garden of the Gods. I think it wonderful then, that today’s Gospel text refers to Jesus and the disciples work in and around Galilee; and the practical matter of vacation.

We find ourselves this morning in the beauty and warmth of God’s creation surrounded by the sunlight and warm breezes of the Pacific Northwest summer. As we gather in that relaxed atmosphere of our church family during that time of year – I’m struck by the appropriateness of our pericope taken from the author of Mark’s telling of the Good News of God in Christ. In this story, which is the third in a row taken from that author’s sixth chapter; Jesus welcomes the twelve back from their missions of ministry and invites them into vacation time. That is not exactly the term which the author uses – and the intention is exactly the same. Jesus, we are told, hears the stories of the follower’s adventures in ministry – and then invites them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” We are told that many were coming and going about them and they had no leisure even to eat.

How well we know that busyness and activity in our lives. Our work is so pressing that we stay at our desks and gulp down a sandwhich, if we’re lucky, and continue on with the important tasks that we must accomplish from our “to do” lists. It is our human nature to measure our importance by our degree of “busyness”. I’d be glad to find sometime to talk with you – let me check my calendar. The reality of our lives is that our time beomes “filled up” with what we have to acomplish; with “things” which we believe will have great impact on our success or lack thereof in our careers or our social lives. Jesus knows all of this – our tendencies to busy ourselves and so loose focus on who is in charge, after all; to forget that the earth will continue to revolve in the solar system, not because of what we do which allows it too – rather because of what God allows to continue in spite of our fumbling attempts to control all which comes under our pervue.

(SUNG) COME FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

I find it quite telling that the first thing which Jesus has the disciples do after their first successful “job” which has been assigned – is to take a break, to intentionally withdraw from the busyness of the crowds and the activity of their surroundings and “rest a while.” It is a model which Jesus has given to them previously – by withdrawing to pray; and which will be given to them again when withdrawl is sought to prepare for crucifixion, death and resurrection. Always, it seems, Jesus commands us to take time away from everything and “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” That is a part of what we do, every Sunday when we gather in Jesus’ name to retreat from the busyness of our week and receive nurishment and sustenance to go out and continue the work which we are given to do.

So, if someone asks you what the sermon was about at Church this week, tell them it was about hearing the exact wording of the controversial resolutions out of our General Convention and also about the divine command to take a vacation. If you haven’t taken your vacation yet this summer, I wish you refreshment, renewal and rest. If you have taken your week or two – remember that in most places in this world the average vacation is six weeks in length – so perhaps it is time to think about what the next “deserted place” where you can rest and renew will be. When the good old Protestant work ethic which tugs at your psyche and says “the only way that this is going to get done correctly is if you do it – and do it now” – remember that God is in charge and that it is not our responsibility keep the earth rotating on its axis; or in the words of a prayer in the New Zealand prayerbook “What has been done, has been done. What has not been done, has not been done. Let it be.” Sabbath time is sacred time – God has declared that to be true. In the first story of our realtionship with God we are told that God – yes, even God took time away to rest. Jesus invites us into vacation time today – enjoy your time away in a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.

(SUNG) COME FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

Amen.

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost - My "Come to Jesus" Sermon

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 10 (RCL) Year B 2009
Amos 7: 7 – 15; Psalm 85: 8 – 13; Ephesians 1: 3 – 14; Mark 6: 14 – 29
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland OR
Sunday, July 12, 2009

WHO WILL WE BE – HOW WILL WE BECOME

Let us pray: God of our dreams and visions, help us to claim our ministry in this world. When we are frightened, give us direction; when we are stagnant urge us on. Help us to understand all that you have in store for us as we work to bring about the coming of your Kindom among us. Grant that we might always hear your voice in all that we proclaim in your holy name. Assure us that when we live out your vision for our lives you will be with us from beginning to end. Amen

(7:45 Service) I began with a story "telling on myself" about how I left the manuscript for my sermon at home and had to rush back, pick it up and drive back to the Church. I found a parking spot close to the front of the church and was begining to think I had "made it, without anyone noticing"; when suddenly as I rounded the corner to slip in the side entrance I came face to face with my Sr. Warden who must have wondered why I was so late in arriving for services as I was 7:40 AM!

(10:00 Service) I will climb up into the usually un-used pulpit and allow a few moments of light exchange. I will use my "blinking glassess" for some levity and then climb down off the pulpit and return to the usual area where I deliver my sermon.

Now that I have gained your attention – I wonder how many of you (by a show of hands) are aware that something was “up” this morning at St. Stephen’s and that a concerted effort begins to covey some important information about the future of this dynamic and special faith community? Well for those of you who were not aware; that is in fact, what my remarks this morning are going to be pointed toward. I don’t mean to imply that the scripture readings assigned for this Sixth Sunday after Pentecost are unimportant; or that I might not have some very wise and deeply relevant insights about them; only that we are not going to use our time this morning for that reflection because the Vestry and leadership of St. Stephen’s – the downtown Episcopal presence in Portland, OR for the past 146 years – has asked me to address some issues this morning that directly affect the future of this place and how we will continue to live out that presence and in what ways we need to re-fashion ourselves as the people of St. Stephen’s.

I’d like to start by sharing with you my own personal story about this place and what it has meant to me over the years. I arrived in Oregon in 1997 to begin a new relationship and a new life with my partner and my best friend, Michael. It was a pretty gusty move since he was the only person I knew – and I was leaving family, friends and a loving faith community that was more and more convincing me that I needed to seriously consider rekindling a long slumbering call to ordained ministry as a Priest in God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Folks back home in the Diocese of Newark were pretty skeptical of my ability to do that in the Diocese of Oregon since the then Bishop was not supportive of LGBT folks being considered in that capacity. Then, I heard about the faith community of St. Stephen’s in downtown Portland and an ordination of an openly Gay male that happened in that parish; although the then Bishop did not participate in the ordination. That sounded like the kind of place where I could find hope for my journey. Next thing I knew was that St. Stephen’s had called The Rev. Larry Falkowski as their rector. Larry was an acquaintance of mine from the Diocese of Newark and I knew that he was supportive of the ministry of the Oasis of which I had been a member of the Board of Directors. So perhaps this community was one where I could find support. Michael and I found St. Michael and All Angels as a Church home and yet I knew that my relationship to St. Stephen’s was not over. Deep down in the core of my being (where we “know” things a much deeper level) I was sure that my link to the people and parish on the corner of 13th and Clay was still unfolding. Sure enough just about a year ago to this day – I began a conversation with the Search Committee that resulted in my being called as the Priest-in-charge of a Parish community that had dealt over the past five years with a plan for an 18 story high rise housing and church complex fully ready to break ground that was then brought to a grinding halt by a Bishop who was (well let’s just leave it at that); A visionary rector who had a massive stroke and eventually reluctantly retired; an embezzlement of a hundred thousand plus dollars – and despite all of that was still living out its ministry to God and the people of the downtown Portland community. Now I stand at the helm of this community and invite each and every one of you (present here this morning or not) to remember your St. Stephen’s story and how you came to discover what a wonderful place it was for you and yours. In that memory I invite you into a process wherein we can refocus and renew our vision of who we are as the people of God in a downtown urban Parish – and what God is calling us to do with our ministry and our resources for the next chapter in the history of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish. I truly believe that God has put me and each and every one of us in this place at this time to do the work that we are called to do, supported by each other to vision the next great thing for our ministry as baptized followers of the One we claim as our Savior and friend – Jesus the Christ.

(SUNG) WE CAN DO WHATEVER, WE WANT TO DO WHEREVER WE
WANT TO GO – IT’S UP TO US!

As most of you are aware we have been operating since our Annual Meeting this year from a budget that has a $60,000 gap in it. Tracking our income and expenses for the first six months of that budget does not indicate that gap closing and, in fact, it may be widening. At the present rate of expenditures the parish will effectively have spent through all of its reserves by the end of this fiscal year. While we remain in conversation with possible partners in a building project the feasibility of that project reaching fulfillment within the next year or two is little to none. The Building Operations Committee, under the faithful leadership of Father Palmer Pardington continues to seek out any and all possibilities for development; but that vision can no longer be the driving force for the mission and ministry of this Parish Community. We need to take the time to reevaluate our priorities; and to begin a conversation with our leadership and each other about who and what we will be as we move into the call of the Holy Spirit to bring to our Church and our neighborhood a welcome and a ministry of providing for the spiritual and physical hunger of all of God’s people within our reach.

The Vestry has been working and praying over the past six months about how we might engage the community in this work of envisioning our commitment to the Church and each other. After our service, at the coffee hour, you are welcome to talk with them and with each other about how we will move forward in this process. I’m going to briefly outline it for you now. Beginning this week small groups facilitated by Fran Anguilo, Jeanne Armstrong, Tom Bartlett, Mic Fleming, Sue Rossiter, Bob Tayler, and Mike Zula will set up time for 2 meetings that will help the groups to answer several questions that will lead to discernment of the mission and ministry that the community holds in deepest value. As a first step in this important work, I will call those individuals forward later in our service and “commission” them for the invaluable work on which they embark; as a community we will voice our support of them and the work they call us to. In August those small groups will reconvene and from the consensus of the discernment work will vision a way to implement that discernment into a workable plan of action. After those meetings are complete the leaders will gather with the Vestry and craft a plan of action that will be written with specific goals and actions and shared with the whole community at the end of September. After that we will be on our way to living out the mission and ministry of St. Stephen’s with a renewed energy and enthusiasm and a vision for our place in God’s Kindom essential to the people of downtown Portland and in cooperation with the greater Diocese and Episcopal Church. The details of this work lie in the hands of each and every one of us who are members and/or supporters of the work of God in this place; and I know that I speak for the vestry, staff and clergy when I say that with full confidence in God’s grace we will write this new chapter in our Parish’s history and hand our work over to the next generation of believers to continue God’s message of radical welcome to all who are hungry.

(SUNG) WE CAN DO WHATEVER, WE WANT TO DO WHEREVER WE
WANT TO GO – IT’S UP TO US!

US Anthropologist and faithful Episcopalian Margaret Mead is credited with the following “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Stirred by those words that have inspired generations of optimists, we believe that our future lies in our hands. God would ask of us as creatures made in the very image and likeness of our Creator – that we answer the call to carry out the plan of salvation by contributing our part in cooperation with others who vision a world far better than the one we have been given. Ours is an age of great promise and great challenge. Visionary leaders throughout our human history have encouraged and cajoled us to become all that we dream we can be; and the way toward that goal for the majority of us in Christian community is through the work of the Body of Christ, the Church. That work which has been lived out on the corner of 13th Avenue and Clay Street in downtown Portland, OR since 1870 is part of the very fabric of who we are and what we do – and so the call that I have been charged with giving you this morning is really a continuation of the work of God done on God’s behalf by countless others who have come before us and who knows how many others that are just waiting to join us; we simply have to figure out how to invite them in. I want to close my remarks this morning by “borrowing” a phrase that my wise Sr. Warden shared with Deacon Ken and myself at dinner earlier last week. Mic was talking about another search process that he was part of in the Diocese of California – but I think it fits perfectly with the work we will do together in the next months and so I offer it to you; “God knows what the ministry of St. Stephen’s will look like going forward; its only up to us to figure out what God already knows!” Let the Church, the Body of Christ, give me an Amen!