Fifth Sunday of Easter – Year B (RCL) 2009
Acts 8: 26 – 40; Psalm 22: 24 – 30; 1 John 4: 7 – 21; John 15: 1 – 8
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Acts 8: 26 – 40; Psalm 22: 24 – 30; 1 John 4: 7 – 21; John 15: 1 – 8
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, May 10, 2009
FRUIT OF THE VINE
Let us Pray: Pruning and sculpting God we are the work of your hands. Through our triumphs and tragedies we ask you to help us see your hand at work in our lives. We often want to believe that we can succeed through our own efforts and you gently remind us in our pride to return to you as the source of all our being. Shape us and prune us as you see fit, so that we may produce good fruit and bountiful harvest. Abide in us as you have promised – help us to abide in you as you have told us in the words of the Word, your Holy One, Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
(SUNG) ABIDE WITH ME, TIS’ EVEN-TIDE THE DAY IS PAST AND GONE
THE SHADOWS OF THE EVENING FALL, THE NIGHT IS COMING
ON.
WITHIN MY HEART A WELCOME GUEST, WITHIN MY HOME
ABIDE.
O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD WITH ME
ABIDE.
O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD TIS’
EVENTIDE.
Now I know that it is 7:45 or 10:00 AM and that this hymn is designed for another time of day; but the sentiment in it and the message of “abiding” in relationship with the Savior is perfectly appropriate for the Gospel message this morning so you are just going to have to live with the difficulty of hearing an evensong hymn in the early morning hours of this Fifth Sunday of Easter. It is this word “abide” which struck me when I was ruminating on the scriptures for this Sunday. Here is a definition of our English word which the translators of our Greek manuscripts render as “abide”. To wait for. To endure without yielding, to bear patiently; to accept without objection. To remain stable or fixed in a state; to continue in a place. The author of John’s Gospel uses this word eight times in the eight verses of that Gospel which comprise our pericope for this morning. Jesus calls on us to abide with him as he abides in us. Remain with Jesus as Jesus remains with us. Many have used this message thoughout our human history as a true comfort and consolation in times of difficulty and distress and this is certainly worthwhile and rewarding as the author of the old hymn points out. What can be challenging of course, is that not only do we have this message of abiding in the Christ as the Christ abides in us, but also the image and metaphor of the true vine and the branches. In that metaphor come some less “comforting” images – images like sharp knives pruning and dead branches burning; not quite as pastoral and comforting.
In this fifteenth chapter of the author of John’s Gospel we find ourselves in the middle of what scripture scholars describe as “the farewell discourse”. The author uses many different metaphors in that discourse to describe Jesus’ relationship to the disciples as well as the relationship of the “son” to the “father”. This morning we encounter the agrarian metaphor of the vinegrower, the true vine and the branches. Jesus tells the disciples that God is the vinegrower; Jesus himself is the true vine and the disciples and consequently ourselves are the branches. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel has been identified as the “vine”; and now Jesus re-identifies that metaphor by placing himself as the “true vine”. Throughout our Christian history; the metaphor of the branches has been used in varied ways with differing degrees of judgement. Certainly we can see the power of scaring people into “good behaviour” by using Jesus’ description of the branches being “gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” What makes more sense for me, though, is to see that the challenges, pains and tragedies of my life have been those times when the pruning of my branch is working towards helping me to bear better and more abundant fruit.
This metaphor of the vine and the branches has been used also as a descriptor for Christ and Christ’s Church. This account of the Gospel narrative does not often; or at least not as frequently as the author of Matthew’s account does – depict the Church and its workings as part of Jesus’ ministry. This metaphor of the vine and the branches is, consequently viewed as a working metaphor for the Church and its ministry in the world in Jesus’ name. That ministry speaks to how we witness to the Gospel or Good News of Christ in a world that has wandered from its call to serve the least among us in the name of the Holy One of God.
(SUNG) ABIDE WITH ME, TIS’ EVEN-TIDE THE DAY IS PAST AND GONE
THE SHADOWS OF THE EVENING FALL, THE NIGHT IS COMING
ON.
WITHIN MY HEART A WELCOME GUEST, WITHIN MY HOME
ABIDE.
O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD WITH ME
ABIDE.
O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD TIS’
EVENTIDE.
Now I know that it is 7:45 or 10:00 AM and that this hymn is designed for another time of day; but the sentiment in it and the message of “abiding” in relationship with the Savior is perfectly appropriate for the Gospel message this morning so you are just going to have to live with the difficulty of hearing an evensong hymn in the early morning hours of this Fifth Sunday of Easter. It is this word “abide” which struck me when I was ruminating on the scriptures for this Sunday. Here is a definition of our English word which the translators of our Greek manuscripts render as “abide”. To wait for. To endure without yielding, to bear patiently; to accept without objection. To remain stable or fixed in a state; to continue in a place. The author of John’s Gospel uses this word eight times in the eight verses of that Gospel which comprise our pericope for this morning. Jesus calls on us to abide with him as he abides in us. Remain with Jesus as Jesus remains with us. Many have used this message thoughout our human history as a true comfort and consolation in times of difficulty and distress and this is certainly worthwhile and rewarding as the author of the old hymn points out. What can be challenging of course, is that not only do we have this message of abiding in the Christ as the Christ abides in us, but also the image and metaphor of the true vine and the branches. In that metaphor come some less “comforting” images – images like sharp knives pruning and dead branches burning; not quite as pastoral and comforting.
In this fifteenth chapter of the author of John’s Gospel we find ourselves in the middle of what scripture scholars describe as “the farewell discourse”. The author uses many different metaphors in that discourse to describe Jesus’ relationship to the disciples as well as the relationship of the “son” to the “father”. This morning we encounter the agrarian metaphor of the vinegrower, the true vine and the branches. Jesus tells the disciples that God is the vinegrower; Jesus himself is the true vine and the disciples and consequently ourselves are the branches. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel has been identified as the “vine”; and now Jesus re-identifies that metaphor by placing himself as the “true vine”. Throughout our Christian history; the metaphor of the branches has been used in varied ways with differing degrees of judgement. Certainly we can see the power of scaring people into “good behaviour” by using Jesus’ description of the branches being “gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” What makes more sense for me, though, is to see that the challenges, pains and tragedies of my life have been those times when the pruning of my branch is working towards helping me to bear better and more abundant fruit.
This metaphor of the vine and the branches has been used also as a descriptor for Christ and Christ’s Church. This account of the Gospel narrative does not often; or at least not as frequently as the author of Matthew’s account does – depict the Church and its workings as part of Jesus’ ministry. This metaphor of the vine and the branches is, consequently viewed as a working metaphor for the Church and its ministry in the world in Jesus’ name. That ministry speaks to how we witness to the Gospel or Good News of Christ in a world that has wandered from its call to serve the least among us in the name of the Holy One of God.
(SUNG) O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD WITH ME
ABIDE.
O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD TIS’
EVENTIDE.
Some of you may be aware of the powerful and prophetic ministry of +Steven Charleston, former Bishop of the Diocese of Alaska and former Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. Several years ago the Diocese of Oregon invited Bishop Charleston to be the keynote and facilitator for a conference on reconcilliation. That difficult process, reconcilliation was addressed again last week at The 40th Annual Collins Lecture by Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Our world continues to need reminder of the ways in which God calls us to be witnesses to the truths that live deep within us. I would like to share with you this morning a piece which Bishop Charleston wrote for the Episcopal Church as she prepared to meet for the Seventy Fifth General Convention in Colombus, OH. The media and fear mongers of our society and our Church often would have us wringing our hands and fretting our hearts about the state of our Church as we gather in Convention and map out for ourselves the work of witness to our selves as a Church and to our world. Bishop Charleston has another suggestion – and he writes a piece which he titles “What Witness Will We Make” – the words still ring true as we look to our Seventy Sixth gathering in Anaheim in July:
As the Episcopal Church, the most important question before us is not about schism or sexuality. It is about witness. What witness will we make? Christian witness is the public affirmation of faith. It is how we let the world see that we practice what we preach.
Today those of us in the Episcopal Church are being called on to make our witness. We have the opportunity to be what we say we are. The world is watching. What will we do?
ABIDE.
O SAVIOUR STAY THIS NIGHT WITH ME, BEHOLD TIS’
EVENTIDE.
Some of you may be aware of the powerful and prophetic ministry of +Steven Charleston, former Bishop of the Diocese of Alaska and former Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. Several years ago the Diocese of Oregon invited Bishop Charleston to be the keynote and facilitator for a conference on reconcilliation. That difficult process, reconcilliation was addressed again last week at The 40th Annual Collins Lecture by Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Our world continues to need reminder of the ways in which God calls us to be witnesses to the truths that live deep within us. I would like to share with you this morning a piece which Bishop Charleston wrote for the Episcopal Church as she prepared to meet for the Seventy Fifth General Convention in Colombus, OH. The media and fear mongers of our society and our Church often would have us wringing our hands and fretting our hearts about the state of our Church as we gather in Convention and map out for ourselves the work of witness to our selves as a Church and to our world. Bishop Charleston has another suggestion – and he writes a piece which he titles “What Witness Will We Make” – the words still ring true as we look to our Seventy Sixth gathering in Anaheim in July:
As the Episcopal Church, the most important question before us is not about schism or sexuality. It is about witness. What witness will we make? Christian witness is the public affirmation of faith. It is how we let the world see that we practice what we preach.
Today those of us in the Episcopal Church are being called on to make our witness. We have the opportunity to be what we say we are. The world is watching. What will we do?
The answer is a matter of faith. We witness to what we believe.
In the Episcopal Church, we believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in the Bible. We believe in the Good News. In fact, we believe so strongly in all of these essential parts of our shared faith that we are not afraid to disagree with one another about what they mean to us.We welcome difference as the active presence of God's Holy Spirit moving amongst us. Our witness is not to conformity but to community.
As the Episcopal Church we are not concerned that everyone in the pews believes exactly the same thing, in the same way, at the same time. Instead, we are concerned that no one is left out of those pews because of what they believe, who they are, or where they come from.Our witness is to the unconditional love of God through the grace of Christ Jesus. Therefore, we accept the risk of grace by not setting limits to love with our own judgment of others. There are no border guards at the doors of the Episcopal Church. We respect the dignity of every human being and are never ashamed of who sits next to us in worship. We are all the children of God just as we are all sinners in need of mercy.
There are no walls around the Episcopal Church. We believe that God is at work in the world. We are not concerned that this world sees us as perfect, pure, or powerful. Instead, we are concerned that people see us practicing justice, doing mercy, and walking humbly with the God we believe loves us all equally.Our witness is to hope, not fear. We believe that men and women, no matter how separated they may think they are by religious conviction, cultural value, or social location, are never truly apart unless they choose to be. We have nothing to fear from one another unless we allow fear to be our witness. While the distance between us may seem great and the path to reconciliation impossibly long, we have the guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we never despair of one another or deny one another for to do so would be to despair and deny the power of that Spirit.
Our witness is to mission. While the Spirit leads us to truth, we carry on with the task God has given us. We do not place pride before discipleship. While we may have many disagreements between us, we have only one mission before us. We never question the faith of the person who seeks to do the work of God. We believe that it is not important to know if that person is "right" or politically correct. It is only important to know if she or he feels welcomed into the servant ministry of Christ.
There are no loyalty oaths in the Episcopal Church, but there are many jobs for those who want to help heal a broken world.Our witness is to the reconciliation of God in a time of fear. In the Episcopal Church, we stand together not even if we disagree, but precisely because we disagree. We practice the radical hope of God. We embody a faith that says there are many rooms in the house of God, but one home for us all if we choose to live together. It is time to make our witness. In a century already marked by the terror of war, with zealots of all traditions inciting us into the patriotism of fear, what witness will we make? What alternative will we offer? What fresh vision will we share? Will we retreat into yet smaller factions of "true believers," whether from the Right or the Left, smug in our self righteous assurance that we have the truth? Will we struggle over property and power as though these things had lasting importance for us? Will we vilify one another and become agents of suspicion among the very people we love? Will we worry more about what people think of us than what God expects of us?
It is time to make our witness. It is time to take off our halos, our mitres, and our martyr's crown to stand up and be counted. What witness will each of us choose to make?I can not answer for anyone in this Church but myself. I do not ask that you agree with my theology. I do not demand that you read your Bible exactly as I read mine. I know that you and I may disagree on many subjects and find it hard to live together. But I also know that you are as much in need of God's forgiveness as I am. You and I need one another now more than ever because there are so many others who need us both in this hurting world. That world, the poor and the hungry, the captives and the prisoners, are depending on us to do more than argue with one another. For them, our witness is not a matter of church politics. It is a matter of life and death. I am counting on the fact that you know that.
Now is the time for us to extend our hands to one another. We will not walk away from the Body of Christ. Now is the time for us to use our hands. We will not place pride over mission. Now is the time for us to raise our hands. We will not forget that to God alone goes the glory.Are you a witness? Will you join me in this affirmation of faith?In my life I have known many seasons in the Episcopal Church. This is the season for our witness. This is the time for us to do something totally unexpected and wonderful, to confound those who say we have lost our vision. This is our moment to show the world that we can practice what we preach and be who we say we are. Our finest hour will not be when we think we have won something from one another, but when we know we have nothing to lose by loving one another.
I am a witness. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in God's gospel of justice, compassion, and reconciliation. I believe in the community of God and I will work faithfully with every person to bring peace and healing to the world. I open my hands. I open my heart. I want the world to see that I am not afraid. I step gratefully into the unconditional love of God. I stand up to be counted not for what I think is right, but for what I believe to be possible. How about you?
Will you stand with me?
Are you a witness?
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