Reflection from visitation to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Grinnell, Iowa—12 January 2014

I arrived at St Paul’s, Grinnell, to find a lot of hopefulness and excitement about the new ministry with the people of St Paul’s and their new Rector, Wendy Abrahamson. St Paul’s barely squeezed in their Pageant this year as the families with children were away over Christmastime. So with my visitation only a week after Epiphany, they asked if it would be okay to have the Pageant when I came. They also invited Donna and me to participate. Of course, I was a shepherd and Donna an angel. It was a lot of fun. The narrative script had actually been written by the children from their own session of telling the Christmas story with the Rector earlier. So everything was in the children’s phrases, including Gabriel’s announcement that the birth of Jesus was a bigger deal than the coming of Peter Pan!  The manger scene was something out of the prophet Isaiah’s prediction with a dressed up lion sitting down with a lamb, and somehow also a dressed up fox! 

It wasn’t as great a stretch as I thought to move forward thirty years and address the baptism of Jesus. I used his act of identification with us that His baptism foreshadowed as a way of acknowledging Christ’s entry into our story. In turn, I said that He invites us into His story of life and death and life again. The Church was gracious to have breakfast with Donna and me before the service. In the formal conversation we spoke about the Young Adult ministry, especially as they are a congregation on the edge of Grinnell College.  They have asked that I make sure my next visitation happens when the school is in session so that the students can be present. I was surprised, too, to learn that Grinnell is also a popular spot to which people retire. There are two extensive retirement communities and the Church reaches out to them in hospitality and ministry.  

During the service, I confirmed a young man who had come into the Church through the recovery ministry of the Deacon Kevin Emge. Kevin is exploring expansion of the recovery worship services into Newton as part of a Central Chapter ministry. The Central Chapter has worked well together these past two years. As each congregation moves into a more settled and stronger place in their individual fellowship, the effort for them to continue to work together as a Chapter must be more intentional, especially as it was a sense of mutual need that spurred them to come together two years ago.

Sermon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Grinnell, Iowa - 12 January 2014

(Readings for The Baptism of Jesus: Isaiah 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3: 13-17)

Anticipating participation in the Pageant this morning brought back memories of the many we have enjoyed over time. My most memorable role was during Seminary days when I dressed up in my pin stripe suit, put on some floppy ears, and a tail and became the “ass of Wall Street,” and father to my daughter who played the donkey for Mary and Joseph. It was a satirical role which I think was too subtle for the audience. Little did we know that we were performing during the days captured in the latest film “The Wolf of Wall Street”, set in the mid-1980s. Donna also reminded me why our pageants were so memorable—because she was the director. 

We’ve all probably played our part in the Christmas Pageant; and if not the story remains as strong and as tireless as ever. At St Barnabas’ we held two pageants—adding a gathering with the wise men at Epiphany as they went to see Herod and finally the holy family whom we tucked away in the church nursery. It’s fun to break out our amateur dramatic side. Bishop Pates recently wrote in the Des Moines Register how Christmastide is an occasion when time stands still; so whether it is December 24 or January 12 we portray a timeless story that “works.” 

All of it, of course, was told from hindsight. No one knew much of its significance at the time. Today we leap forward within minutes to a time thirty years later, to a grown up Jesus, nevertheless burdened with the symbols which we have just acknowledged:

• The unique nature of his conception

• The Name He carried which would become a Name above every name

• His three-fold purpose laid out in the gifts presented by the magi: gold for his Kingship; frankincense to designate his priestly            role; and myrrh to signify that his would not be an ordinary death, but one full of meaning for the salvation of the world.

• And finally, the simplicity of the context for all of these things: the stable, the manger, witnessed by the poor shepherds – all contrasting with the transcendent glory of the angelic host! 

It sets a story at the heart of our salvation, and it is one we are invited to share with others even as we share in it ourselves. This is how the early Church presented it as we see in the reading from Acts this morning. This is one of the earliest sermons of the apostles that even though stylized reveals that they saw their duty as telling the story of Jesus. 

They spoke of how God anointed Jesus who went about doing good and tackling the devil where He encountered him. God was with Him, and that even as He was put to death, God raised Him from the dead. This was his story and they were the witnesses of it all who—like the special few on the hillside in Bethlehem—were insignificant and yet special or chosen. They ate and drank with Him and they recognized Him to be God’s judge, the standard by whom humanity would be judged, and as such also the giver of forgiveness to those found in the balance, wanting. Jesus fulfilled the promise of God to the people of Israel in Isaiah that former things have passed away, and behold, God is making all things new.

Into this story we are brought as believers. Each of us, on our own terms and ways, retell the story from our own experience since receiving Jesus as both Judge and Savior. This past week I attended a Conference on Human Trafficking in Davenport. Many of the attendees were people who, as social workers and medical personnel, wanted to learn the signs of potential trafficked people who might cross their path. Through St Alban’s Davenport, and their grant from the Alleluia Fund, an Episcopal priest, Becca Stevens, was the key note speaker and, as is her custom, she was accompanied by a couple of survivors of trafficking who gave their testimony. Two words were key to their survival—love and sanctuary. Becca has opened up homes for such an experience of healing where people can live free of charge for two years while also learning a trade and becoming economically self-sufficient. God is not overtly preached to them but it shown to them through the lifestyle offered in the homes of caring and safety. The young women had passed from hell and back at the hands of other human beings who claimed to be family, but sold them for profit. “Love heals” has become their mantra. And it takes time, but the survivors begin to see that God has come to be with them in this process. 

These are extreme experiences. And yet we all plunge our own depths and fight our own demons and are surrounded by the potential of that which can imprison us or keep us sitting in darkness. And yes, at such times God’s Name may be the furthest from our minds. God, however, deals in death and resurrection—former things pass away and new things appear. There are times to see the angels and the symbols that point us to God. The question is whether we will be bearers of such truth—tellers of such a story—a story of light in dark places; hope in despairing times; forgiveness when we have failed; of living life in the company of a God who makes all things new. 

 In his own story Jesus did not need to be baptized—John asked “Why, Lord, I need to be baptized by you?” And Jesus replied: “That all righteousness be fulfilled.” His baptism was the foreshadowing of His death—by which “He who knew no sin would become sin,” as the apostle Paul reminds us. In other words, Jesus was identifying with us in being baptized. He underwent repentance with us. His baptism was His first indication of being one with us, of our story becoming His story. 

And so He invites us now to embrace His story in return—to be bearers of the story of Jesus and to share its good news as we live. Thus His righteousness fulfills our righteousness. 

We know how to do this. Actors enter into the lives of others and bring them alive for us, just as the Pageant has done. And which of us has not met someone so in love with another that they tell us all about them so when we meet them we say: “So good to see you. I feel that I already know you?” 

We enter into the life of Jesus so He may become real to others and that the things He did—the blind seeing, the oppressed of evil delivered, the penitent forgiven—all become reality. 

The apostles were not dependent upon just knowing the story of Jesus. I believe that they carried Him in their hearts. I believe that His presence was with them even as they spoke. So they did not give a distant story of history but in the telling transmitted the living reality. That was the goal of the disciples – to tell the story of Jesus so that people would find themselves feeling that they had already met God. And let me tell you, it works—for even today, the same story telling goes on and it is like He is in the room which indeed He is! God is with us even as we tell His story through Pageant. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Reflection from visitation to Trinity Episcopal Church, Waterloo, Iowa—5 January 2014

My January 5 visit to Trinity, Waterloo, marks the beginning of a new cycle during which I will visit each congregation in the diocese twice over three years, covering 2014-2016. 

The congregation was kind enough, and Rector Suzanne Peterson brave enough, to indulge me in gathering for fellowship before going into worship. We did this both at 8am and 10 am services.  The choir was a bit shocked to find the first service running over into their practice time, but I was able to know people a little better through the group conversation, especially at 8 o’clock.  Topics included the successful preschool and how to connect better with the preschool families as a Church community—linking Monday through Friday with Sunday. The opportunities certainly exist for intertwining the two—I was baptizing the preschool director’s son that morning, and the deacon’s grandchild attends the preschool. 

We spoke a bit about what it means to be incarnations of the Word—Suzanne told the story of a children’s book about a man becoming a bird to talk to birds, which brought to mind an image of God becoming human to meet us where we are. This still seems like God’s way for us in asking how to connect with people to share the faith: seek out the ways we can become one with others, walk with them, until their language and ways are ours and so we can share the Gospel in their terms. 

Trinity, Waterloo, is in early stages of a shared ministry with a new Rector who brings a global experience and vision to the local setting. The city of Waterloo has the most diverse population in Iowa and offers a lot of opportunity for local ecumenical shared endeavors. Building the pre-school was a big undertaking and they followed this up with supporting the Waters of Hope ministry which was the brainchild of Mitch Smith, former Rector of their parish. They enjoy supporting large vision, and so look for what God might bring next. Certainly with Suzanne in place, the world is their parish. There is a desire, too, to “settle down” in the new ministry together.

Trinity sent a large delegation to the Diocesan Baptismal Living Day last year. We discussed follow up, and how to build on stimulating experiences. This is a challenge for diocesan staff—to think through how we can capitalize on good events, and help congregations grow after giving time and energy to a workshop. I reflected on the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) workshop offered to the Waterloo community churches by the Episcopal Church Jubilee Ministries a few years back. At the time, it made me think that we have a lot to learn about being Church from partnering with other parishes, particularly with African-American congregations in Waterloo. Some of that relationship continues through Deacon Chuck Lane’s ministry who, together with a couple of local African-American churches and pastors, organizes an annual camp for children of the incarcerated. This camp is an offshoot of his ministry in the county jail and with recently released inmates. 

A ministry in daily life exercise at Trinity would reveal a lot of profound Gospel ministry that people are doing by way of their daily occupations. I used the word “linger” a lot on Sunday. I think church requires much more time together in community than we allow for its deep work of grace and truth to really work on us. I suppose that is part of the direction of my sermon today.

Sermon at Trinity, Waterloo, Iowa, 5 January 2014

(Readings for the Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12)

In a short while I will ask you to stand and affirm your support for Brechon as he is presented for baptism. He will not remember this moment except in that place where all sacraments are the vehicles of God’s grace-filled action, in that place of promise. And it is the promise of this moment for which we lend our support and our prayers. The same happens at confirmation and in ordinations, the people of God are needed to uphold candidates in their life in Christ.

I say all this as one who has found the process for writing this sermon particularly painful. It actually hurt to put pen to paper, and to enter into the prayerful engagement with the Spirit. The reason for this is obvious—too much indulgence in watching football bowl games, and in streaming my favorite TV shows over the Christmas break. It did not help that my absolute fanaticism for English soccer was well served by the fact that this is a time when the Premier League in England plays four games per team in an eight day stretch!  Life needs balance, I know, and I did not forget my daily prayer cycle, but there was overindulgence on my part, and when I turned to the scriptures for today, it hurt. 

You see, this spiritual life to which we are called is never on automatic. It is not naturally achieved without mindfulness and here is where the help of one another comes in. You brought me to a correcting of my course by my need to preach to you today! And the theological term for a correcting of the course is repentance—that was the essence of the hurt. It hurts to undergo a course correction of the Spirit. Yet it is what we call each to as we have gathered today; and in particular it is a little child who leads us all.

Cynthia Bougeauldt in Wisdom Jesus puts it this way: “If your primary commitments lie along horizontal lines and your sentimentality identifies with them, you won’t find the freedom to seek deeply into this other dimension – life of the Spirit—which is illumined by the singleness of your heart”.  In other words, when we are preoccupied with living on the horizontal line and attach our identity with the life of the material and sensational, then we will not be free to seek the life the Spirit offers on the vertical axis of human living. It requires a unifying singleness of heart and attention. 

Listen to the Apostle Paul’s pre-occupation: “This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles…” He goes on to speak of a mystery made known to him, a secret wisdom from God, a revelation or epiphany. It came from the prophets and from the more contemporary apostles or disciples of Jesus with whom Paul reluctantly linked himself as a divine add-on unworthy to be in such company. And yet here he was an apostle of Jesus Christ but sent to an unexpected people—the Gentiles. This was Paul’s obsession and his call. 

It is hard for us to imagine what the mysterious aspect of all this was for the early Church. God was thought to be accessible to God’s Chosen, and yet Paul was shown that everyone—even the Gentiles—had access to God through Jesus Christ. And furthermore this was a message of accessibility which rulers and authorities were to be told by the Church! Paul lived to build up the Church to be this vehicle of God’s eternal purpose in sharing our access to God in Christ. One who was once far off is now very near. 

Just as your receiving of me today to lead you in the Word of God pulls me into focus, so my duty in God is to use this time, and Paul’s words, to help pull you into focus as a people granted the grace and calling of sharing this mystery of God’s accessibility. Thus all of us are reminded by one another in differing ways that we have received a mystery that we are to share. And in a few moments it will be a child who will lead us even further into this mystery. Note that Brechon even while being brought to this day is nevertheless bringing his parents and godparents to move off the horizontal and onto the vertical axis of the Spirit, to be for this time more singularly focused on the life of the Spirit as we express it in baptism. 

And to what specifically is our attention drawn? 

First, let us consider the very act of coming to such a moment. We come as we bring this child for baptism. As such there is a desire to have this child be a bearer of the Name of Christ. He will be sealed as Christ’s own forever. So we decide that we would rather have this child walk with God than without God, be a child of light rather than sit in darkness, be an instrument of the mystery which is shared with all that God is near. It is not just a matter of “doing right” by Brechon, but acknowledging the nature of that which is right.

Second. We recognize that the life in Christ is not easy or without resistance both without and within. The path of repentance is recognized. This struggle of horizontal and vertical lines will be the story of his life as it is ours. But Jesus has the upper hand. And so we can renounce evil in all its forms—cosmic, corporate and personal—and turn to Christ as Savior and Lord. This is a desire for this little one to which we pray they will grow increasingly aware and alert, even to the point where he invites us to remember our own baptismal vows.

Third, we bond ourselves with the newly baptized as one—in a common faith; in common mission; and as the family of God. We look for the day when the newly baptized grows up and demands of us faithfulness to the very mystery into which we once brought him before he was even conscious of things going on around him. 

Fourth, as this is an eternal purpose, we ask God for sustaining power day after day to walk as people who as Church have a revelation to share about God’s accessibility. God can be known and God is known in Jesus Christ, and making this known is why the Church exists. Retired Archbishop Rowan Williams writes that the Church makes God credible. That is one of God’s primary tasks for us; that we bring God closer to people, and help them see God’s trustworthiness. That is why division and schism and our internal conflicts above all else are such a horror; for we give a different message about God, a falsehood that somehow God’s mystery is tied up as the private property of one group over another.

Pray along with me that as this young life blossoms he will learn to know God as companion and know that he is to God as God’s beloved. May he always have confidence of God’s accessibility, and the courage to share that this is a gift to every human being, so that all may draw near to God who is trustworthy and compassionate. We will grow in this ourselves as we support him. It is a process already being renewed in us all today.

Amen