Bishop's Blog

Bishop Scarfe shares his experiences, reflections, and sermons.







Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Reflection on visitation to St Johns, Dubuque—8 June 2014



It was at St John’s Dubuque in 2003 that I was first invited to ask the whole congregation to come forward to receive the laying-on of hands with the reaffirmation of their baptismal vows. It seemed that everyone came forward “as was their custom.” It is a practice I have happily taken with me around the Diocese since. Invocation of the Holy Spirit is a large part of the Bishop’s public prayer life. That is because our common life is very much “in the Spirit.” This weekend’s experience was no less so.

The Spirit led our conversations starting with the unexpected theme that emerged among the clergy as we gathered for a Saturday morning session with clergy of the East Chapter. Kent Anderson spoke of one experience while fishing. He was not doing well while it seemed the fish were almost jumping into the boats of his neighbors. He said that he felt this way as he saw two storefront churches open around St John’s and quickly attract congregations of 75 and 200 respectively. His confession prompted a conversation around drawing people in to the Church by making our talk more real, about Jesus and the transformation of the world. One priest said that we need to think not so much “out of the box” but perhaps “out of the book.” We spoke about non-eucharistic seeker services, perhaps at 9pm and mid-week. St John’s has, in fact, started a Wednesday evening bible study in a pizza parlor. The location has doubled the size of the group and includes two young women who openly state that this is their Church group, not having any other connection with a church or with St John’s Sunday congregation.

There was a distinct carry-over of this theme as we met with the laity Saturday afternoon for the “Reframing Hope” session.  I also sensed a link with a conversation Donna and I had had last week with the confirmands of Trinity Davenport when the topic of dystopia came up on both occasions. This time it was introduced by one of the octogenarians of St John’s. It triggered a series of moments of recognition among us and made us wonder if we are “talking real” in the Church and offering the hope that is within us with sufficient clarity and resolve. We were reminded not to underplay the powerful nature of the liturgy and liturgical actions which led me to offer a short portion of my sermon prepared for the next day. It was that kind of Spirit-led day, which we rounded out with a prayer service for the Eve of Pentecost designed by David Eddy as part of his training requirements as a Verger.

On Sunday we baptized a little one, confirmed two young girls and received a history professor from Wartburg Seminary. Over the past few years there has been quite a noticeable gathering of academics in theology and philosophy at St John’s. It made me wonder what impact they might be able to have on the educational formation of the Diocese.  For all the lamentation around fishing stories, this is a distinct outcome of the ministry of Kathleen and Kent. I can only believe that the deep thinking and praying for new ways of reaching out to our dystopian culture will be blessed and used of God.


As the Gospel was being read in German, Spanish, Russian, Latin, Greek, Zande and English I thought of the Spirit’s great love for interpreting; and that if we ask, we will receive the gift of tongues that speaks to this generation. The hunger, however, has to be for this generation, and for Christ’s word to be made known, and not for our institutions to survive for their own sakes. We get these things mixed up so many times. I am grateful to the people of St John’s for their ministry this weekend. The Spirit was with us and is with them. I wonder, what will it mean for them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat?


Sermon at St John’s Episcopal Church, Dubuque—8 June 2014  


The Day of Pentecost (Readings: Acts 2: 1-21; 1 Corinthians 12: 3-13; John 7: 37-39)

“As yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

I was once told that when we read John’s Gospel, it is never quite what it seems. There are hidden meanings behind straight-forward phrases and today’s short Gospel passage is no exception. Jesus had come to the Temple in Jerusalem around the great Feast of the Tabernacles—a harvest celebration held when all the year’s crops had been brought in from the fields. The festival lasted eight days and on the final day—the eighth day—a holy convocation was called. People gave thanks for the crops but also for the rain that was a vital part of their growth.

For seven days a procession took place from the Temple to the pool of Siloam—a golden pitcher of water was collected and brought to the altar to be poured out over the side of the altar, as the Choir sang praises to God for the gift of water. For reasons unknown, the ceremony was not carried out on the eighth day, the final day of the Feast. How significant, then, that Jesus chose this day to declare His own ability to quench thirst.

In the words of the biblical scholar F.F. Bruce: “No material water was poured, and so Jesus offered spiritual, life-giving water to all who would receive it from Him.” We are taken—if we look to the end of the New Testament to that vision of another Temple—where waters of life flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb in Revelation 22:1. The Living waters of God flow from the very dwelling place of God—not from any earthly Temple. And they flow only once Jesus’ earthly ministry is ended and He sits upon that very same throne—the throne of the Lamb as the Lamb of God Himself!

For, while Jesus was not yet glorified—the Spirit was not yet.

Two things become clear to us if we are open to receive them. First—there is a life-giving reality that exists beyond, within and from our earthly actions of worship, prayer and praise. As down the ages, our earthly Temples take us so far and no further. By ‘earthly Temples’ I mean everything we surround ourselves with that seeks to stimulate our souls—our inner beings.

Now don’t get me wrong, beautiful, transcendent architecture and elaborate rituals carry us out of ourselves and place us within a sense of majesty. Music—whether of organ or other instruments or the human voice—stirs up in us emotions so deep, we can hardly access them through any other channel. Vestments and studied actions and processions—postures of kneeling, standing, bowing—speak to our egos that we are not as important as we might think. We reverence our Creator and redeemer and we are reminded of our limitations as we give thanks and even as we give generously of ourselves and our possessions in return.

For seven days the ceremony takes us so far. But on the eighth day there appears a gap. Into that gap Jesus steps forward and invites people, invites us, to go further.

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and let the one who believes in Me drink.” Come to Me and drink.

  Jesus had done something like this before. In speaking with the Pharisees about Scripture, He said, “You search the Scriptures for in them you believe you will find eternal life. But you do not come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5: 37). The study, the ceremony, the devotion, the displaying of right worship—just like the searching of Scriptures for eternal life—takes us all so far; but there is one additional step for all of us. “Come to Me,” says Jesus, “I lie beyond it all, even though it all speaks of Me.”

It is the giving of yourself to Jesus that is the extra step; the glorifying of Him in your life; making Him the most holy, glorious presence you desire to know. Think of Paul’s exclamation as He looked over his years of study and devotion: “I count everything as trash that I might know Jesus Christ—the fellowship of His sufferings and the Power of His resurrection.”

How does that interpret for an Episcopalian? There is a step beyond our participation in the sacraments of the Church—even in ordination as deacon, priest or bishop. Baptism and confirmation are wonderful gifts in our lives—and yet the hunger and thirst in us has to be for knowing the God in Christ our sacraments reveal.

Secondly, the Spirit enables this or makes it happen. For the Spirit flows from beyond earthly Temples, from the very dwelling place of God where Jesus and the Father are One. There is always more than meets the eye. Yet to receive it requires a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, for a right discernment of our connection with God. This is what the Spirit gives. It is what the gift of this Day is about.

Let us pull back a little from the Gospel passage. Earlier, while still in Galilee, Jesus is confronted by his brothers who are skeptical about Him. In fact, John tells us that they did not believe in Him. Their answer to His developing mission is for Him to go to Jerusalem and declare Himself. “Get on television,” is what we might say. Jesus responds with an interesting thing. “My time is not yet present, but your time is always ready.”

Bruce comments: “For people who had no such awareness of living from moment to moment in sensitive rapport with God’s directing will, one time was as good as another.”

We have a choice—to let God determine our moments, or continue with a life insensitive to or unconscious of “God’s directing will” for which “one time is as good as another.”

On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples were all together in the upper room. Suddenly they heard a great noise like a rushing wind and flames like fire appeared upon their heads. We read of no Thomas missing on that day. Those who discerned their lives as in rapport with God because of everything they had seen and heard were all present. And Jesus’ gift came. The Holy Spirit took them beyond Temples, even while still attending the Temple; beyond words while still studying words; beyond life while still living life out. The Spirit took them to a time that was not their own to share a life with the Presence that comes from beyond all time and all space and all of life as we know it.

 Is that what you are waiting for? Is that what you want to be in connection with? Is that what you thirst for? Jesus says: “Come unto Me and not only will I give you rest, but quench your thirst and you in turn will quench the thirst of others.” Because once the Spirit comes, She knows no stopping, but seeks to flow in us and beyond us into the life of one another—out into the streets of Jerusalem, into the streets of Dubuque, onto the streets of Nzara, covering the whole globe.

I know that you believe me because you know it is true. You see it for yourself. Come let us drink once more together.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Amen