conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

sermon: stand in the place where you live

Sermon: The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Nehemiah 8:1-10
Luke 4:14-21

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus the Christ…

Hear the words of an Orthodox monk, Father Lev. He speaks of the rich spiritual tradition that is shared between Rome and the East.

The whole teaching of the Latin Fathers may be found in the East, just as the whole teaching of the Greek Fathers may be found in the West. Rome has given St Jerome to Palestine. The East has given Cassian to the West and holds in special veneration that Roman of the Romans, Pope St Gregory the Great.

St Basil would have acknowledged St Benedict of Nursia as his brother and heir. St Macrina would have found her sister in St Scholastica. St Alexis ‘the man of God’, the ‘poor man under the stairs’, has been succeeded by the wandering beggar St Benedict Joseph Labré. St Nicholas would have felt as very near to him the burning charity of St Francis of Assisi and St Vincent de Paul. St Seraphim of Sarov would have seen the desert blossoming under Father Charles de Foucauld’s feet, and would have called St Thérèse of Lisieux ‘my joy’.

- Fr Lev (Gillet), ‘A Monk of the Eastern Church’

For many of us, I imagine, these names are unfamiliar unless we come from the Roman Catholic, the Orthodox, or a more liturgical tradition than is expressed here at Community Church. But these names are the names of great saints in the Church. Benedict of Nursia, it is said, brought monasticism to the West. The Benedictine Order may be the genesis of much of the prayer life of even Protestant congregations. Baptist theology, as I understand it, enfolds much of the monastic ideal into the life of the congregation. This is one of many reasons why congregational life and solidarity are so important to us. But that is another sermon.

St Macrina was a theologian and monastic during the fourth century. She is famed for being the brightest star of her age…which included such luminaries as St John Chrysostom, and her biological brothers, St Basil and St Gregory of Nyssa. She was their teacher, the founder of a double monastery (a monastery for men and women), and a tireless worker for the poor and infirm.

I could muse all day about the work of these people and their seemingly tireless natures when it came to proclaiming the Kingdom of God. But that is not what I share Father Lev’s words with you today.

Lately, I have been paying special attention to the conversation between the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox. It has been an interesting conversation to follow. Not all the words have been kind, but most have been. The division is one thousand years old. There are national divisions, cultural divisions at work. As much as some of us on the sidelines might want to say that their differences are minute, they are actually quite significant. The division is real. But in spite of these differences, they stand in one another’s presence and speak truth to one another. They ask for forgiveness from wrongs committed. They seek to enlighten one another. I find it to be beautiful. And, occasionally a particular voice will arise out of the cacophony. Such is the voice of Father Lev.

I believe that he is asking those on both sides to look to one another’s example of proclaiming the gospel. This is more than simply looking on the bright side of the theo-political divide. He is actually saying, “Look! I see God there.” And he is asking others to have the same humility and charity.

Glen Hinson, a Baptist minister and a professor of Christian History and Spirituality, suggests that Baptists too should have such humility and charity, that we too should tread back up the stream of our own tradition in to the wider rivers of Christian faith. In this way, as strange as it may sound to us, in this way we will deepen our own faith, our own understanding of our tradition. We will find that our ecclesial close-cousins are the Quakers. We will find our mothers and fathers in the Anglican communion, and our brothers and sisters in the Methodist tradition.

We will come to value God all that much more, suggests Hinson, by encountering the lives and work of the saints and mystics that have come before us. Hinson suggests that it would not be wise for us to toss the historical baby out with the bath water…that there is richness in traditions outside of our own that will deepen our relationships with God and one another. It will make us better Baptists. And, likely, no matter what our tradition, this rule will hold true.

I believe that this kind of thinking is worthy of fostering across denominational lines. This kind of proclamation is necessary if we are going to heal any of the wounds that divide us. If we are going to engage in serious dialogue such as that which occurs within the World Council of Churches or more locally in our own region, the American Baptist Churches, Metro-Chicago. In this spirit we are able to hear one another as we muster the courage to speak the truth God has given to us. In humility and charity we are called to speak what God has given us and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor wherever and whenever we find it. “Look!” we say “I see God there.”

Our scripture texts this morning are about such proclamation. They are about preaching.

The people of Israel call Ezra the priest to read the word of God before the whole assembly. And the individuals mentioned in those lovely lists of names provided interpretation for the people.

In our Gospel passage, Jesus stands in the midst of his hometown synagogue and reads aloud the words of the prophet Isaiah. After he reads these words he gives perhaps one of the shortest sermons on record. "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." And he sits down.

Preaching, as I understand it, is essentially the proclamation of God’s word. It can be simple reiteration as Ezra demonstrates. It can be interpretation like the other priests and prophets provide in the same story. It can be the prophetic word that we have in the Gospel…a word that will shatter and reorder the way we live and love.

A sermon is usually delivered within the context of the worship life of specific communities of faith. But it can be delivered almost anywhere…a board room, the secretary pool, in front of the Capital Building in Washington, DC.

It takes courage to receive the word and to proclaim it. Trust me. Every Saturday evening I have a minor nervous breakdown where I convince myself that I will have nothing to say to you all on Sunday morning…that I will not be able to hear the Word that God has placed upon my heart for us all. Preaching is a spiritual work.

Preaching is also a craft. There are varying styles and lengths. The voice of the individual preacher is enshrouded in the Voice of God. Preaching is a moment where we stand in God’s place and proclaim the Year of the Lord’s favor. It is no small thing. But it is our responsibility and honor to proclaim such a word. And, as a Baptist, I want to say that it is a responsibility that rests upon all believers. I want to push the theology of "priesthood of all believers" in that direction. This is a certain particularity of Baptist tradition that I think may be a gift we can offer the Church Universal.

It is also true to say that a sermon may not have words. A life well lived can be a sermon. Preaching the Gospel can be found in the way we live and work. Often, the best preaching is. “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” said St. Francis of Assisi. His love of God shown through his life and his ministry. Though famed for his sermons as well as his monastic zeal, this is the quotation that I gravitate toward. It is not always enough to be eloquent. Our lives must show forth God.

If we preach, but our lives reflect nothing of the love of God, of the Word fulfilled in our hearing, then our sermons are nothing but empty noise. But by the same token, if we are silent and do not proclaim Christ to the world in the spoken word then, as Jesus said, even the rocks would shout out. Public proclamation and the life well-lived are of a piece.

Do we have the courage to stand in the place where we live and do such a thing?

This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We are to stand where we live and proclaim our perspective, to teach and preach from our tradition. But the end desire of God, the telos, is Unity. We can stand in the midst of difference, of distinctions and enjoy the strengths of each tradition and how they bring us together instead of driving us apart. I want to know if we can, as Father Lev does so gracefully, stand in the place where we live, show forth God and proclaim where we see God in other communities and places.

By standing in the Great Congregation and proclaiming God's love and intention for the world, we can find Unity. We will discover our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters in the midst of the myriad traditions within the Church Universal. We will find the courage to stand with Christ and say:

4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 4:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

May these words be fulfilled in our hearing. May we always proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

In honor of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, will you join me in prayer? This comes from the Benedictine breviary, the prayer book for the Benedictine order.

Let us pray that Christians everywhere may heed God’s call to become one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, as we say: Lord make us one.

• Lord, bless our brothers and sisters in the Church of Rome; may their preservation of the Catholic substance of the faith, their commitment to the historical continuity of the Church, and their love for the Eucharist enrich and challenge all Christians.
• Lord, bless our brothers and sisters in the Churches of the East; may they continue to enrich your Church by their faith in the Holy Spirit, their love for the divine liturgy, and their respect for ecclesiastical tradition.
• Look especially on our brothers and sisters in the Armenian Apostolic Church; may their suffering bear witness to the forgiving love which you have shown us in Christ Jesus.
• Bless our brothers and sisters of the Anglican communion; may their respect for diversity and individual conscience challenge the whole Church, and their treasures of language and music never cease to magnify your name.
• Bless our Lutheran brothers and sisters; may their love for the Scriptures and their faith in your all-sufficient grace help us all to receive your salvation as purest gift.
• Bless our brothers and sisters of the Reformed Tradition; may they continue to edify the Church with their preaching and inspire us all by their dedicated work for your kingdom.
• Bless our brothers and sisters of the Free Church Tradition; may their warmth and enthusiasm bring new life to the work and prayer of your church.
• Bless us and all Christians; may we come to that perfect oneness which you have with your Son in the unifying love of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray the prayer given by Jesus to all who believe in him: Our Father . . .

Let us pray: Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen.

Posted by tripp at January 21, 2007 06:13 AM