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The Fifth Sunday of Easter
How about I admit from the get go that this sermon may be less focused than most – I may be trying to pack too much into one sermon. (Chasing rabbits.) Let me start by saying, “We need to think outside the box!” Lord, I hate that saying. You’ve heard that a lot over the last 20 years or so…think outside the box! It is one of the insidious snippets of jargon that has become commonplace in our day-to-day talk and conversation. Think outside the box. Here is some jargon for you -- Actually, the bottom line is – at the end of the day we need to think outside the box while the window of opportunity is still open, because opportunity is not a 24/7/365 proposition. O Lord, have mercy --- jargon, jargon. We all use it, do we not? I do. (But I hate myself in the morning for it.) Well, what does it mean - to think outside the box? You know don’t you? It means to depart from the usual way of thinking about something and trying a whole new approach. It means giving up old ways of doing things – even the tried and true, and embarking upon radical, probably untried solutions or ideas. It means to be creative is seeking solutions. Well, maybe, this is not such a bad idea. What got me to thinking about this was Philip’s relationship with the Ethiopian eunuch. We just heard about it in the lesson from Acts. It seems to me that Philip was definitely thinking outside the box. One of the things that always occurs to me when I hear “…think outside the box…” is -- that may be a good idea, but do we know what is in the box? Let’s look at what is in the box in this situation. Philip -- we assume is a Palestinian Jew – the unnamed eunuch is an Ethiopian. Philip is a Christian, perhaps the eunuch is a worshipping Jew – he is trying to read Isaiah and understand it. Most commentaries say that eunuchs were not allowed to worship in the temple – so what is in this box? How about race, religion, religious rules and norms, plus sexuality, and nationality? Maybe there is other stuff, but that is probably enough to work with don’t you think? It is enough for one box. Philip is one of the seven Deacons appointed in Acts, chapter 6 – he is often referred to as Philip the Evangelist. Not to be confused with Philip who is mentioned in the gospels and in the gospel of John and one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Philip is a Jew and a Christian. He is witnessing to an African and a eunuch. Even though eunuchs were not allowed to worship in the temple --- for some reason this person is reading the scriptures of Isaiah and is trying to understand the prophesy concerning the suffering servant. Isn’t it interesting that Philip seems to have no hesitation in reaching out to this man that the religious establishment did not consider worthy to worship in its holy place? Philip doesn’t let the man’s race or sexuality box him in, rather, he sees him and interacts with him --- instructs him on the nature of scripture and prophesy, and finally affirms the man’s conversion to Christianity and baptizes him. That, dear friends, is not only thinking outside the box; it is acting outside the box. The text says that an angel prompted Philip to approach the Ethiopian. I wonder about that angel – could that have been the Holy Spirit? The lesson we have today is about evangelism. O yes, it is about the E word – that word that Episcopalians tend to avoid and shun. For many that is a box that they will not open much less think about. Down in the diocese of North Carolina there has been an effort instituted by Bishop Michael Curry for the diocese to see itself as a missionary diocese – so parishes are asked to become missionary parishes – there is a prayer for mission that we all prayed and we always ended that prayer that we might: “make disciples and to make a difference.” What could that mean? What would it look like? Bishop Curry – a man I love deeply and admire greatly -- has said on a number of occasions -- that his dream for his Diocese – is for our church to look like the people of North Carolina. Now, for the Episcopal Church --- that is thinking outside the box. His dream is for our church to reflect the diversity of race and ethnicity we find in our wonderful state. So might we consider ways in which we might become a missionary minded church? Will we have the courage to ‘think outside the box?’ Will we have the faith to ask ourselves the hard questions? You know what I mean? Is being a Christian more than having good manners and treating others fairly? Is belonging to the body of Christ more than just another grouping of my social set? Dare we risk a church where the gospel is preached even when it makes us uncomfortable? Is being a missionary church more than nice liturgy, good music and pleasant even beautiful buildings? Can we dare to believe that the Advocate --- the Holy Spirit of God --- will lead us into bold new ministries? Can we become missionaries for Jesus Christ and remain in our comfort zone? Or will we, like Philip, be asked to stretch ourselves beyond our normal limits and boundaries? In this diocese, the diocese of Western North Carolina, we just had the Mission and Ministry conference and the topic was on “the Missional Church”. I was not at the conference but I do have some familiarity with the movement. The ‘Missional Church’ is relatively a new term which is used in describing different and new ways of being church. I was first exposed to the term during my Intentional Interim Ministry training sponsored by the Center for Congregational Health – it must have been about five years ago or so. I am not going to spend a lot of time here on this except to hit a few key points. The reason I am doing this is because you and I are going to find that our church – and all churches that we know anything about are going to be changing in the coming years. Those that do not change will disappear. I have a notion that the Missional Church Movement will be a huge paradigm shift (just to use some more jargon – but it is true.) The movement to Missional will involve shifting from Internal to External in terms of ministry focus; shifting from program development focus to people development in terms of core activity; and from church-based to kingdom-based in terms of leadership agenda. Kingdom based is about the notion that Jesus came and said that the kingdom of God is at hand – it is here and not in the by and by. So what? How do people act in the kingdom of God – remember when Jesus said to Pilate “My kingdom is not of this world – perhaps what he meant is that his kingdom does not treat people the way the typical structures of power and influence treat people. The Kingdom of God is characterized by compassion, selfless service, non-judgmental acceptance of difference, non-violent resolution of disagreement. Some will say: It is simplistic and silly and totally impractical and it will not work. Well, it is true that it hasn’t worked yet – it’s really never been tired on a comprehensive basis. Missional church might just train folks to practice those strategies for human interaction. Anyway what I have give you in this regard are broad and general terms --- Missional Church gets much more specific and there are a number of writers and thinkers who are involved with thinking through the implications of this new phenomenon. (which really might be old) Anyway, that is something for you to think about. You might want to talk with those who went to the Mission and Ministry Conference and even engage in some conversation with Fr. Allen (give him a month or two to get unpacked.) Missionary diocese, making disciples who make a difference – Missional Church --- these are notions and actions that could be in the “Outside the Box” category. And while I am rambling this morning I would like to spend just a moment on the gospel – I am the vine and you are the branches and our collect for today --- “Grant us so perfectly to know you Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life….” The collect comes from John’s gospel Chapter 14: 1-6 (I am the way the truth and the life – no one comes to the father but by me.) The church has for too long preached this gospel and today’s vine gospel as being about right belief – only if you believe in Jesus as the vine – there are no other options – only if you believe he is the way --- there are no other options – I just want to you think for a moment on this possibility. Jesus’ way is the way the truth and the life. The way of Jesus – how he lived – how he said we were to live and treat one another – not what we believe --- but rather how we act toward our world and our neighbor --- and in case we couldn’t figure out who our neighbor was – he told us a story about a neighbor named the Good Samaritan. So perhaps our call is to stop trying to narrow faith and access to God into our particular understanding – or restricted view of Holy Scripture – but rather we are called to be expansive in our thinking, inclusive in our relationships --- testing the boundaries of dogma, creed and institutional life – always reaching for goal of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven: That is a kingdom of love, peace, justice, and compassion for all people – regardless of their box.
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The Fourth Sunday of Easter
There is a book written about Interim ministry. The title is “Temporary Shepherds.” I was going to read to you from it but it has already been packed. The story of my life – just when you have the perfect illustration or quote, you either can’t remember it or it is already packed. Well, anyway you understand that clergy – rectors - are often given the informal title ‘Shepherd.’ Of course we see the bishop as our principle shepherd – he/she even carries a shepherd’s crook/staff, which for a bishop is called a crosier. Believe me you can only take this imagery so far. We clergy might be shepherds, but our congregations aren’t sheep. Sheep and people are very different. For one thing Sheep never think that they can be Shepherds. People? That is a different deal. Anyway, here we are again – Good Shepherd Sunday. Actually there is no official label to the Sunday – it is just the Fourth Sunday of Easter; however, if you look at all three years of the lectionary, you will find that each year’s gospel deals with Jesus as the shepherd. Knowing this, the collect for the fourth Sunday of Easter is always “O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people… you get the picture. These gospels for each of the three years of the Lectionary are taken from the 10 th chapter of the Gospel of John and are often times referred to as the Shepherd discourses. So it is that chapter ten deals with a number of references that use shepherd/sheep imagery. It is Good Shepherd Sunday. You may remember last year – you do remember these sermons, don’t you? You may remember that we sang “We are poor little lambs who have lost our way… the well known Ivy League drinking song. Well, this year I will spare you the pain. (you are thinking “Is that the only trick he’s got?) In this passage, Jesus is talking to the religious leaders. They are the ones whom Jesus is describing as ‘hired hands’. What he is saying is that the leaders who should be caring for the people are not caring for them properly. He is saying that the religious leaders do not understand that being a shepherd – a leader --- involves sacrifice, the giving of oneself. These leaders, as can so easily become the case, have the notion that being the shepherd entitles them to some sort of special deference from those being led. Of course if we look at other accounts of Jesus’ discourse and teaching we will find amazing consistency and congruency. When I wrote that I thought – “Is this redundant?” No, it is not. Jesus is consistent with his message. He keeps trying to point out the same issues for people and using different images to do so. He is consistent. He keeps trying. He is also congruent. His message and the images he uses are all combined to make the same point. He stays on the message. His message is that the Kingdom of God is now – it has begun and th Kingdom is characterized by loving sacrifice. He says, “she would be first must be last… for the last shall be first, etc.” He also says, “He who would be first, must be servant of all.” He says that it is the least of these whom we should seek and care for. So one of the things we can take away from this passage today is that Jesus, using seemingly poetic and pastoral language which could evoke rather sweet notions of little lambs and tender shepherds – Jesus is actually confronting the religious leaders – Pharisees by telling them that they are lousy leaders. He had already done this using imagery of light and darkness, blindness and sight. In fact chapter nine of John ends with Jesus telling the Pharisees that they indeed are blind because of their sin. And Chapter ten begins with the shepherd metaphors. All of our lessons and psalm today relate to this imagery of sheep and shepherd – or the behaviors and expectations we can have because of our relationship with the one true Shepherd. The author of I John writes that “…as recipients of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice we, like the Good Shepherd ought to ‘ lay down our lives for one another. ’ We are to show as much love for each other as Christ showed for us through self-giving and loving care… ‘ let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ’” ( Synthesis, April 29, 2012) Of course our psalm is probably the best known and most often quoted of all the psalms – Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd … words of comfort and strength, assurance and hope. I guess by now you are waiting for the inevitable – ok – So What? So those who follow Jesus, the good shepherd, are to emulate his life and ministry. They – we – are to live into his example of service and sacrifice. It is the Acts passage of today’s readings that we see something of the nature of the kind of shepherds Jesus’ has created to take his place. Peter and John are arrested for teaching about Jesus in the market place. They are brought before the rulers to be questioned and Peter takes the opportunity to tell them about the true nature of Jesus. Remember this is the person who had denied Jesus three times during Jesus’ trial before his crucifixion. Just as these disciples were now able to bring God’s healing touch to the sick. So too they had been healed of their fear and timidity and are now able to proclaim with boldness the saving power of Christ. Is it not possible that we too can be freed from our fear, timidity and denial as we follow the Good Shepherd? Is not possible that we in giving our life to him might just find a life that we did not know even existed? So you are about to send your temporary shepherd packing (figure of speech.) and you are about to receive a permanent shepherd –well as permanent as the nature of the priest/parish relationship allows. My advice to you – be yourselves. Believe me that is enough. Just be the gracious, welcoming, caring and generous church that you have been to us and your new shepherd will indeed flourish and lead you to new pastures and new life and God will be glorified and you will be fed. |