Sermon for St. George's Day 4-25-09 Cathedral Domain
The Lessons assigned to St. George:
Revelation 12: 7-12
Michael Defeats the Dragon
7 And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
‘Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah,*
for the accuser of our comrades* has been thrown down,
who accuses them day and night before our God.
11But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
12Rejoice then, you heavens
and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you
with great wrath,
because he knows that his time is short!’
Psalm 126
A Harvest of Joy
A Song of Ascents.
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,*
we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
3The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
2 Timothy 2:3-13
3Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. 6It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
John. 15:18-21
The World’s Hatred
18 ‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world,* the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants* are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Sermon: St. George’s Day April 24, 2009
May our work in the world be a vehicle for Your Love; May it shine and light up all darkened places. Be with us, O Lord. Amen. (Adapted from Marianne Williamson’s Illuminata.)
We have a lot going on here this weekend! In various groups and sub-groups, we have our Executive Council Retreat, a Youth Rally, and the Bishop’s Visitation to the Small Church Ministry Consortium with Baptisms, Confirmations, and Receptions. It is also of course the Spring Festival gathering and the Patronal Feast for this cathedral named for St. George the Martyr. With all of these occasions meeting in one service, [not to mention some pretty challenging lessons!] it is hard to know where to begin to focus. I think our Bishop is very brave to invite me to preach for this service. [*]
St. George and the Dragon indeed!
I mention St. George so that those of you who are attending for the first time might better understand the dragon references in the Scripture readings. These are the lessons assigned for the day we honor St. George, which was really this past Wednesday. As much fun as St. George is, however, those of you being baptized, confirmed and received probably have other concerns after listening to these particular lessons.
It may seem odd at first, hearing Scripture about the world hating Christians on a day where we prepare to joyfully welcome new members into our midst. It might make us all a bit uneasy about being glad for those entering into a deeper relationship with God and God’s church in this context. But surely to think that would imply that Stad and Eric and Jay and Brandon and Sr. Judy had never experienced this odd enmity between the world and followers of Jesus Christ, and I would be very surprised if that were true. I know that each of you has come to this day thoughtfully and with gladness; I believe that such a decision cannot help but change your perspective.
That is where John comes out, at least. This passage is part of the farewell discourse in John’s Gospel; Jesus is preparing his disciples for the day when he will not be right beside them to teach. He wants them to know that he understands the persecution that can come with allegiance to him and to God. John gives three reasons given for this:
1. The Disciples are not of the world Jesus describes.
2. This world has hated and persecuted Jesus.
3. The world lacks knowledge and understanding of Jesus and God.
The price of discipleship is high, Jesus warns. It has not been all sweetness and light for him, and it will not be so for us as we transit this world. But it is not all dark either. Warm fuzzies really do exist - you can find them all over this place and if you do not know where to look, I invite you to ask one of our youth! Another bright spot is the gift of this place. God invites us to the Cathedral Domain to be removed from the world-- and having been here, even for a day, we feel the difference keenly as we drive back to our regular lives.
John’s own community was perhaps a bit like this one here this weekend. For him, community in Christ was defined by inter-relationship, and mutuality and understanding. The passage immediately before this troubling concept of hate really sets the context for this reading. Jesus has just explained to them that he is the True Vine and they are the branches, and that although they have not chosen HIM, HE has chosen THEM. He has further explained that they are to go and bear fruit; these commands are all about the main goal of loving one another as he has loved them.
So it is not in the mere following of Jesus that this persecution occurs, but in doing the hard work of love that they will take up after his death and Resurrection. We still struggle with this, particularly in the West, where our individuality and the celebration of our own gifts and achievements are in direct opposition to the kind of community John envisions. This is also a new direction for John in the Farewell Discourse; it is a look outside of the Johannine community. Comparably for us, it is a look at what waits beyond this mountain where we celebrate today.
But I must tell you –just in case you were worried-- that Jesus is not this frank with them in order to scare them! After all, if he were here preaching in my place he would absolutely NOT be saying, “Oh sure! Welcome to the vineyard. Don’t worry about the fact that nobody is gonna like you once you’ve been in here. Don’t be in a bother over the fact that some days are going to be just plain icky. Yesiree, now, sign right here and start your lifetime as a Christian . . . it will be just swell!” No, instead, he took great care to prepare them, so that they could remain strong and faithful in the face of conflict.
That is why the dragon is so very angry. Jesus was the real deal, not an illusion. Michael would not have had to fight that ancient battle with Satan written about in the Book of Revelation if Jesus had been just another oily telemarketer!
On the contrary, what makes Satan so angry is that the battle has already been lost at the cross. What is left is basically a big temper tantrum, “because he knows that his time is short,” and that is what the disciples will encounter in the world. Because they cannot be true to the singular commandment in the Gospel of John, to love one another as Jesus has loved them, and not meet resistance in a world that neither knows or understands that kind of love.
So, what if we all just move up here and put up a big gate and never go home? Surely a community that understands and practices this kind of love is a better place to live? We can keep the world out and watch the stars and sing around the campfire. . . .except for the fact that not being of this world is not the same thing as choosing not to live. There is also the matter of what Jesus asks us to do as Christians. Our job is to not to avoid living in the world, it is to make the world a better place to be by living in it.
The fruit of loving one another can only be borne through the hard work of watering, weeding, giving shade, nurturing and fertilizing.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of fertilizing. . .
We have to go into the world that neither knows nor comprehends the way God works and we have to be the living examples of that love. We have to remind ourselves-- and teach others --that signing up for the love that the world provides is to renounce the love which Jesus has shown to us. We have to remind ourselves and teach other that renouncing the world view for the Christian one will be a task which requires great faith. You see, for John, hate and love are not abstract concepts; they are real and concrete; they embody our relationship with the world and with Jesus.
And the biggest challenge of all? Before the Bishop pours the baptismal water and places confirming and receiving hands on you, let me enlighten you. The toughest thing of all is to embody this love in a world marked by hatred ---and yet not give in to that hatred ourselves. Let me say that again: The toughest thing of all is to embody this love in a world marked by hatred ---and yet not give in to that hatred ourselves.
That is our most fantastic challenge as followers of Jesus.
We can do it though, especially if we remember how unlovable we are and how dearly we are loved despite that fact. And we can do it if we remember that we do not do it alone. In a few minutes the Bishop will read these words from Eucharistic Prayer B: “Unite us to your son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him.” In Eucharist, we are given the strength and the presence to bear the fruit of loving especially those who do not know or understand about God’s love.
Not only that, we will make a commitment to bear that fruit of loving. Stad will not make his baptismal promises alone; each of us will renew our own vow with God’s help to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Each of us will also promise to strive for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being.
Yes, the world will resist. Minor dragons may appear in difficult moments. It is good to be prepared so that we can stand strong and faithful. But “we have the technology,” As followers of Jesus we are invited into the knowledge and understanding of the One who created us in love. When we leave here today singing, “I too will praise him with a new song,” we will be free with grateful hearts to re-enter the world and take our own place in the Vineyard.
Amen.
Revelation 12: 7-12
Michael Defeats the Dragon
7 And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
‘Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah,*
for the accuser of our comrades* has been thrown down,
who accuses them day and night before our God.
11But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
12Rejoice then, you heavens
and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you
with great wrath,
because he knows that his time is short!’
Psalm 126
A Harvest of Joy
A Song of Ascents.
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,*
we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
3The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
2 Timothy 2:3-13
3Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. 6It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
John. 15:18-21
The World’s Hatred
18 ‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world,* the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants* are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Sermon: St. George’s Day April 24, 2009
May our work in the world be a vehicle for Your Love; May it shine and light up all darkened places. Be with us, O Lord. Amen. (Adapted from Marianne Williamson’s Illuminata.)
We have a lot going on here this weekend! In various groups and sub-groups, we have our Executive Council Retreat, a Youth Rally, and the Bishop’s Visitation to the Small Church Ministry Consortium with Baptisms, Confirmations, and Receptions. It is also of course the Spring Festival gathering and the Patronal Feast for this cathedral named for St. George the Martyr. With all of these occasions meeting in one service, [not to mention some pretty challenging lessons!] it is hard to know where to begin to focus. I think our Bishop is very brave to invite me to preach for this service. [*]
St. George and the Dragon indeed!
I mention St. George so that those of you who are attending for the first time might better understand the dragon references in the Scripture readings. These are the lessons assigned for the day we honor St. George, which was really this past Wednesday. As much fun as St. George is, however, those of you being baptized, confirmed and received probably have other concerns after listening to these particular lessons.
It may seem odd at first, hearing Scripture about the world hating Christians on a day where we prepare to joyfully welcome new members into our midst. It might make us all a bit uneasy about being glad for those entering into a deeper relationship with God and God’s church in this context. But surely to think that would imply that Stad and Eric and Jay and Brandon and Sr. Judy had never experienced this odd enmity between the world and followers of Jesus Christ, and I would be very surprised if that were true. I know that each of you has come to this day thoughtfully and with gladness; I believe that such a decision cannot help but change your perspective.
That is where John comes out, at least. This passage is part of the farewell discourse in John’s Gospel; Jesus is preparing his disciples for the day when he will not be right beside them to teach. He wants them to know that he understands the persecution that can come with allegiance to him and to God. John gives three reasons given for this:
1. The Disciples are not of the world Jesus describes.
2. This world has hated and persecuted Jesus.
3. The world lacks knowledge and understanding of Jesus and God.
The price of discipleship is high, Jesus warns. It has not been all sweetness and light for him, and it will not be so for us as we transit this world. But it is not all dark either. Warm fuzzies really do exist - you can find them all over this place and if you do not know where to look, I invite you to ask one of our youth! Another bright spot is the gift of this place. God invites us to the Cathedral Domain to be removed from the world-- and having been here, even for a day, we feel the difference keenly as we drive back to our regular lives.
John’s own community was perhaps a bit like this one here this weekend. For him, community in Christ was defined by inter-relationship, and mutuality and understanding. The passage immediately before this troubling concept of hate really sets the context for this reading. Jesus has just explained to them that he is the True Vine and they are the branches, and that although they have not chosen HIM, HE has chosen THEM. He has further explained that they are to go and bear fruit; these commands are all about the main goal of loving one another as he has loved them.
So it is not in the mere following of Jesus that this persecution occurs, but in doing the hard work of love that they will take up after his death and Resurrection. We still struggle with this, particularly in the West, where our individuality and the celebration of our own gifts and achievements are in direct opposition to the kind of community John envisions. This is also a new direction for John in the Farewell Discourse; it is a look outside of the Johannine community. Comparably for us, it is a look at what waits beyond this mountain where we celebrate today.
But I must tell you –just in case you were worried-- that Jesus is not this frank with them in order to scare them! After all, if he were here preaching in my place he would absolutely NOT be saying, “Oh sure! Welcome to the vineyard. Don’t worry about the fact that nobody is gonna like you once you’ve been in here. Don’t be in a bother over the fact that some days are going to be just plain icky. Yesiree, now, sign right here and start your lifetime as a Christian . . . it will be just swell!” No, instead, he took great care to prepare them, so that they could remain strong and faithful in the face of conflict.
That is why the dragon is so very angry. Jesus was the real deal, not an illusion. Michael would not have had to fight that ancient battle with Satan written about in the Book of Revelation if Jesus had been just another oily telemarketer!
On the contrary, what makes Satan so angry is that the battle has already been lost at the cross. What is left is basically a big temper tantrum, “because he knows that his time is short,” and that is what the disciples will encounter in the world. Because they cannot be true to the singular commandment in the Gospel of John, to love one another as Jesus has loved them, and not meet resistance in a world that neither knows or understands that kind of love.
So, what if we all just move up here and put up a big gate and never go home? Surely a community that understands and practices this kind of love is a better place to live? We can keep the world out and watch the stars and sing around the campfire. . . .except for the fact that not being of this world is not the same thing as choosing not to live. There is also the matter of what Jesus asks us to do as Christians. Our job is to not to avoid living in the world, it is to make the world a better place to be by living in it.
The fruit of loving one another can only be borne through the hard work of watering, weeding, giving shade, nurturing and fertilizing.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of fertilizing. . .
We have to go into the world that neither knows nor comprehends the way God works and we have to be the living examples of that love. We have to remind ourselves-- and teach others --that signing up for the love that the world provides is to renounce the love which Jesus has shown to us. We have to remind ourselves and teach other that renouncing the world view for the Christian one will be a task which requires great faith. You see, for John, hate and love are not abstract concepts; they are real and concrete; they embody our relationship with the world and with Jesus.
And the biggest challenge of all? Before the Bishop pours the baptismal water and places confirming and receiving hands on you, let me enlighten you. The toughest thing of all is to embody this love in a world marked by hatred ---and yet not give in to that hatred ourselves. Let me say that again: The toughest thing of all is to embody this love in a world marked by hatred ---and yet not give in to that hatred ourselves.
That is our most fantastic challenge as followers of Jesus.
We can do it though, especially if we remember how unlovable we are and how dearly we are loved despite that fact. And we can do it if we remember that we do not do it alone. In a few minutes the Bishop will read these words from Eucharistic Prayer B: “Unite us to your son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him.” In Eucharist, we are given the strength and the presence to bear the fruit of loving especially those who do not know or understand about God’s love.
Not only that, we will make a commitment to bear that fruit of loving. Stad will not make his baptismal promises alone; each of us will renew our own vow with God’s help to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Each of us will also promise to strive for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being.
Yes, the world will resist. Minor dragons may appear in difficult moments. It is good to be prepared so that we can stand strong and faithful. But “we have the technology,” As followers of Jesus we are invited into the knowledge and understanding of the One who created us in love. When we leave here today singing, “I too will praise him with a new song,” we will be free with grateful hearts to re-enter the world and take our own place in the Vineyard.
Amen.
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