Sermon by Hawley Todd for February 13, 2011

Outline of sermon preached by Hawley Todd on February 13, 2011 the 6th Sunday after Epiphany, year A.

Open with Prayer

Welcome to Grace Church for our service, a Celebration of Healing and Wholeness.

I was very tempted to speak on Absalom Jones but I know you will hear a much better sermon from Bishop Rivera if you go to the special service at the Cathedral this afternoon. So I invite you to come to the Cathedral this afternoon for a Festival Choral Eucharist to celebrate the life and ministry of the Rev. Absalom Jones.

Our scriptures appointed for today caused me a great deal of discomfort this week. They did not at first seem to be the easiest ones to use for a healing service or for our annual meeting!

What does the reading from Sirach say?

Sirach 15:15-20

¹⁵ If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
   and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
¹⁶ He has placed before you fire and water;
   stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
¹⁷ Before each person are life and death,
   and whichever one chooses will be given.
¹⁸ For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
   he is mighty in power and sees everything;
¹⁹ his eyes are on those who fear him,
   and he knows every human action.
²⁰ He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
   and he has not given anyone permission to sin.

This passage is all about choosing.

The spiritual life at its core is learning to make choices that are pleasing to God

God created us to be whole and in balance and harmony with ourselves and one another.

Healing is restoring ourselves, each other, and all of creation to the way God intended us all to be.

While there often are many things outside our control, there are always aspects of our lives that are within our control.

It is in those areas that God wants us to choose between life and death,

Between growing closer to God or growing further away,

Between becoming the person God created us to be or becoming Judas.

"And he has not given anyone permission to sin.”

That is a leadin to our second reading from the 5^th chapter of Matthew.

Matthew 5:21-37

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, `You shall not murder'; and `whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, `You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

"You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

"It was also said, `Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, `You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be `Yes, Yes' or `No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

This passage has always bothered me.

Why is Jesus talking about cutting one’s hand off or plucking one’s eye out???

On the surface, this passage is just plain disturbing. I have read of people who toke it literally and disfigured themselves.

He really does not want us to willfully sin.

He says that the inner act of lusting is as bad as the outer.

Earlier he said:

²¹“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ ²²But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.

He has moved the outer acts of murder and adultery to our inner life and our words.

And I think this is the CRITICAL POINT

Unlike the psychology and beliefs that I was taught in college that it is okay to think or feel whatever we want as long as we don’t externalize them, Jesus is saying the condition of our hearts and minds are CRITICAL.

If anything needs to be cut off or plucked out, it is not our outer physical bodies.

Rather it is the habits of thought and emotion that we entertain quietly in the hidden parts of our beings.

And what does this have to do with a healing service?

Remember that as we have been learning about healing and becoming the precious children God created us to be, I have stressed over and over that we a unified whole made up of a physical body, emotions, mind, and a spirit.

A sickness in any one area impacts all the areas.

My observation in working with people is that our bodies are often the last part of us to get sick.

Physical illness is often BUT NOT ALWAYS a manifestation of something amiss in our emotions, our thought patterns, and our spirit.

In this passage, Jesus is telling us to pay attention to our own inner lives.

First of all notice what is going on!

Then CHOOSE.

Ephesians tells us to be angry but do not sin,

Do not let the sun go down on your anger.

This is where choice comes in.

We get hurt.

We get angry.

But we decide – we choose what to do with the hurt and anger.

The passage from Matthew though deals with another aspect of “sin” – missing the mark – that I want to touch on today.

²³So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

The gift – the worship – that God wants is for us to lead an ethical life.

God wants us to truly love one another.

And when we fail to do that – God wants us to make it right.

Say you are sorry.

Make amends – that is true worship.

Admit your errors and don’t make excuses or offer reasons.

REPENT – turn around.

First to you sister and brother, and only then to God.

How healing would that be for all of us?????

When others hurt us, that they would admit their wrongs and come and be reconciled.

Yes they will know we are Christians by our love!!!!!

Grace Church strives to be open and welcoming to all people.

We strive to exclude no one.

Read and live into our values and our goals.

Yet tolerating another’s differences is not the same thing as honoring and welcoming them as a brother or sister.

Pay attention to what is going on inside your heart and mind.

Ask Jesus to heal and transform whatever is within us that needs to be changed so that we can choose life and truly welcome each other and anyone who comes through our doors!

Let us pray!!!

A Celebration of Wholeness and Healing

[Conducted Sunday, February 13, 2011 at Grace Church, Hawley Todd, TSSF, Liturgist]
[Service adapted from A Celebration of Wholeness and Healing, Church of Ireland BCP 2004.]

Processional Hymn What a friend we have in Jesus LEVAS 109

The Gathering of God's People

GREETING

In the name of Christ, we welcome you.
We have been called out of darkness into God's marvelous light.
Grace and peace be with you
People: and also with you.

The love of God has been poured into our hearts,
Through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us:
We dwell in him and he lives in us.
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name;
People: make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
People: and speak of all his marvelous works.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty;
People: who was and is and is to come.

THE COLLECT said together

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

Hymn: Yahweh, I Know You Are Near vs. 1 & 4 LEVAS 16

Sirach 15:15-20

Reader A Reading from the Apocryphal Book of Sirach

If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. He has placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose. Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given. For great is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power and sees everything; his eyes are on those who fear him, and he knows every human action. He has not commanded anyone to be wicked, and he has not given anyone permission to sin.

Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.

Matthew 5:21-37

Reader A Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew.

You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.

THE SERMON Hawley Todd TSSF

Offertory Hymn Spirit Song LEVAS 118

Representatives of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of money or other gifts to the altar. The people stand while the offerings are presented and placed on the Altar.

Litany of Healing

God the Father, your will for all people is health and salvation.
People: We praise and bless you, Lord.

God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly.
People: We praise and bless you, Lord.

God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your presence.
People: We praise and bless you, Lord.

Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being.
People: We praise and bless you, Lord.

Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured or disabled, that they may be made whole.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

Grant to all who are lonely, anxious or depressed a knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

Grant to all who minister to those who are suffering, wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

Mend broken relationships, and restore to those in distress soundness of mind and serenity of spirit.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

Sustain and support those who seek your guidance and lift up all who are brought low by the trials of this life.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

Grant peace and a holy death to those who are dying, and uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are bereaved.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in our lives, in our nation, and in the world.
People: Hear us, Lord of life.

You are the Lord, you perform mighty wonders.
People: You have declared your power among the peoples.

With you, Lord, is the well of life
People: and in your light do we see light.

Hear us, Lord of life,
People: heal us, and make us whole.

Let us be silent before God.

A period of silence follows

O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people;
in the multitude of your mercies look with compassion
upon us and all who turn to you for help;
for you are gracious, O lover of souls,
and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.

Laying on of Hands and Anointing

Our help is in the name of the Lord
People: who has made heaven and earth.

Blessed be the name of the Lord:
People: now and forever. Amen.

Blessed are you, sovereign God, gentle and merciful, creator of heaven and earth. Your Word brought light out of darkness, and daily your Spirit renews the face of the earth. When we turned away from you in sin, your anointed Son took our nature and entered our suffering to bring your healing to those in weakness and distress. He broke the power of evil and set us free from sin and death that we might become partakers of his glory. His apostles anointed the sick in your name, bringing wholeness and joy to a broken world. By your grace renewed each day you continue the gifts of healing in your Church that your people may praise your name forever.

Hear the prayer we offer for all your people. Remember in your mercy those for whom we pray: heal the sick, raise the fallen, strengthen the fainthearted and enfold in your love the fearful and those who have no hope. In the fullness of time complete your gracious work. Reconcile all things in Christ and make them new. Restore us in your image, renew us in your love, that we may serve you as sons and daughters in your kingdom; through your anointed Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit we lift our voices of thanks and praise:

People: Blessed be God, our strength and our salvation, now and forever. Amen.

Come forward if requesting the laying on of hands and anointing or to receive a blessing. Come with an open heart and mind. You are welcome to pray for others or have quiet meditation during this time.

Hymns:

Sweet, Sweet Spirit LEVAS 120
I want Jesus to walk with me LEVAS 70

After the laying on of hands and anointing, the leader says

The Almighty Lord, who is a strong tower for all who put their trust in him, whom all things in heaven, on earth and under the earth obey, be now and evermore our defense. May we believe and trust that the only name under heaven given for health and salvation is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER Sung LEVAS 264

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Visitor Recognition, News to Share

Going Out as God's People

God who said: 'Let light shine out of darkness',
People: has caused his light to shine within us

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
People: revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels
People: to show that the power belongs to God.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with us and remain with us always. Amen.

The Leader says

Go in the joy and peace of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia
People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia.

Recessional Blessed Absalom vs. 1, 2, 6 & 7 LEVAS 44

THE PEACE

God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

The peace of the Lord be always with you
People: and also with you.

Sermon: Joseph Has a Problem

Sermon on the Gospel for Advent 4, Year A delivered at Grace Church December 19, 2010 by Ken Lyon.

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Sermon:

It’s the last Sunday of Advent. The Advent season of preparation for Christ’s arrival ends this Friday. Friday, Christmas Eve, we’ll begin to celebrate Christmas.

At our house this week, we’ll go shopping for a tree and we’ll start putting up Christmas decorations. Among the things we’ll be putting out is our crèche.

In our crèche, as in most other crèches, Mary and the baby Jesus are front & center and Joseph is in the background, almost hidden amongst the wise men & shepherds, the sheep & the cows.

But that’s not how Matthew tells it! Matthew’s birth account, which we read today, brings Joseph to the front of the stage. In today’s Gospel, Joseph is the hero. And what Joseph does provides us with an example well worth emulating in our own day. Let’s review:

---000---

Joseph has a problem. The woman he’s engaged to has turned up pregnant--and it’s not his! This is a big enough problem today, but in Joseph’s time and place, this is a really big problem.

In those times, being engaged was the legal equivalent of being married in every way except that the couple wasn’t living together. Joseph’s family and Mary’s family would have contracted for the marriage of their children. A public announcement would have been made and a big party held for everyone in the community. At some point in the future, Joseph and Mary would begin living together.

But now, before they began to live together, Mary is found to be pregnant by someone other than Joseph. She’s obviously guilty of adultery and-- if she lives to bear the child--it will be a bastard.

In that society, as in some societies today, being found an adulterer brings shame on all the families involved. In that society, as in some today, an accepted way to remove that shame from the families was to put the guilty parties to death by stoning them. That’s what Joseph’s scriptures call for. An adulterer is to be stoned. And we know, from the Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery, stoning was a real possibility in Joseph’s time.

But in those times, the commonly accepted practice was to find a way to get around the letter of the law--to dismiss the guilty party quietly instead of stoning them. That would save Joseph and the families further shame. Maybe Joseph discussed what to do with his parents and his friends, or maybe he already knew what was called for. In any case, Joseph, being a righteous man, decided to divorce Mary quietly, rather than having her stoned. That was the right thing to do.

So Joseph goes to bed satisfied that he’s doing the right thing.

But Joseph didn’t sleep very well. Matthew gives us some hints about what was going through Joseph’s mind during those long, half-awake, half-asleep hours in the dark.

A messenger of God appears to him in his dreams and gives him God’s perspective on his situation.

Joseph knew his genealogy well, all the way back to Abraham. Matthew has already recounted Joseph’s genealogy—42 generations of fathers from Abraham through King David and then on down to Joseph. But among them, Joseph recalls, are four women, and they are all scandalous mothers.

· There’s Tamar. She disguises herself as a prostitute in order to get pregnant by Judah. Perez, one of King David’s and Joseph’s ancestors, is their child.

· There’s Rahab, mother of Boaz, a prostitute living in Jericho who hid Israelite spies.

· There’s Ruth, a Moabite woman (Moabite women were known to be especially promiscuous) who seduced Boaz by coming into his bed and lying at his feet.

· And finally, there’s Bathsheba, King David’s wife and the mother of King Solomon. She was sunbathing on her roof where King David saw her. David had her husband killed so he could have her.

Interesting, thinks Joseph. Apparently, these women’s scandalous behavior didn’t matter as much to God as it did to people. They played essential roles in God’s plan for his nation’s history.

To Joseph, that perspective shed a different light on his fiancé and her coming child.

Names came to him for this child-to-be; names indicative of the role he was to play: One name was Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” Another name was Jesus, meaning “Savior.”

In those dark hours between sleeping and waking, Joseph got the message: this child-to-be was God’s work.

So Joseph, who went to bed satisfied, woke up a radical. He shocked everyone by taking Mary into his home to be his wife! And when the child was born, Joseph adopted him and named him Jesus--Savior!

Joseph looked at things through God’s eyes, ignoring the common wisdom in favor of God’s wisdom--and the rest is history.

So did Joseph now live happily ever after? Probably not. I’m sure their families and friends and neighbors were shamed and shocked at Joseph’s violation of law and custom. I can imagine that Mary and Joseph and Jesus were the subjects of gossip for years to come.

Right after Joseph’s decision to take in Mary and the baby, they had to flee their home in Bethlehem and go to Egypt to keep their baby safe from King Herod. And when he returned to Israel, he couldn’t go back home to Bethlehem, but instead had to settle his family in a backwater town by the name of Nazareth way up in Galilee.

Joseph almost certainly didn’t live to see his decision vindicated. That doesn’t mean that he died unhappy; as a Jew he knew well the problems that being one of God’s chosen people can bring and he was able to take the longer view.

---000---

Matthew’s account of Joseph’s decision to marry Mary and adopt Jesus is just one example of stories that we can read over and over in both Hebrew scripture and Christian testament—stories of how God’s perspective overturns conventional human wisdom in ways that are often shocking.

Jesus shocked people’s sensibilities regularly--so often, in fact, that the keepers of the conventional wisdom finally had him killed. But that didn’t stop God. God continued to inspire people to upset conventional wisdom in favor of God’s wisdom. And he continues to do so today.

---000---

So how might we apply today what we learn from Matthew’s story about Joseph?

What comes to mind to me are a few stories of times when I think God’s point of view was taken seriously right here at Grace Church in College Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio.

In the early 1970’s, at one of the first Annual Meetings my wife and I attended, the congregation was inspired to pass a motion that required that half the members elected to Vestry be women and half be men. At the time, that was a rather shocking departure from the conventional wisdom that had men as Wardens and Vestrymen and relegated women to the Episcopal Church Women and the Sunday School. A few years later, the motion was rescinded. It was no longer needed—what had been unconventional wisdom in the early 70’s had become the new conventional wisdom at Grace.

About 20 years ago, while Grace was a mostly white parish, we were inspired to call a black priest. We had expected Fr. Melton to be charismatic, activist and rather, uh, edgy; we later discovered that he was gay as well. Grace Church has never been an almost-white congregation since. Neither is it all Black. Being a congregation of many colors is now the conventional wisdom at Grace.

About ten years ago, Grace was inspired to call an acknowledged gay priest with partner. Fr. Farrell and Dale were forced out by the then bishop, who abruptly changed his mind about wanting him here. But the conventional wisdom at Grace now includes people of all sexual orientations.

A few years ago, Vicar Ernestein came to us: a woman, an African-American, a Liberian immigrant. She introduced healing services with African drumming that drew some kinds of healers that I know had never been welcomed inside a church before. I, for one, found this discomforting at first, but now we’re seeing ways to make healing an integral part of everything we do. We’re learning that healing is not only about in individual’s body and soul; it’s about community—about healing the divisions that separate people.

Most recently, we become a congregation without a resident clergyperson. The idea of being a church and congregation without a clergy person in charge was certainly disconcerting--cause for some sleepless nights. Like Joseph’s problem with his pregnant fiancé, this wasn’t something we asked for or thought we wanted. But, like Joseph, we’re discerning where God’s call to us is in this situation. For one, I do know that the people of this congregation have learned a lot what it takes to be a church. I do think we are on our way to a state of mind where we can have an adult-adult relationship with a resident priest, if and when one is in the cards for us.

---000---

So now God’s got us where he wants us. And day by day, we’re expressing more clearly to ourselves and to others where taking God’s perspective seriously has brought us.

We’ve put up flags on the front of our church where everyone coming up the hill into our community can see them. We have a US Flag, a flag of one of the nations represented by our members, an Episcopal Church flag, an African-American Flag and a Rainbow Flag. What had been once our little secret we now proclaim publically.

For another way we express where God has brought us, take a look at the front of this Sunday’s bulletin. There you’ll read:

“A spiritual home where all are welcome; a healing place in a broken world.”

And there you’ll see the goals that we’re working on now to better realize what we believe to be God’s vision for us.

“We are working to:

· Increase participation and inclusion of those seeking God within the ministries of Grace church.

· Develop and practice ways of bringing deeper spirituality and healing into the lives of our parishioners and our neighbors.”

So now that we’ve become who we are and have proclaimed it, will we live happily ever after? Will sweetness and light and a full church and overflowing budget follow? Apparently not! Joseph’s upsetting decisions weren’t immediately vindicated, and neither have Grace’s.

God has led us to a place that is outside many people’s comfort zone. But I do hope to live to see the day when inclusion becomes mainstream, not marginal. I hope to see the day when people will give up segregating themselves. I hope to live to see the end of the name-calling and pigeon-holing that separation can lead to.

In the meantime, we’ll keep on keepin’ on, trying our best to understand and act on God’s point of view—and let the rest be history.