What's in a Title

Christ the King Sunday, Year B 

Juliet said to Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”[1]

On a day in which we celebrate Christ the King, it seems most appropriate to ask: What’s in a name, or rather, what’s in a title? We call Jesus by many titles: Christ. Messiah. Savior. Lord. Friend. Teacher. At the beginning of John’s Gospel, Nathaniel calls him “King of Israel,” even though Jesus seems rather unimpressed by this declaration. Titles, like boarders, are a very human creation. Yet we continue to put these attributes on Jesus.

The observance of “Christ the King Sunday” is a very modern development, especially for a nearly 2,000 year old faith. Pope Pious XI, in 1925, made the last Sunday of October a feast “in celebration of the all-embracing authority of Christ, which shall lead all humankind to seek the Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.” The feast was moved to the Sunday before Advent 1 in 1970 and is now observed by numerous Protestant traditions such as ours.[2]

“Christ” comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means “anoint” or “Anointed.” When used with Jesus or prophesies about him, it was understood as “one anointed by God.”

King George II of England, whose gift of a silver communion set is still in use at Christ Church.

And King…. Well… we know of countries that have kings (or queens). Maybe some of us have even lived in those countries where the monarch’s likeness is on the currency. But here in the U.S. of A, well, many of our forbears fought hard to free us from a king, a king whose father made a very generous gift to this very parish. Shortly after George Washington was elected in April 1789, the Congress of the United States was tossing around titles like “Chief Magistrate” and “His Highness” and (my personal favorite) “Protector of the Liberties of the People of the United States of America.” They even tossed around the idea of King, even though he was elected for a finite period. But the House of Representatives didn’t want George Washington or any of his successors to let the power of the position go to their head.

So the House proposed a title of their own. “President.” You see, in 1789, it was about the most humble, meager, limited title they could think of. It meant someone who presided over a meeting, an overseer. Think about a jury fore-person. The Senate thought this was ridiculous. They wanted the person in that office to have the respect of other world leaders. Our infant nation would be mocked for having a head of state with the title of “President.” But in order to make peace and move forward, the Senate let the House have their way, though they registered their discontent with House. Over the next 230+ years, nearly 150 other countries followed in our footsteps and titled their head of state “President.” In the end, the Senate won because the titled has garnered the respect they wanted it to garner.[3]

I tell you that story because it illustrates an important point: Reality changes words. Words rarely change reality. The world in 1925, especially Eurpoe, was hardly at peace, even though the Great War had been over for 7 years. In January 1925, the Prime Minister of Italy, Benito Mussolini, put an end to free elections and became dictator. In 1925, Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf. Pious XI knew that faithful Christians needed something larger to look at than the leaders of their day. Pious knew that Jesus had the chance to claim leadership and power on Earth and turned it down. “My kingdom is not of this world,” he said to Pilate. Like so many, Pilate didn’t know who or what was in front of him. “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice,” Jesus continued. “What is truth?” Pilate asked.

Jesus before Pilate

The reality of Jesus’ mission, ministry, and teachings changed what it means to have a king, and be a part of a kingdom.

The truth is that we are still struggling to understand what the Kingdom of God looks like. We struggle to see Jesus, the King of that Kingdom, in our midst.

The truth is that we don’t really know what to do with a King. It doesn’t fit very well with the American narrative of Liberty and Freedom. Most of us are fine to declare Jesus as Lord and Savior, but when it comes to unfettered, unwaivering following of him to a point where we might be uncomfortable, well, that’s another story. Sometimes we are called out of that comfort zone and are resustant to go. Other times, we find we have been out of that zone for a while and we want to go back where it is safe and easy.

Yet, if we are to be subjects of Christ the King and follow and trust him, sometimes (many times!) we will be called out of our comfort zone because Jesus calls us to be IN the world but not OF the world. And part of being IN but not OF the world means tuning out the fear mongering that comes from those who get air time.

If we are willing to call Christ our King, then we are declaring ourselves part of the Kingdom of God, a kingdom that knows no boundries, no nationalities, no language, and no skin color. A kingdom whose currency is love and whose motto is “God Loves you. No exceptions.”

We have choices to make:

n  To live as if the Kingdom of God is now and not in the future.

n  To live with compassion, not merely for self-preservation.

n  To live by faith and not by fear.

If we live a life with Christ as our king, the reality of the Kingdom of God will change the world.

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[1] Romeo and Juliet, II, ii, 1-2

[2] Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 2005

[3] http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_forsyth_what_s_a_snollygoster_a_short_lesson_in_political_speak

God's Unexpected Route

Proper 27, Year B

“Unless the Lord builds the house, their labor is in vain who build it.” – Psalm 172:1

            For 300 years, the Lord has been building a house, here at the corner of Pollock & Middle Streets in downtown New Bern. I am certain that there were times when the labor of the people working with God was in vain because they put their own needs or desires ahead of what God actually wanted this place to be and who God wanted this church to be for this community and for the world. But if their labor had been too much in vain, we would not be here, having an Annual Meeting in the midst of our 300^th Year. For a nation that is only 239 years old, a community of faithful worshipers gathering for 300 years is not too shabby, it it!?

            As I prayed about what to say today, both looking at our Scripture and knowing it was our Annual Meeting, I had running through my head parts of the sermon Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preached last Sunday at his installation. He has been talking for a while, since before his election this summer, about a Jesus Movement to help bring reconciliation and justice to our world, calling on Christians and non-Christians alike to look at the teachings of Jesus for how we can turn the world upside down, which is to really turn it right side up. He cited Jesus’ interaction with the young lawyer who asked him which was the greatest law, to which Jesus replied, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 27:37-40) Bishop Curry continued:

This is really a stunning declaration. On these two—love of God and love of your neighbor—hang, hinge, depend ALL the law and the prophets.

Everything Moses taught.

Everything the prophets thundered forth about justice.

Everything in the Bible.

True religion.

It’s about love of God and the neighbor.

If it’s not about love, then it’s not about God.[1]

The other piece that has stuck with me, and you’ll have to watch the video because it wasn’t in the transcript that was made available, he said part of the Jesus Movement is to look at the world ask what is possible, not merely to be content with the way things are. In order for us to help see this Jesus Movement bear fruit here in New Bern and beyond, we have to explore what can be, and not bask or bemoan what is. As your rector, I don’t want this church (or any church for that matter) to “get by” or to “survive.” I want Christ Church, New Bern, to THRIVE, to BE BOLD in proclaiming this Jesus Movement. In order to do that, we can’t simply look to the way it’s always been done. Gone are the days when the church can open the doors and expect people to flow in. We have to identify ways to take Jesus to people who need to hear that message of an unwavering, unfiltered, holy love. Strategy sessions and hand wringing won’t always do the trick either. We may end up stumbling upon the best ways, and we may fail a few times as well. But if we trust in God to lead us, we know our labors will not be in vain. We will find success even in what we think may be a failure. God has ways of working things out in ways we cannot begin to imagine. That’s why God is God, and we are not.

The story of Ruth & Naomi & Boaz that we heard in our Old Testament lesson this morning is a great example of how God can and often does go outside the “norm” or “expected” to accomplish the Holy things that God wants to happen. Naomi is a Jewish woman married to a Jewish man with two Jewish sons. They move to an area lacking Jewish brides, so the two sons take Moabite wives and before they can have children, the sons die, as does Naomi’s husband. Now, tradition would hold that Naomi would go back to her people the greater Bethlehem area and her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, would go back to their people. But Ruth says, “No, I’m going to go with you, wherever that may be.” There’s this statute in the laws of Moses called the Law of the Kinsman Redeemer. It basically says that if a man dies and he and his wife are childless, it’s up to one of that man’s kin, be it a brother or cousin, to have children with the other man’s wife so that his name will live on. Ruth meets Boaz while they are gleaning from the fields, and Naomi figures out that Boaz is related to her husband and sons and therefore could be great “match” if you will for Ruth. (Scripture doesn’t say if Boaz had other wives, but Ruth was likely not his one-and-only.) Boaz takes Ruth for a wife and they have a son, Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, the Psalmist and the King.

God deviated from the expected route to fulfill the Divine Plan. Obed’s mother, Ruth, King David’s great-grandmother, was a Moabite, someone who was not supposed to be in the lineage of an Israelite King. God broke from the “norm” when setting up a path to Jesus. Sometimes it makes us uncomfortable or warry when God does what is unexpected, but I am convinced that that is how God keeps us on our toes and paying attention. Who would have expected God to choose a wondering, sometimes ornery people to make a great Nation? Yet, God chose the Jews. Who would have expected God to choose a non-Jewish woman to carry on the linage that would bring forth another unexpected choice for a King of Israel? Who would have expected God to choose a small, out of the way place like Nazareth to be the hometown of the Messiah? And even though in our Anglican history, we have had plenty of amazing and prophetic preachers, who would have expected God to choose one from our current time to be the 27^th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church?

The question is: What are we (you, me, Christ Church) doing to make a path to Jesus for those who need to hear the message? Whether the path is expected or unexpected, whether the path is as a flat and straight as a coastal highway or as hilly and curvy as a mountain pass, what are we doing to follow that path and walk with others along way that leads to Jesus?  

I believe that we are continuing to find ways to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus in the word.   I believe that in the years to come, the ways in which God is moving and leading us will become clearer and clearer. Our prayer should be that our eyes and hearts will be open to see God’s hand at work in the world about us.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, their labor is in vain who build it.”

Amen

           

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[1] http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/11/01/video-currys-sermon-at-installation-of-the-27th-presiding-bishop/

Bartimaeus & Our Call as Christians

Proper 25B, RCL

A group of us have been exploring the Gospel of Mark, both on Sunday mornings at 10am and on Wednesdays at 11am. We have often marveled at all of the amazing ways Jesus heals people. Sometimes he lays hands on them; sometimes he wipes spit in their eyes or he touches their ears. Many times, the person who is sick isn’t even present, but it’s the faith of the one who asks for healing that moves Jesus to act. Sometimes he utters a word or two about their healing, sometimes he simply tells them they are well. He sometimes takes the person by the hand, and as in today’s Gospel lesson, he simply says the word, and they are restored to health.

I love the story of Bartimaeus because it’s the same people who are hushing him suddenly tell him to get up and go because Jesus is calling him. He makes a simple request to Jesus, to see again, and Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.” Then Bartimaeus does something that only happens in a couple of other places in Scripture: He follows Jesus. There are a several places where the healed person wants to follow Jesus, but Jesus says no. In my reading of this story, Bartimaeus doesn’t even give Jesus a chance to tell him to stay in Jericho. Bartimaeus is already on his way!

Have you ever had that level of gratitude? To God? To someone else? The level of gratitude that causes you to change your whole perspective and even leave the place you are, physically or emotionally and spiritually? For a blind person such as Bartimaeus, there wasn’t much in the way of employment or trade, so he was left to beg for his daily bread. Even though he can now see, that doesn’t mean the place he is isn’t familiar to him, that he wouldn’t have a chance at redemption and a new start in Jericho. But instead, he opts to leave what is familiar and follow Jesus.

I see in the story of Bartimaeus two of the most important aspects of our call as Christians: To do our part in acting with the same compassion Jesus acted, and to live a life of gratitude for what God has given to us.

We have been talking about Stewardship the past several weeks, both in our sermons as well other publications. Today is the day that we hope you have brought your pledge card so we can begin making plans for 2016. It certainly takes money to turn the lights on, maintain an old building, pay for staff, music, Sunday School curriculum, and a myriad of other “costs of doing business.” So from a practical standpoint, by giving the Vestry an idea of what you intend to contribute to Christ Church in the year to come, it helps them to make a budget.

From a spiritual standpoint, you are helping us, the Vestry and staff, be good stewards of those resources which you give. We are constantly looking at how we are practicing good stewardship of finances, and also of the time and talent that is in our midst as well. Part of my plan in calling the fourth Sunday of each month “Stewardship Sunday” is to be transparent in promoting all the ways we make a good faith effort, and I would say very often experience success, at being good stewards of our finances, our building, our people, and our creation. During our annual meeting on November 8^th, I will say a little more about each of those areas.

Stewardship is, as I’ve said on several occasions, everything we do after we say “We believe.”  Stewardship is how we respond with gratitude, even the gratitude of Bartimaeus, to what God has given us in our lives. We give back to God out of thanks, not because God gives us a bill. I think it’s fair to say that God loves it when we recognize in both word and action what the Almighty has done for us, through us, and with us. I find my own walk with Christ more difficult when I do not acknowledge the presence and the action of God in my life.

Our Gospel story comes at the end of a whole section, about three chapters, where Jesus is dealing with people who are blind, both physically and spiritually. In showing compassion, Jesus opened Bartimaeus’ eyes to see a world he had not known. What would happen if we allowed Jesus to open our eyes to see his hand at work in the world around us? What if Jesus could open our eyes to see those around us who were in need, spiritually as well as physically? It happens, you know. In big ways and small ways. It happened here a number of years ago when several people say the need for ministry to children who have a parent in prison. Camp Hope was born out of seeing that need, and parishioners at Christ Church (and some beyond Christ Church) have responded to that need to the tune of over $20,000 per year over and above what their contribution to Christ Church may be to pay for these young people to experience the love of God in Christian Community. As Camp Hope has grown, so has the recognition that many of the young people served by Camp Hope need our attention and care during the other 51 weeks of the year than when they are at camp.

This past Monday, the Vestry endorsed proceeding with a plan, written and presented by Terry Brubaker, to launch an after-school program next Fall. This is not just a dream of Terry’s, but something that God has put in her heart and given her the wherewithal to work towards it’s reality. This program is a natural expansion of Camp Hope. The budgeting for Terry’s plan calls again for funding beyond our budget, meaning contributions in the same manner as people support Camp Hope. I would challenge us to fund this initiative from our budget. As Camp Hope’s presence and impact have expanded, our embrace of this ministry should expand as well so that we fund, as a form of outreach, a portion of the after-school program. It would be a faithful response to our call to act with the same compassion as Jesus by responding with gratitude for what God has given us. And don’t worry. There will be plenty of opportunity to give of time and talent to this program as well. J

            So many of you have given back to this place for so many years, and for so many reasons, not the least of which is the recognition that God is at work in your life and in the life of Christ Church. You’ve enabled Christ Church to act with compassion to those in need, and to help live out the Good News of Jesus Christ. And for that, I thank you.
            We are not finished with 21015 yet, but I am already looking forward to all the ways we will continue to live out that faithfulness in 2016 and beyond.