This was a sermon I preached at our two parishes this past weekend; Below are some links to the lectionary readings for the week, and a picture of the little stone church I tell a story about! -Kieran
Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
I’d like to start today with a story about Stain Glass Windows. As I mentioned in my first sermon, I went through a “season of questioning” in college; feeling like the Christian faith of my youth didn’t “fit” with the questions I was facing, even as I was trying to graduate and figure out my calling. But I was still seeking God, and happened to be taking a few religion classes my last Fall semester. Bookworm that I am, I long ago mastered the trick of walking and reading, and I’d often walk into the little nearby New Jersey town with my nose in a book for one of my classes. One day, as I read of a mystic’s wanderings through many strange deserts and cities, I felt a sense of homesickness myself. I looked up and noticed a little Episcopal church. Now I’d never been IN an Episcopal church before, and didn’t know much about them, but something about it seemed so inviting. It was one of those little sprawling English country-style stone churches, with lots of side doors like a monastery and a simple garden to one side to pray in. And, of course a red door, which I was pleasantly surprised to find unlocked, even though the sun was just starting to set.
So I made my way in, and suddenly felt very peaceful. I didn’t know the first thing about this church, but the images and beauty that greeted gave me hints about the people who prayed there. I saw a little side-room with beautiful Icons of Jesus and cushions to pray- and then I walked into the darkened church itself. It reminded me of the big Catholic churches I grew up in, yet gentler somehow in the quiet dark stone and evening light. I noticed a side altar with a candle lit, telling me the people here believed Jesus was present in a special way in Communion. And I was thrilled to see a little prayer nook with St. Francis, my own Patron Saint which made me feel like I was surrounded by old friends. Feeling welcomed, I continued back, glancing at the stain glass windows on each side. The soft evening light was flickering through, making the whole room feel safe and peaceful. I felt the urge to pray, and looked for a seat that felt right—only to run right into a stunning image of Jesus. This wasn’t a tortured man on the cross, or a distant king, just Jesus standing with the sun-setting behind him, arms welcoming and the gentle hills of Galilee behind him. It reminded me of the Good Shepherd and was opposite another window showed a soft sunset over a forest stream.
I decided to pray next to Jesus that day… and found myself coming back many more times, a different book in my hand each week. Even though it would be a long time before I even met any of the people in that church- and I had not had a church home for some time, something in that space welcomed me, with arms outstretched. It became a place of healing for me, a Sanctuary where I could bring my struggles, and through those sunlit windows God somehow seemed more REAL that He did in the harsh world outside. Those images and the sacred space they created gave me hope to slowly see God again at a tough point.
The Episcopal church is good at using images to give people hope—and in doing so, we find ourselves in good company with the Ancient Church. In Rome, beneath the ground where Christians would gather to pray, honor their dead and sometimes hide from persecution we have some of the oldest Christian art- beautiful images of Jesus, the saints, and beloved friends they had buried there. The earliest Christians surrounded themselves with their friends, to give hope that God was there, working in and through them when the whole world seemed against them. The Eastern churches would continue this tradition by literally filling their buildings wall to ceiling with Icons, sacred paintings that are seen as “windows” into God’s Mysteries. In Western Europe, stain glass would become our “Icons,” literal windows that took light and brought it in to fill dark churches with God’s wonders. All give peeks into God’s world, and help people find trust to continue living their lives for God in hard places.
Jesus, through his parables this week also gives us some powerful images. A few weeks ago I shared how these strange parables, like stain glass teach us about God’s Mysteries—they help us picture a truth that is hard to understand, something that doesn’t follow normal logic. All of today’s parables are telling us about something very important to Jesus, God’s Kingdom, and the part we are to play in it. Now, people sometimes get confused because in today’s Gospel it says “Kingdom of Heaven.” But Jesus is NOT talking about waiting until we get to Heaven to build God’s Kingdom. Other Gospels use the word “Kingdom of God,” and we know in Jesus’ time “Heaven” was a respectful way to speak of God (like how we say “the White House” when the President gives statements).
Now God’s Kingdom is one of the things Jesus talks about more than almost anything else, and it always has a sort of funny “double vision.” It IS something beautiful coming just around the corner—but its also, somehow mysteriously already HAPPENING all around us. And both things are very much still a part of CREATION. Last week we heard Paul talk about how God plans to save all Creation, not just human souls. Somehow Heaven is going happen ON Earth in a New Creation… and we, in our small struggles are mysteriously helping it get rolling.
The Ancient Christians did believe that people who died now would go to be with God for a time… but RESSURECTION means Jesus is coming back, to make all things new, including our bodies. So what we do in those bodies matters A LOT! A great example of this is a classic book and movie, “the Robe.” It came from the same era as Charleston Heston’s 10 Commandments and other classic Bible movies, and imagines the story of a soldier who crucified Jesus and got his cloak, only to find himself drawn to follow him, and even face death as a Christian. But the movie, Hollywood often does misses something; it focuses more on the woman he loves and their decision to face persecution together. But the movie makes the same mistake of focusing on Heaven over the work of God’s Kingdom HERE. In the book, before he dies the soldier goes to a little village full of arguments and fights. He lives among them for several years, and teaches them the simple Ways of the man he crucified. The whole town is changed, and a glimpse of Heaven happens on Earth. God’s Kingdom is something he faces death in hope of—but which he got a glimpse of as God used him to help a whole community act more like Jesus.
Jesus’ stories today, which are actually rather strange, give us hints of this “double vision.” A mustard tree, I was told in seminary is not actually a very impressive- like a redwood or cedar of Lebanon. Its more like a bushy weed, that creeps in everywhere and gave ancient farmers a hard time. But it also makes a home for creatures who need one. God’s Kingdom, creeping in like weeds below the rich and powerful, and giving shelter to those in need? Actually sounds like how the church got its start—and what happens when Christians act as the GOOD kind of troublemakers today. But it sure isn’t the way I’d plan a garden!
What about the story of the pearl and the treasure? These two are similar, but both sound a little foolish to your average businessman. Building God’s Kingdom apparently means throwing away all your worldly possessions for one “big deal.” The Pearl-buyer doesn’t even buy the Pearl cheap and sell it back at a profit- we’re left to assume he paid “the Great Price” for it. So now he’s a homeless pearl owner! The treasure-hunter’s a little more shrewd- maybe he DOES know how much he found. But then he risks burying it on someone else’s land and hoping they’ll cut him a deal! Even if it all works out its’ clear the guy will be sleeping in that field for a few nights, since he sold his house! (though, in a funny way the burial image also echoes Baptism—sharing in Christ’s death to live forever).
This may seem like bad business sense… but in God’s economy things are apparently different. We may live now, but we’re being asked to be God’s stock-agents for an Eternal Kingdom. A Kingdom where the things we do on Earth matter VERY much, but where things are priced differently. Caring for the poor beats silver, and helping a beat up guy on the street can buy out the whole gold market. We’re building a Kingdom not just for Earth, but which Jesus later tells Peter and the Disciples “not even the Gates of Hell can stand against.” Pretty ambitious business plan!
In a final story, one of those Disciples, Thomas is said to have made it all the way to India, and Christians there have many stories about him. In one he is hired by a King who heard he was a Jewish architect, and asks him to build a new palace in a distant city. He sends Thomas money and expects updates every year. Thomas tells him his Palace is growing greater and greater, and asks for more money. But when the King returns, he finds Thomas has been feeding thousands of poor people instead. He’s furious, but Thomas tells him he built him a palace in God’s Kingdom, one that would last forever. Thomas would eventually be killed in India—but his piece of God’s Kingdom remains to this day there. Pretty bold faith from a many we know as a “Doubter.”
Of course, Jesus knows we need to eat. I don’t think he expects everyone to literally dump all our savings into empty fields. But He DOES expect each of us to follow Him in building that Kingdom… and warns us it WILL take sacrifices… sometimes big ones. Above all, to plan our futures with GOD’S plans in mind, not those of this world.
Sometimes that may even mean the ultimate sacrifice. Paul reminds us of this, in one final image from his letter today. He wrote this letter to Roman Christians after a long life of ministry, and many “close calls.” Here, in a moment of audacious hope he states “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Living as a Christian in this world may seem pretty crazy at times. But God gives us glimpses, thought stain glass and the living images of those who gave before, to trust our savings are not just safe—but backed by the love of Jesus. So let’s get out there and invest like lunatics!
No comments:
Post a Comment