All Lives Matter

Proper 7B – RCL- Sunday June 21, 2015

1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
Psalm 9:9-20

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Mark 4:35-41

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Susie Jackson, Daniel L. Simmons, Depayne Middleton Doctor

Dylann Roof

Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” A simple request.  One that does not leave room or time for analysis.  It reminds me of my dad.  For many years he would say to mom “Lets go for a ride.”  No destination was offered.  No purpose given.  Just a ride.  Admittedly the ride might turn out to go and take advantage of some special deal on fishing gear.  Or to check out a potential fishing spot.  But many times the ride was just – well – a ride.

That is what Jesus is asking.  For us as his modern day disciples to get in and go for a ride.  To go to the other side.  No discussion of what will happen on the other side. Or if the boat is the right boat to use for the journey.  Perhaps if the disciples had the weather app on their smartphones they would have said – wait a minute.  The forecast is for a windstorm to come.  We better wait is out.  If the disciples knew that when they got to the other side they would be encountering a demonic man living in a graveyard – they might not have gone.  Sometimes when we are called by God to go to the other side we want to take time to figure out if it is safe.  What is the weather going to be?  Will there be a place for us to dock and nice people to greet us once we arrive?  We overanalyze and have analysis paralysis.  God is asking us to continue to get on that boat and go to the other side. 

We are also called to take our society to the other side.  We are to take the great commandment seriously.  We are called to make a society where we love God and love our neighbors.  Sounds easy sitting here on a beautiful Sunday morning.  Sounded easy when I – several weeks ago - agreed to preach this Sunday. 

And then the storm.

This week the news was full of information that I could use in preaching.  I would love to focus on the intersection between Pope Francis’ encyclical and my secular career as an environmental scientist, and the story in the Gospel lesson. 

But a storm came up. 

The murder of nine people inside Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina.  The murder of people inside the church during Bible Study and prayer.  How does this happen.  How does someone go into a bible study – and by some reports sit with them and participated for over an hour – and the next thing pull out a gun and shooting the pastor and eight members of the congregation.   In a holy space evil happened.

And the disciples said, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"  That is my call too sometimes when storms arise suddenly.  When things like the shooting in South Carolina happen.  It makes me wonder about our safety here.  We at St. Paul’s have been flinging our doors open widely and inviting all in to our services, our bible studies, our coffee hours and our midweek lunches.  Various and diverse people come through our doors.  And occasionally someone who – by their actions we perceive as dangerous or extremely disruptive come into our midst.  We have on rare occasion had to call the police to remove someone from the premises.  Thank God that is rare but it happens. 

When I heard of the shootings I thought that this could happen at St. Paul’s.  Should we therefore add card-readers to the doors and increase the level of security to that of an international airport? Should we add fences and gates?  Should we install metal detectors? I heard an interview with a black pastor that said some churches are considering the option of metal detectors.  Will it make us prejudge people’s predisposition to violence?  Will it make me change my quest to see everyone I meet as made in the image of God – and to treat them that way?  I hope not.  I certainly plan on throwing open these doors to our sanctuary – to our holy space – as wide a possible.  To welcome in the unwelcomed and the weary – as we have been – and perhaps to even find ways to increase our hospitality.  Because we are still called to “Go to the other side” and locking ourselves away won’t stop bad things from happening.  We are more likely to get struck by lightening than be subject to violence in our churches.  But we do need to have our eyes open.

We are also called to take our society to the other side – to a place where we do see all people first as being created in God’s image.  TO first see that and not first see someone as black, gay, homeless or – well to not see people as “others”. 

One of my fellow chaplains during my clinical pastoral education brought up the topic of racism in our society.  It is not a topic that we wanted to talk about – perhaps because the other five of us in that room felt we were not racist.  Perhaps because the other five of us where white – and relatively economically well to do.  We didn’t want to see our economic or visual advantage.  Most of us had never been ignored in a restaurant because of how we looked.  Most of us have never had someone cross the street in fear – just because of the color of our skin or how we are dressed.  And besides this is California and not the deep south.  But discrimination does happen here.  More often than we would like to admit.

Andrea – who gave me permission to tell this story  - said, “We stopped at a winery in Napa (son of one of Napa's most famous wine makers) for a tasting on our way with the intention of purchasing a nice bottle (or two) for our get away.  The tasting room was not overly crowded, there were at least two tasting room associates behind the counter not helping customers.  We walked up to the counter and waited to be helped.   Both associates behind the counter turned around, looked through us, then turned their backs.  I patiently waited for them to turn around again and assist us, but after a few minutes I needed to walk away before I blew a gasket. Anil continued to stand at the counter trying to get some acknowledgment.  We were probably there about 10 minutes and had yet to be acknowledged when I decided I'd had more than enough and stated somewhat emphatically if they didn't want our money, we'd find another winery who did.  [This] is a blatant instance of racism I've experienced with Anil.  It was an eye opener.  I kept trying to justify people's actions - it was 2005 - 2007, still relatively close to 9/11/01, and people were still "sensitive" to people who appeared to be Middle-Eastern, for example.  But the more I thought about those incidents and experienced the "subtle" discrimination, I have stopped trying to justify it.  As a human race, we have the capability to hurt so deeply with words and actions, let alone with violence and outright hatred. The violent acts get the news coverage, but how often do we stop to think about the impact of our own words?”  The truth is that we still have a strongly “ism-ed” society. 

We still face racism, sexism, classism and so forth.  Our society still judges people by their appearance first – and then only after we get to know them do we see them as people made in the image of God.  Our churches are not immune.  Sunday is still the most segregated time in America.  We go to our particular church that was set up to serve a particular community.  Even when the community around us has changed.  Lets face it St. Paul’s was founded by very wealthy white men. E.B. Crocker was a member of the underground railroad and an abolitionist.  But that does not change the fact that we were established by wealthy white men.  Yes, we are rightly proud of the role our parish has played in the history of California. 

Likewise the church in South Carolina – Mother Emmanuel African Methodist  Episcopal Church – is proud of the role they played in their history.  A church founded by former slaves and where former slaves were free to worship God.  Free to worship God at a time when many churches – including many Episcopal Churches either had separate services for black people or made them sit in balconies. 

It is into that setting that a young white man, Dylann Roof – armed with a gun – worshipped with his victims and then shot them.  According to news sources – when asked by one of the victims to stop he responded "'No, you've raped our women, and you are taking over the country ... I have to do what I have to do.' And he shot the young man."  This act of violence was directed at these people because of their race.  And a fear of them as a “group”.

It is easy to say that this was an isolated case.  That the shooter is mentally ill.  Perhaps on drugs.  Which could all be true.  But it is also true that parts of our society feed such beliefs.  One has to look no farther than the on-line comment section on any news story to see people blaming “the other.”  Blaming the “illegals”, or the “welfare frauds”, or “the gays”, or “the blacks”, for whatever they see as wrong.  And then some deranged soul takes it to extremes and people are dead.

We are called to go to the other side.  We are called to see that all lives matter.  That black lives matter.  That gay lives matter.  That homeless lives matter.  Indeed, that all of creation matters.  That it is all made by God for Good and we are called to be partners in making the good.  But we will not get there with out storms.  The storms will continue until such time as God’s dream of love is made a reality on this earth.  And from the news this week we still have a long way to go. 

But in the midst of the storms we can be comforted – even during those comfortless times – that God is on the boat with us.  Then the  disciples said, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" and there was dead calm.  He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"  We are called during the storms we encounter in bringing God’s dream of love to earth to have faith.  Faith that in the end Love wins.  Not hate but love wins as is evidenced by the families of the murdered confronting and forgiving the killer.  That is why we are called to do one of the hardest things that Jesus’ asked us to do.  And that is to pray for and love our enemies.  Because that is the only way God’s dream will come true.   It is easy for us to pray for those who where killed in the senseless act of violence in Mother Emmanuel AME church this week.  But it is hard to pray for the young man that killed them – but that is our call.  TO pray for all of them – the dead, those who grieve for them and the one who killed them.  But we are called to do more.

We are called to get in the boat and go to the other side.  We are called to see all lives as created by God and good.  We are called to work and challenge society when our “isms” start to control our actions.  We are – in short to work towards bringing God’s reign of love to our societies.  Oh yes there will be storms.  But the God who stilled the wind for the disciples will still the wind for us too. But we have to get in the boat and travel to the other side to experience God’s actions.  We can’t just sit here and wait for God’s reign of Love to happen.  We have to be partners in making over our world.  We are called to throw open our doors – both our physical doors and the doors to our hearts and souls – to throw them wide open and to create a society where all lives matter. 

Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Susie Jackson, Daniel L. Simmons, Depayne Middleton Doctor

Dylann Roof

Amen.

Homily for the Repose of the Soul of Lloyd Thurston

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Psalm 139:1-11

Revelation 21:2-7

Matthew 5:1-9

We are here today to say farewell to a good a faithful servant of God – Lloyd Thruston. But we are a peculiar people in that we don’t say that this is the end.  But rather another beginning for Lloyd.  Our prayer book says it best – life has changed not ended.  To that end the service today is an Easter Service.  We believe that just as Lloyd was baptized into the life of Christ he will also share in Christ’s resurrection.  Lloyd will – at the last – be an inhabitant of that New Jerusalem we heard about in our reading from the Book of Revelation.  When God’s dream for us is finally realized and God’s glorious reign of Love inhabits the Earth Lloyd will be there.  Between now and then all we know is that Lloyd has gone to be with his Savior.  In another reading that is sometimes used for memorial services Jesus tells his disciples that there are many rooms in his Father’s house and that he goes to prepare a place for us.  Author and New Testament Scholar N.T. Write said that the mansion with many rooms is more of a waiting place for when the New Jerusalem comes rather than a permanent place.  So today we say farewell to Lloyd but only for a time. 

But knowing that this is not the end still does not make it easy for us.  We will still miss Lloyd dearly.  His dear Husband Wade has accompanied Lloyd for nearly 30 years and especially lovingly on Lloyd’s final leg of this journey in faith. 

Lloyd has – for as long as I can remember been a faithful member of St. Paul’s.  Lloyd, his brother David and Mother Alta faithfully attended St. Paul’s for many years.  Lloyd was a faithful member – even after he moved to the country – to the “ranch”.  A move that was caused – at least in part – by his love of old cars.  A love perhaps not shared by his urban neighbors and Sacramento county zoning ordnances.   I am pleased that the beatitudes where picked for the Gospel reading.  I am pleased because I think Lloyd would rather not be the center of attention.  As long as I have known Lloyd – over 25 years – he has not been one to be in the limelight.  Lloyd epitomized the beatitudes in his quite way of welcoming people to St. Paul’s and his quiet way of working to show God’s love to all the people he met.

When I came to St. Paul’s Lloyd was one of the first people to welcome me.  As I got to know Lloyd I discovered a faithful and quite keeper of this church.  Back in the day St. Paul’s had numerous “Guilds” that took care of things.  It is perhaps only a slight exaggeration to say that if someone did an activity more than twice a “guild” was established and enshrined – complete with a patron saint!  Wade shared with me that he “recalled that in the latter half of the 1980s (and possibly some into the '90s?) Lloyd did quite a lot of dishwashing in the church kitchen. Someone (possibly Rand Laurent) dubbed him "Saint Flossie", and those who tended to help him were "Saint Flossie's Guild".  For many years Lloyd and several others would show up every Saturday morning to make sure the church was spotless for the Sunday service.  When I told the folk attending our Wednesday service last week of Lloyd’s passing and celebrated the mass intention for the repose of his soul and for Wade and all who grieve his passing, our trusty keeper of the thuribles and flowers – Sue – commented on the years that Lloyd cleaned this space and said that “it has never been as clean since”!  Perhaps a bit of hyperbole but as with all hyperbole a huge piece of truth as well.  Lloyd also was a stalwart in our Ushers Guild – which I am sure had been named after a patron Saint of ushers at one time – perhaps St. Julian’s Guild.  Even after Lloyd and Wade moved out to the Ranch - Lloyd faithfully drove up once a month to be an usher.  He did this until his health would not allow it – and even then a meek and humble Lloyd apologized to me for not be able to do it any more. 

Lloyd’s faith and humble love extended beyond this building.  He met his life Partner Wade here at St. Paul’s when a Marvelous Solemn High Mass (Wade’s description) was held in 1986 to inaugurate a chapter of Integrity in Sacramento.  Wade told me that he can – do this day – point to the spot in our Narthex where Michael Kalanquin introduced them.  Lloyd invited Wade out to dinner at Pava’s on February 16^th of that year and well – as they say that was it! They moved in with each other on St. Lucy’s day later that year and in 2013 – on St. Lucy’s day they were married here in St. Paul’s.  In addition to his beloved husband Wade, Lloyd leaves behind his sons.  I remember how proud Lloyd was years ago when he introduced me to his son Jonathan. Lloyd was a quite person but expressive.  You always knew when he was proud of someone and loved them.  His eyes glowed with that love.

Lloyd was always a supporter of my ministry.  He was one of the people in this church who continually – in his quite way – prodded me towards ordained ministry.  He supported so many people and asked nothing in return.  He opened up the ranch numerous times for groups to come up and have picnics – St. Paul’s accepted Lloyd and Wade’s hospitality a number of times. 

Today we gather to say farewell to Lloyd.  His earthly pilgrimage has ended and he is in that place “Where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.”  We are sad for our loss.  There will me moments in the days and years to come when some thing – some sight, sound – perhaps the rattling of a clutch!, or smell will remind us of Lloyd.  While he has left this earth his memory will live on in our hearts.  I invite you all to share your stories of Lloyd at the reception that follows.  To celebrate his life. 

I also call for all of us to share in Lloyd’s faith and work to bring God’s dream of love to this earth.  Lloyd worked tirelessly during his life to show the kind of love that builds God’s kingdom.  The kind of Love that will – in God’s time – bring the New Jerusalem to reality.  That is the work that we are all called to do.

Finally- I have to share that I had a funny vision of Lloyd meeting the Lord.  Being welcomed with open arms and greeted with “Well done good and faithful servant.” and Lloyd immediately asking if anything needed cleaning or perhaps an old vehicle needs repairing.  Perhaps Lloyd has once again joined St Flossie’s Guild – joined those who have gone before him in worshipping God by making sure God’s mansion is clean, vehicles are maintained and all are welcomed!