Rik's Sermons

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Dancing with God

Sermon for Trinity Sunday 2016

Year C – RCL

Jesus said to the disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

Today is Trinity Sunday. A Sunday where I would rather not preach! At least not try to explain to you all the doctrine of the Trinity. When I took the General Ordinations Examination – or God’s Own Exam as someone joked – we had been promised that we should not worry about the theology question because “the general board of examining chaplains would never ask us to explain the Trinity in 1500 words." When much to my surprise upon opening the theology question I read:

“Dorothy Sayers famously observed that if people depended upon the Church to answer the question, "What is the Trinity?" the vast majority of people would respond:

"'The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the whole thing incomprehensible.' Something put in by the theologians to make it more difficult - nothing to do with daily life or ethics."

Drawing on the allowed resources and your own understanding, write an essay of approximately 1,500 words explaining how the doctrine of the Trinity is relevant to "daily life or ethics."”

At which point I think I may have uttered a string of expletives. And then struggled with how – using limited resources – I was to write the essay. I will tell you it is the one essay that I almost did not complete in time – and it was the one essay that they found problems with. Probably because I tried to find a rational way to explain the God. I tried to come up with metaphors using my science background that usually head into what the church would label heresy.

It is so tempting to start explaining the Trinity by saying “The Holy Trinity is like…” and then get into trouble. It certainly is true that the doctrine of the trinity is not one of those things that we sit around the table at coffee hour and talk about. It is true that some people hear Christians talk about “God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit” and think we worship three separate God’s and not one.

The important thing for me – right now – is that the doctrine of the Trinity was developed in the early church to explain how they, and we, experience God. It is that experiential piece where I think – today – that we can start. And we can start by trying not too hard to figure this all out. We need to let some mystery be part of this discussion too.

In the little snippet from John’s Gospel we hear again the promise that once Jesus is gone the spirit of truth will be with us and “will guide us into all truth.” I notice that there is not the promise that we will have all truth handed down to us on a platter. That we will not suddenly have perfect knowledge but that we will be led into truth. There is movement - it is a dance through life that guides us unto truth. It is in community that we find the truth. It is in the poetry of life that we find truth. It is the dance with God that is called theology that we find truth. It is both the beauty and the messiness of life that we find God.

I can’t do theology without other people. I can’t do theology without all of you. That wonderful dance with God happens best when it is shared with others.

On Thursday we had a funeral for one of the members of the community Ricky – who came here for the food closet and for community dinners. A number of the people who came to the funeral where not regular church goers and did not necessarily know about the service.

But what they did know is that they were here to say goodbye. They knew that they were here to comfort each other and so during communion there was some wonderful sharing. Not the silence we are used to during communion. It was – in a word – messy and un-Episcopalian! It was in a better word Sprit-filled and wonderful. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – the singular God who comforts and leads us into truth was present.

It was in offering a place for sharing and saying goodbye that I saw God at work. Where I saw all three members of the Trinity in evidence as God the Father comforted the bereaved, God the Son promised eternal life and God the Holy Spirit breathed life into the community.

[pause]

I saw a wonderful banner for the Trinity recently. It has the three intertwined circled that is used as one of the symbols for the Trinity. But instead of the three circles being solid they had the impression that they were in constant motion. They depict a complex dance between the three circles but each circle is also its own dance. And it is a dance with no beginning and no end. It is a dance that we are invited to join in and enter into at any point on any of the three circles.

And so I am still left with the quote from Dorothy Sayers “"'The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the whole thing incomprehensible.' Something put in by the theologians to make it more difficult - nothing to do with daily life or ethics." And I still am tempted to start out and explanation of the Trinity by saying the “Trinity is like…” But really that is not the point.

It is when we approach God from a place of doctrine and dogma that we find no relevance to our daily life and ethics. But instead when we approach God from a place of love and enter into the dance with the Holy Trinity we will find relevance to our daily life.

We find God when we feed the hungry, cloth the naked and visit the prisoner. We find God when we allow the messiness of grief to come into our lives. We find God when we provide hospitality to those who society believes have no place at the table.

It is in this wonderful dance with all its messiness, all its mystery, and all its beauty where we find God. A God who calls us into community and calls us to work to bring the Dance of God’s love to all of creation.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Do you have your crash helmet?

Sermon for Pentecost Sunday

(RCL Year C)

2016

Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:14-17

Psalm 104:25-35, 37

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

["I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."]

Today is a wonderful festival in the church. A festival that commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is also a Sunday that I would love to rearrange the order of our lessons and start with the Gospel and end with the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles And then perhaps Romans.

The Gospel reading today from John is part of what is referred to as the “farewell Discourse”. It takes place in the Gospel just before Jesus is betrayed and arrested. In it Jesus is telling the disciples that he is going away. And we have Phillip wonderfully still not getting it. After all this time Philip want Jesus to “show us the father.” Philip still does not get it. And as we struggle with who is God we probably have similar thoughts, questions and requests running through our thoughts as well.

How many of us wonder where God is in various situations. In this crazy world filled with people worrying about what bathroom someone uses – and insisting that a transgendered person use the bathroom of the sex on their birth certificate is insane. What are we going to do insist that people start carrying around their birth certificates and show them to the bathroom police before they are allowed to enter? Don’t we have more pressing things to worry about? How about ending homelessness and hunger? What about taking care of our veterans? We do well to ask where God is in these situations.

So in response to Philips request Jesus tries again to explain that he and the Father are one and there is more. That while Jesus is leaving them to go back to the Father in his place he is sending an advocate. The companion. The faithful spirit of God. That member of the Holy Trinity that hovered over the waters at the time of creation. She is coming to be with the disciples after Jesus is gone. She is coming to be with us!

And that is where we pick up with our reading form the Acts of the Apostles. After Jesus’ resurrection the disciples seem to spend much of their time locked away in fear. They have occasionally left the locked room to go fishing. Or to try and return to their previous lives but they still have not gotten out to do what Jesus asked them to do. They are not out making disciples and baptizing people. They are afraid that they are going to be next in line for the Romans to kill.

And suddenly – while they are locked away the Holy Spirit enters into the room and enters into them. I love some of the iconography of this feast that depicts each of the disciples with a flame dancing on their heads. And that same Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus at his Baptism drives them out of the locked room. Just a she drove Jesus out into the wilderness after his baptism. They were driven out and started speaking of Jesus in many tongues so that people from different lands could understand.

This festival of Pentecost that we celebrate as the coming of the Holy Spirit is also a Jewish Festival. It is one of three important times when Jews gather and give thanks. It is the festival of first fruits. It is a time when many people would be gathered in Jerusalem to give thanks for the first fruits. All of these people are in town so the Roman authorities would have been on edge. So it would be a dangerous time to start preaching about someone who only 50 days earlier had been crucified.

But that is exactly what happens. The Holy Spirit picks a time when the streets are packed with pilgrims to drive the Disciples out of their locked room. And to make sure that every one can understand their message they speak in many tongues. It is such a spectacle that some people think that they are drunk! And perhaps they are – drunk on the Holy Sprit of God who is opening their hearts and minds to the knowledge of God’s dream of Love and Peace.

It is then that Peter tries to explain what is happening and quotes from the prophet Joel. Lets listen to part of the quote from the prophet Joel.

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.

The gift of the Holy Spirit includes something scary. It is the gift of Prophesy as well. Peter has realized that this gift of the Holy Spirit includes the gift of prophesy. A command to tell truth to power. A call to stand up to the bullies of the world that would make second, third or even fourth class citizens of people who are not in power. We see it all over the world. In our election season candidates belittle their competitors. They drive their rhetoric to extremes to supposedly draw people into their camps. It is crazy and this year seems to be about the craziest political season I have witnessed in my lifetime.

But we are called to act differently. We are called to show God’s love to everyone. All of us are filled with the Holy Spirit. Young and old, men and women. Slaves and free. People like us and people not like us. We are all given the gift of the Holy Spirit at our baptisms. And when we receive that gift we are called to get out of our locked rooms and to work to bring God’s dream to fruition. A dream of a creation where love prevails and where we are good stewards of the environment – this fragile earth our island home.

We always try to tame this festival. I have seen churches that decorate with red balloons and churches that read either the gospel reading or the reading from Acts in many languages. We even have been known to call it the churches birthday. But I will tell you something. The Holy Spirit will not be tamed. And I can tell you from personal experience that she does not take no for an answer. She will pursue each and everyone of us to do the work we are called to do. She certainly has been pursuing me for many years.

Today is also the liturgical anniversary of me celebrating my first Mass as a priest. I was ordained on the eve of Pentecost last year. The end of one journey – the journey towards ordination and the beginning of another journey. At my ordination Dr. Susanna Singer – my advisor from seminary – preached a sermon about the Holy Spirit. In her sermon she reminded us that it is at our own peril that we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives.

In her sermon Dr. Singer said: “I think the novelist and poet Annie Dillard got it right when she said:

“On the whole, I do not find Christians sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.”

When we accept the gift of the Holy Spirit – which is given to all of us at our baptisms we should also be given crash helmets. Because the spirit of truth, the advocate will not rest until God’s dream comes to fruition. She will continue to call us out to teach, feed, and love all of God’s creation. She will draw us out of our churches to be prophets against anything that separates creation from the Love of God.

So don’t take this festival of the Holy Spirit lightly. The Spirit of creation is nothing if not persistent. She will call you out of your locked room. No matter how many times to shut and lock the door she will be with you. Driving you out of the locked room. Driving each and every person to use their God given gifts to usher in God’s Dream. She will drive each and every one of us out. Out into the world to bring God’s dream of Love and Peace to our hurting and hurt filled world.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Why We Come to Church

Sermon for Easter 7C-RCL 2016

Acts 16:16-34

Psalm 97

Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21

John 17:20-26

Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

"Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Today is the last Sunday of Easter. On Thursday the church remembered the Ascension. That feast where Jesus stops walking with the disciples on the post resurrection journey and goes back to the Father. Next week we will remember the gift that Jesus promised his disciples would be with us after he left – the Holy Spirit the feast of Pentecost – so remember wear red next Sunday!

This Gospel reading feels a bit out of place for the last Sunday of Easter. It takes place in John’s gospel not as part of the post crucifixion – post resurrection Jesus but it – like the gospel lesson last week – is part of what is called the farewell discourse. These are the last words Jesus says before walking across the Kidron Valley with his disciples to the Garden of Olives to be arrested. This takes place at the end of the last supper. After Jesus has told his disciples – again – that he is going to die.

And here we have the disciples overhearing Jesus pray. He is not going off to pray – like we hear in so many of the gospels – but he is praying for the disciples to hear. It is a prayer that would be imprinted onto their hearts considering that it comes just before the arrest. And Jesus is not praying for his safety. No he prays for the disciples. It is like a mother’s prayer for the safety of her children.

And it is even more remarkable than that. Jesus is praying for us! Did you hear that? Let me repeat it. Jesus said “"I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” Jesus is praying for all of us. This is not just some story from 2000 plus years ago where we have to work to try and find a place to enter. NO! We are in this story explicitly because Jesus prays specifically for us!

That is why we are here. Because someone loved each of us enough to tell us about God’s love. Someone you know or something someone did is why we are all here. We are all descendants of the knowledge of the disciples. We are here because someone loves us.

That is why I came to the church. I came because someone showed that Love that does not ask for anything in return. I come because of a neighbor we had growing up. He was a retired Episcopal Priest and would stop by the house on Sundays after church and after mid-week services to see how everything was going. I also played with his grandkids.

He stopped to chat – and see if everything was OK probably because we were also taking care of my cousins so there where nine kids living in a 3 bedroom one bath house. He had a large family so he knew what it was like. Today we would probably call it a welfare check! Something about him made me want to – at the age of 8 or so – attend the church he attended. He never asked about taking us to church that I remember. He just stopped by out of love.

Once I got to church I found others who shared this strange love – a love that doesn’t care about who I was. A love that came from the matriarch of the church – who people said did not like children but who nonetheless took me under her wing.

Why are you here? Is it because someone invited to St. Matthew’s? Is it because you were dragged to church as a child – and even after the rebellious years you came back? Or perhaps you are here because a parent dragged you out of bed on this fine Sunday morning to attend church. No matter which group you belong to hopefully Jesus’ prayer for you will be imprinted on your heart for your whole life – a prayer that says you are loved. Loved like a parent loves.

When we are doing church right – and hopefully that is the majority of time – we are doing it with this prayer of Jesus imprinted on our hearts. We are here to show the world that Jesus is still praying for all of us. That Jesus and God love us as children of God – not as servants but as children.

It is hard to see this at times. Especially with the heated rhetoric that has dominated our news during this primary season. We hear candidates for president who would demonize people and build walls to keep people out. When we hear candidates demean each other and point out any character fault as if it was a fatal flaw. It is hard when the buildings here get broken into week after week. It is in these moments that we have trouble seeing any love in this world. It is in these moments that we have trouble practicing love towards those who seem unlovable.

It is at moments when the world and our lives seem unlovable that we need to remember this Gospel story. This gospel story took place at the very time that Jesus should be praying for his own safety. This gospel story happens when a prayer to love one another is crazy. Jesus is about to walk into a trap. A trap that he helped set up by his ministry of Love and respect. A ministry that talked about the kingdom of God being like a crazy shepherd who goes after the one missing and lost sheep. A kingdom that is like a crazy housekeeper who – having lost a coin cleans the house until she finds it and then throws a party that costs more that the coin is worth.

It is at the moment before his arrest that Jesus prays for us. Prays that we would be able to love one another like he loves us. That we will be like the crazy house keeper and throw a party because we found the lost coin.

When we are in a bad place we need to remember that Jesus – as he was nearing his final time walking this earth in human form – prayed for our safety. He not only prayed for the safety of his beloved disciples 2000 plus years ago but Jesus continues to pray for our safety too.

The promise of the resurrection is that Jesus kept his promise of Love. The promise of resurrection is that the prayer continues. Even when we least expect or deserve it. Jesus is praying that we will get it. That we will see the love in this world. And that we – as heirs of the disciples will continue to spread that love in the face of a world that all to frequently just does not get it.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

God’s peace is more than just a cessation of hostility!

Easter 6 C-RCL 2016

Acts 16:9-15

Psalm 67

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

John 14:23-29

Jesus said to Judas (not Iscariot), "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, `I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe."

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Today’s gospel for the sixth Sunday of Easter is, in many ways the prologue – or perhaps foreshadowing is the better word for the Gospel we heard on the second Sunday of Easter when Jesus appeared to the disciples in the locked room and said “Peace be with you” and then breathed the holy spirit into them. Gave them that wonderful and scary gift of the Advocate – the Holy Spirit. That wonderful and wild member of our triune God that will take us places where we never thought we would go!

Today’s reading is from what is referred to as the farewell discourse. It takes place the night before Jesus is handed over to suffering and death. This takes place when the disciples are not filled with peace but filled with other emotions. Emotions I can only imagine. Jesus has told them that he is going to die. They are afraid, sad, scared, anxious, worried. Take any antonym for peace and those are the emotions that were likely in that room. They are worried that soon they will be orphaned by their leader. That Jesus is going.

And Jesus is trying to explain to them that not only is he going but that his going is a good thing for them. Jesus is going to the Father and with the Father Jesus is preparing a place for all of us. Jesus is trying to reassure them that there will be peace. That God is not abandoning them but instead sending the Advocate – the Holy Spirit – the companion. That will be with them always. And will lead them and us into truth.

In short Jesus is telling the disciples – and us – that resurrection means companionship. A companionship that will be with us at all times if we only follow his commandments. For John this means that Jesus is promising that the kingdom of God is here. The word made flesh – the incarnate Jesus is ushering in Gods Kingdom of Peace and companionship with all of us. For John the kingdom of God is both here and not yet here.

The peace that Jesus offers us is not of this world. Indeed it is a promise that is extremely counter-cultural for us. We are told over and over again that this world is a scary place. That we should build walls to keep the other out. That our only hope is to isolate ourselves. We need to worry about who might be in a public bathroom with us – I mean really? That is what this world is coming to for so many. A world of demonization and scare tactics.

This is not what Jesus calls us to do. Jesus calls us – filled with that scary thing called the Holy Spirit to usher into this world God’s peaceable kingdom. Our world is hungering for that peace.

When I walk to work I say "good morning" to everyone I pass – or at least try to! And you might be surprised by the reactions I get. When I pass someone who is gathering up all of their possessions after spending the night on a hard concrete sidewalk they are surprised that I greet them and do not ignore them. I wonder how often they are ignored – or worse. It is not infrequent that the return is not only Good morning but also God Bless.

I am being blessed by people who our society wants to go away. I am being blessed when I am able to see God in the young person – who for whatever reason – has been left with nothing but a bedroll and a hard concrete bed . I am being blessed when I can open my eyes – and with the help of he Holy Spirit hear Jesus word to Love God, Love Neighbor.

We are blessed when we can open our hearts and hands and ears and listen for the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of those we meet. God is not calling us to isolation and despair. God is calling us to peace. God’s peace is more than just a cessation of hostility!

Another preacher I follow said “But Jesus gives differently than the world. Jesus gives freely, with no expectation of return, only the hope that, transformed by this peace, we might pass it on, giving others the gift we have received.” [1]

Peace freely given with no expectation of return. That is not how our world seems to operate. When the world offers peace there is an expectation of something in return. When peace treaties are brokered usually one side – the losing side – has to promise to give up something - land, there ability to have self rule - in return for peace.

When society offers someone a shelter bed it is at a price. Usually no animals. Single cots. With expectations about behavior that many of us of more well-to-do means would not stand. No privacy. No personal space and the constant fear that the little they have will be taken. And everything happens on the shelters time schedule. For sure it is essential to offer shelter space. St. Matthew’s offered shelter space inside the sanctuary for 80 to 100 every night for part of lent. St. Matthew’s –as a shelter – seemed to offer more than shelter. It offered peace.

On Maundy Thursday at St. Matthew’s we offered foot washing and fresh socks to our guests – and thank you to all of you who provided socks for that ministry. We also offered an agape meal – which I admit was perhaps not as tempting as the beef stroganoff meal Sacramento Steps forward provided. But we offered as part of that meal a Eucharist. As I was getting ready for the Agape meal and transitioning from washing feet to making Eucharist around a table I saw a young man standing at the back of the church.

I walked up to him and greeted him. And he looked at me and said. “For some reason when I walked into this church the first time – as part of winter sanctuary – I cried. There is something about being in this space.” I said that perhaps it was the years of prayer that have soaked into the walls that offers a different kind of space. A space of peace and closeness to God. He just nodded. And then joined us – with some uncertainty that he was really welcomed – in our Agape Meal and Eucharist.

I see that kind of welcome here all the time as well. Every Wednesday when we do the service there are people invited to the table that I don’t think get invited very often. Perhaps tolerated but not welcomed. To see people who are hurting and homeless standing side by side with members of our Altar Guild receiving communion is a vision where I see the Holy Spirit at work. To see a homeless young man stand holding hands with others waiting for and receiving anointing and laying on of hands for healing is a powerful statement of the Holy Spirit.

To see the Altar Guild insist on serving those who show up for the hot meal – not in a buffet line but as if they were in their own dining rooms is a miracle. I don’t think many of our guests get served like that very often. But our ladies insist that these people be served. And I tell you the Holy Spirit is frequently seen in our Parish Hall as we welcome people who are turned away from so many places – and worse who are ignored and not treated with the dignity that God’s creation should be treated.

We are called to listen to the Holy Spirit – our constant companion – to offer a different kind of peace than the brokered kind of peace our world offers. A peace where we acknowledge the Holy Spirit in each other. A peace that is more than peace but include companionship and the promise that God is always with us. Even – and perhaps especially – when we least expect it.

We are called as the crazy Jesus People we are to open our hearts to see the good in creation. We are called to open our hearts and let the Holy Spirit – Jesus’ promise – into our hearts and into our lives. And when we do that we will both offer that Peace of God to the other but will equally receive that peace.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

[1] http://www.davidlose.net/2016/04/easter-6-c-peace-the-world-cannot-give/

Sunday, April 10, 2016

The Barbecue on the Beach

Easter 3C – RCL

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

This is one of my favorite post resurrection stories. Scholars contend that it is an epilogue – an add on – to the original Gospel of John. But all of the scholarly comments aside I really don’t care. I love this story. There is so much going on here and folks usually focus in on the story line between Simon Peter and Jesus. It is the part of the story that lends its name to the holy site on the Sea of Galilee where tradition says this story took place. The holy site is called Peter’s Primacy.

The site of Peter’s Primacy is a lovely site today. There is a wonderful little chapel built around the rock where it is said Jesus barbecued the fish. And there is a very nice sculpture depicting Jesus telling Peter to “feed my sheep”.

But to be honest I don’t like the name Peter’s Primacy. The focus on Peter three times expressing his love for Jesus completes a story in John. Without this story we are left with our last real experience of Peter denying Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest. And there is certainly much sermon fodder in the second half of our story – the Peter centric part.

But really I like to call this story “The barbecue on the Beach”!

In this story the disciples are finally out of the locked room. But they are not off making new disciples. They are back to someplace familiar. They are back to the sea of Galilee where Jesus found Peter. Perhaps they are looking for some comfort in the familiar. They are back to their boats. And Peter says “Lets go fishing!”

There is comfort in the familiar. I know when my world is rocked I go to the familiar. I find a spot or an activity that is familiar and comforting. For me it frequently involves music. Certain musical numbers have the ability to comfort me. And certain places have the ability to comfort me.

So we find the disciples heading out to fish. Heading out onto the Sea of Galilee - which they know so well. They know every shallow spot. They know the places where the fish like to hang out. It is familiar and comforting. But they catch nothing. They fish all night and the nets are empty. As my fisher friends like to say that is why it’s called fishing and not catching.

So at dawn they head back in. Empty. Empty nets like their empty hearts. This going back to the familiar didn’t seem to help. And they see a stranger in the distance. Standing on the beach. Jesus asks them – well really he tells them – that they have no fish and they should put the net down on the other side of the boat.

Really! Just put the net from one side of the boat to the other. That won’t work. I am sure that is what the disciples thought. They know how to fish and it just doesn’t work that way. But they do. They trust this stranger for some reason. And the result is so many fish. 153 fish. The nets are so full that they have trouble getting them to shore.

And when they get to shore they find Jesus had been having a better time fishing than they had up to that point! Jesus already has fish cooking over the fire. And bread. Jesus invites them to breakfast. “Come and have some breakfast!” No rebukes. No scolding. Just come warm yourselves on the fire. Come eat.

Jesus is like that. Grace is like that. Resurrection is like that. The invitation is out there to us. The invitation to eat. To warm our souls at the fire. It just keeps coming.

That is what I like about this story. God’s grace is not always where we expect to find it. We can go looking all day long and think we know best. We are in church so of course we know where God’s Grace is! Its right here – right?

Unfortunately so many people think that God’s grace only can happen in certain ways in certain places. God’s grace only happens in a box on Sunday morning. And we tend to think that God’s grace is limited. Or we act that way! People act that way because it is too scary otherwise. And because we don’t act that way we imagine that God won’t act that way.

We create laws that put limits on grace. We think in the terms of three strikes and you are out. You are to be put away. Our society wants to limit the amount of time someone can be on assistance – because otherwise they are milking the system. We hear on the news that whole states cannot imagine LGBTQ persons having equal rights – so instead of recognizing the grace that is built up all when we build up one – instead of that state’s are passing discrimination laws wrapped in the flag of religious freedom.

To think that God’s grace is so super abundant that it will come to us on the banks of our despair over and over and over again – runs counter to our way of thinking! But it does. God’s grace does not set a three strikes limit. God grace does not say when or where it is available. It just requires us to open our hearts. To turn away from whatever activity that we are doing that separates us and accept God’s grace.

That is what is happening in John’s Gospel. Jesus is offering an abundance of grace so large that we cannot imagine it – if we keep thinking in terms of limitation.

Jesus gives God’s grace when he asks Peter if he loves him. Peter is given the chance to say yes after saying no. And Jesus keeps after him – Peter – do you love me – over and over again – to the point of annoyance. Jesus is showing us that God’s grace is offered again and again. And there is only one payment for that grace.

The payment is to say yes. And the payment is to feed God’s sheep. All of Gods sheep. Not just he ones we like. Not just the ones like us. Not just the ones who come to church.

Feed my sheep. Everywhere and everyone is worthy of being fed and offered God’s grace. And we as the crazy Jesus people that we are are called to be examples. We are called to feed God’s sheep. We are called to show that God’s grace is available. Its available over and over and over again. God does not limit God’s grace and neither should we.

Jesus said to Peter and says to us “Feed my sheep!”

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Church is for asking questions!

Sermon for the second Sunday of Easter 2016

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Today is the second Sunday of Easter! Unlike in our secular world where Easter starts sometime after valentines day with Easter candy and cute stuffed bunnies with colorful eggs to tempt the child in all of us - and then goes to 50% off on Easter Monday – if not before. Our Easter is a season. A season of 50 days where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. 50 days where we omit the confession in our corporate worship. 50 days of feast that follows our Lenten fast. And best of all – for me – 50 days to proclaim Alleluia! Christ is Risen!.

Today is also known as doubting Thomas Sunday. Because we always read this section from John’s gospel for Easter two. So it was also very tempting for me to look back at prior year sermons and see if some solid recycling was in order! But I resisted. Although today may have some similarities to other years!

I am not fond of the label “Doubting Thomas”. Especially because it is said with a negative connotation by many people. Also how would I like to be known as “Doubting Rik”? I would rather be known as “Hopelessly optimistic Rik” – although a suspect others might call my optimism something else!

A better name for Thomas might be scientific method Thomas, or rational Thomas. Or maybe lets just stick with Thomas. The setting of this gospel starts with all of the disciples – except Thomas – locked in a room in fear. They fear for their lives that those who crucified Jesus might come after them. They are locked in their grief even after Mary Magdalene told them that Christ was risen. They are locked inside. And into that locked room Jesus comes to greet them. “Peace be with you”

Jesus enters into the tombs of the disciples and offers peace. And then does a remarkable thing. He gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit. He gives them the gift that will ultimately drive them out of the locked room to proclaim a radical peace. A radical Love. It will drive them to the very place where Jesus got in trouble – as we read about in our first lesson from the Acts of the Apostles – or as I like to call it the Gospel of Luke part two! Jesus is lifting them out of their tombs with the word Peace!

Jesus did not rebuke them for not really believing Mary’s proclamation that he was risen. Jesus did not ask them why they where still locked in the room – he didn’t ask them why they didn’t believe. He offered Peace and gave them the radical gift of the Holy Spirit.

But poor Thomas. He wasn’t there. He was off doing something else – and I always wonder why he wasn’t in the locked room. And Thomas also is not going to believe the first hand testimony of the others. He wants proof. Thomas is so like us! He wants solid proof that this crazy, irrational thing called resurrection happened. That the incarnate Lord who he saw killed on the cross was walking about again. And why not?

How many of you have said – or at least thought – I won’t believe that unless I see it with my own eyes? In this day of Photoshop and computers how many of us look at a picture with disbelief – and rightly so! We want proof that it is not yet another spoof or scam.

And how many of us have sat in our churches – or in the privacy of our own minds and thought – I really don’t know if I believe all of the stuff in the creed. I don’t know if I believe that Jesus – that God – will forgive my sins. How many of us have said we want proof too. That we want to stick our hands into the holes left by the nails.

The radical gift of the incarnation and the radical gift of resurrection is too much to believe some days. It is easier to believe in the Easter Bunny! The radical gift of forgiveness of sins and unconditional love is too much. It is easier to believe an internet spoof that if you like a post you might win a new car – or a million dollars!

Like Thomas we want some proof.

And so in our gospel story Jesus does show up again – making sure that Thomas was in the room this time. He offers for Thomas to put his fingers in the wounds. To make sure that he could believe. And Thomas responds with the strongest affirmation of faith. “My Lord and my God!” This time Jesus also addresses all of our belief in the midst of our unbelief. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe!”

The truth be told we can see the risen Christ all around us – if we but look. All you have to do is look into the eyes of the person trapped in addiction or grief to see the wounds of Jesus. The wounds are still all around us. And if we look into the eyes of the hungry and the wounded – not with pity but with love you might just be surprised to find Jesus looking back at you.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to each one of us. And that gift is a radical gift when we let it loose in our lives. For it allows us not only to see the wounds of Christ but to see the love of Christ as well. And to exercise that Love to bind up the wounds of the wounded. The Holy Spirit coursing through each of us will lead us to do crazy things – like let people sleep in our sanctuary. Like listening to those who have no voice.

And it is ok to say we have doubts. Doubts that we are doing the right thing. Doubts that we are believing the right thing. As another preacher put it so well “Thomas comes to faith because he first has the chance to voice his doubt and questions and then experiences Jesus for himself.”[1] Church is not meant to be a place for the perfect. It is not meant to be a place where only those with perfect faith gather.

Church is for the doubters. Church is for asking questions. Why? Why did Jesus die? Does God really forgive my sins? And if you want trite easy answers don’t ask me! For me faith and belief is a journey. A journey shared in relationship with others dancing around this thing we call faith.

Church is also a place where I can affirm “My Lord and My God”… not because I have perfect faith but because I see God all around me and even in my doubts I find God sitting with me. Waiting to lift me out of the locked room and to drive me on in community to be the hearts, hands and feet of the resurrected Jesus. To bind up the wounds. To feed the hungry. And to provide healing for this hurting and hurt-filled world.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

[1] http://www.davidlose.net/2016/03/easter-2-c-blessed-doubt/