| To contact us: Calvary Episcopal Church 667 Mount Road Aston, PA 19014 610-459-2013 OFFICE mail@calvaryepiscopalrockdale.org |
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| SERMON 21 Pentecost - Proper 22 October 5, 2008 The Rev. Kristine Hill |
| 667 Mount Road, Aston, PA 19014 610-459-2013 |
| Small Parish - Big Heart The little church you've been looking for! All are welcome! |
| Our Mission: To worship the Lord To serve the community To grow the church |
| Exodus 20:1-4,7-9,12-20 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46 |
| The Rev. Kristine Hill, Interim Rector |
Do you remember falling in love? Maybe we haven’t all had that experience yet,
but I think most of us have. I saw plenty of evidence of romantic love at Calvary’
s 175th anniversary dinner and dance. People were dancing like they were 19
years old again, and not only the couples who were there, but even those whose
spouses were not present had a sparkle in their eye and a spring to their step
that indicated they, too, knew about having a partner who could light up their face
When you fall in love, you want to know everything about your beloved: what he
(or she) thinks, what is important to him, what makes him laugh, what he has
experienced in life, what has wounded him, what brings him joy, what his dreams
and plans are. As you grow to care for each other, you want to spend more time
together. You long to share each other’s pleasures, to help bear each other’s
burdens. That’s what it’s like when you love someone -- you want to know that
person deeply, understand his outlook, care for him, open up your life to him.
Paul speaks for us today in his letter to the Philippians. He expresses why we
gather here Sunday after Sunday, why we bother to affiliate with a congregation,
why we work through the difficulties that arise between us and keep striving to
live as a family of believers. We do it because we want to know Jesus, truly
know him -- not just intellectually, but in our spirits and our souls and our hearts.
We want to know Jesus in our daily living, to know that we are walking with him
and he is walking beside us. That is why we seek a congregation and become a
part of it: we want to know God’s love for us in Jesus Christ; we want to be
joined to Jesus-and-his-love-for-the-world in our daily lives.
It is clear in his letter to the Philippians that Paul has a deep love for Jesus. In
our reading today Paul explains that he already had the things most people strive
for in life, all the “good stuff.” He was born into a noble family with the ‘right
heritage;’ he had a fine career as a Pharisee; he was zealous in his work –
recognized for going ‘above and beyond;’ he was a leader of leaders; he had
status, acclaim, wealth -- everything people work most of their lives. But when he
encountered Jesus, it became as garbage to him; it was stuff that held him back
from living in full alignment with Jesus. He gladly left all of it behind.
Let’s put this into context if we can. In today’s world Paul might be someone who
worked as a Chief Financial Officer or a Chief Executive Officer (CFO or CEO) at
a large, wealthy corporation. He rose through the ranks until, still young, he sat
in the corner office on the top floor, pulled in a hefty six-figure income, had
many people under his authority, was invited to the best social events and
presided over the most important business meetings. He lived in a mansion
surrounded by an iron gate. His face graced the cover of Time magazine -- Man
of the Year… and then one day he walked away from all of it because he had a
religious experience, because he met Jesus. He claimed his life was better
afterwards -- teaching people about Jesus, making tents by hand as a way to
support himself. He lived where he could – with friends or camping out, staying
in cheap motels. No more Italian suits, rib-eye steaks, and Dom Perignon. Instead
it was tennis shoes, lentil stew and Jesus. That’s a tremendous shift. But Paul
was on fire with love and devotion for his Lord. “I want to know Christ,” he said,
“and the power of his resurrection!”
We want to know Jesus, too, and we want to live by the power of his
resurrection -- his power to heal, to restore, to make things new and whole and
complete, to smooth out the rough places, to repair the damage done to earth
and bodies, structures, relationships, hearts. Yes, we want to “know Christ and
the power of his resurrection” …although we may not be eager to get to know
Christ the way Paul did -- leaving behind everything we have achieved, or hope
to achieve, in this life so that nothing stands between us and our Lord. That
sounds a bit… fanatical, a bit extreme. We want to know Jesus and the power of
his resurrection because that is life for us -- not just life after death, but life
now, life here. So we understand Paul’s yearning, if not his methodology.
However, Paul has something to say to us in the situation we are currently
facing. Paul is never fooled by the “treasures” of this world, by the pleasures
life here has to offer. He is aware of the larger picture of life, of how things
really work in this world. After all, he has been on both sides -- the side of
power, as one who sought after and persecuted followers of Jesus; and the side
of weakness, as one who suffered abuse and imprisonment for Jesus’ sake. Paul
knows this life better than to think one can have success without tasting defeat,
that one can live in the resurrection without experiencing death. We forget that
sometimes, but Paul does not. He does not leave-off with wanting to know
“Christ and the power of his resurrection” but goes on: “and the sharing of (Christ’
s) sufferings by becoming like him in his death…” Paul understands that there is
no resurrection without death on the cross.
The financial crisis our nation is facing gives the same lesson to which Paul
attests. Life cannot be all glory, all good times, without periods of genuine
suffering. Whether the people of our nation will learn this remains to be seen --
this lesson that ever-increasing wealth for everyone, or almost everyone, is not a
sustainable goal. Someone has to pay and the payment is painful. What goes up,
and up, and up (be it profits, or the stock market, or record home sales during
only modest economic times…) what goes up really does have to come down,
sooner or later. When we step back and look at the larger picture, nobody gets
rich quick without somebody, somewhere, paying the cost. We have ignored that
truth for too long and now it is coming home to roost.
The consequences of, the fall-out from, our nation’s recent history of greed and
love-of-wealth are frightening. No one yet knows, just what will happen, but we
have certainly heard some dire predictions. Folks who live on pensions are
nervous about whether those will dry up; people connected with small businesses
wonder how they will weather the uncertain economy that lies ahead; we’ve heard
that car loans and student loans and loans to buy a house, loans that small
businesses normally need from time to time will be hard to come-by. Will the
result be a rash of lay-offs around the country, decreased wages, a shortage of
things we need like gas or food or parts to repair the appliances or vehicles we
already own? And what about this rescue plan the Congress has passed is
discussing – how much will that cost us down the line? We await the coming
weeks and months with some trepidation, unsure what will happen, unsure what
will be required of us.
Undoubtedly the future holds challenges for us, for our neighbors, for people
across our nation. Life will not be easy. But with this crisis may come an
opportunity for us to know Christ and the power of his resurrection more deeply.
Painful as it is to suffer loss, losing material things we have come to depend on,
might just open up room within ourselves to depend more fully on God. As
suffering increases around us we can reach out to assist our neighbors in their
difficulties. Then we will be sharing in Christ’s suffering and might just become a
bit like him in his death - by giving ourselves in love for one another. Some of
our old hopes and dreams -- for more and bigger houses, clothes, possessions --
may fall by the wayside, but as they do we might experience the wonder of
seeing them replaced by new dreams that God will plant within us.
There is only one way to “know Christ” truly – to know any other person honestly
– and that is by putting aside one’s own thoughts, opinions, desires and goals,
for at least a time, so one can listen and receive who the other is. This is
especially so if we are to know Jesus, our own agendas, our rivalries, our
material-desires have to be cleared away so there is room within us for Christ.
This time of loss and uncertainty, though hard and unpleasant, may also be a time
when we lose things that have kept us from being closer to God’s love in Jesus.
If so, then what lies before us is not only a threatening situation, but an
opportunity for increased joy, for spiritual blessings, for finding parts of ourselves
that have been missing, for growing in trust and hope, for developing within
ourselves a sense of calm and well-being even when the world outside is a mess
- because we are held safe in the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Following Paul’s leadership, this is what is laid out before us today: “(We) want to
know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings
by becoming like him in his death…” We know Christ and his resurrection power
when we also share in his suffering and experience his death. But Paul has
learned, and we know, too, that the love of Christ is worth it -- worth letting go
of other, lesser treasures, worth pursuing with all our hearts, worth clinging to in
happiest times and in the most difficult days. We want to know Christ and the
power of his resurrection – the power of life that is not greedy, but generous;
that does not clutch to keep what it has, but is open to everyone it meets and
thus has neighbors; that is not fearful and anxious, but that trusts God and is full
of joy.
We love Jesus, and we want to know him who calls us sisters and brothers, who
lives a new way -- neither Democrat nor Republican, neither Conservative nor
Liberal, but truthful, compassionate, honoring the humanity of everyone who is
poor or weak, calling those in authority to be just, being the presence of peace
in the world, loving all people – even his adversaries, fulfilling God’s will. We
love Jesus and want to know him -- Jesus, who loves us without fail, who lifts us
when we fall, who welcomes us home no matter how often we leave. No one
else loves like Jesus - so constant, so completely, so comprehensively. No one
else cares for the broken and the hurting like Jesus, calls down the arrogant like
Jesus and yet cares for them, too. We want to know Jesus and the power of his
resurrected life, given to us at baptism. We really don’t need to fear. We have
all we need in Christ -- for today, for tomorrow, for the future. Like Paul, we
press on to know our Lord as deeply as we can, but already we belong to Christ;
already we are wrapped-up in the strength and power of his resurrection life.
amen
but I think most of us have. I saw plenty of evidence of romantic love at Calvary’
s 175th anniversary dinner and dance. People were dancing like they were 19
years old again, and not only the couples who were there, but even those whose
spouses were not present had a sparkle in their eye and a spring to their step
that indicated they, too, knew about having a partner who could light up their face
When you fall in love, you want to know everything about your beloved: what he
(or she) thinks, what is important to him, what makes him laugh, what he has
experienced in life, what has wounded him, what brings him joy, what his dreams
and plans are. As you grow to care for each other, you want to spend more time
together. You long to share each other’s pleasures, to help bear each other’s
burdens. That’s what it’s like when you love someone -- you want to know that
person deeply, understand his outlook, care for him, open up your life to him.
Paul speaks for us today in his letter to the Philippians. He expresses why we
gather here Sunday after Sunday, why we bother to affiliate with a congregation,
why we work through the difficulties that arise between us and keep striving to
live as a family of believers. We do it because we want to know Jesus, truly
know him -- not just intellectually, but in our spirits and our souls and our hearts.
We want to know Jesus in our daily living, to know that we are walking with him
and he is walking beside us. That is why we seek a congregation and become a
part of it: we want to know God’s love for us in Jesus Christ; we want to be
joined to Jesus-and-his-love-for-the-world in our daily lives.
It is clear in his letter to the Philippians that Paul has a deep love for Jesus. In
our reading today Paul explains that he already had the things most people strive
for in life, all the “good stuff.” He was born into a noble family with the ‘right
heritage;’ he had a fine career as a Pharisee; he was zealous in his work –
recognized for going ‘above and beyond;’ he was a leader of leaders; he had
status, acclaim, wealth -- everything people work most of their lives. But when he
encountered Jesus, it became as garbage to him; it was stuff that held him back
from living in full alignment with Jesus. He gladly left all of it behind.
Let’s put this into context if we can. In today’s world Paul might be someone who
worked as a Chief Financial Officer or a Chief Executive Officer (CFO or CEO) at
a large, wealthy corporation. He rose through the ranks until, still young, he sat
in the corner office on the top floor, pulled in a hefty six-figure income, had
many people under his authority, was invited to the best social events and
presided over the most important business meetings. He lived in a mansion
surrounded by an iron gate. His face graced the cover of Time magazine -- Man
of the Year… and then one day he walked away from all of it because he had a
religious experience, because he met Jesus. He claimed his life was better
afterwards -- teaching people about Jesus, making tents by hand as a way to
support himself. He lived where he could – with friends or camping out, staying
in cheap motels. No more Italian suits, rib-eye steaks, and Dom Perignon. Instead
it was tennis shoes, lentil stew and Jesus. That’s a tremendous shift. But Paul
was on fire with love and devotion for his Lord. “I want to know Christ,” he said,
“and the power of his resurrection!”
We want to know Jesus, too, and we want to live by the power of his
resurrection -- his power to heal, to restore, to make things new and whole and
complete, to smooth out the rough places, to repair the damage done to earth
and bodies, structures, relationships, hearts. Yes, we want to “know Christ and
the power of his resurrection” …although we may not be eager to get to know
Christ the way Paul did -- leaving behind everything we have achieved, or hope
to achieve, in this life so that nothing stands between us and our Lord. That
sounds a bit… fanatical, a bit extreme. We want to know Jesus and the power of
his resurrection because that is life for us -- not just life after death, but life
now, life here. So we understand Paul’s yearning, if not his methodology.
However, Paul has something to say to us in the situation we are currently
facing. Paul is never fooled by the “treasures” of this world, by the pleasures
life here has to offer. He is aware of the larger picture of life, of how things
really work in this world. After all, he has been on both sides -- the side of
power, as one who sought after and persecuted followers of Jesus; and the side
of weakness, as one who suffered abuse and imprisonment for Jesus’ sake. Paul
knows this life better than to think one can have success without tasting defeat,
that one can live in the resurrection without experiencing death. We forget that
sometimes, but Paul does not. He does not leave-off with wanting to know
“Christ and the power of his resurrection” but goes on: “and the sharing of (Christ’
s) sufferings by becoming like him in his death…” Paul understands that there is
no resurrection without death on the cross.
The financial crisis our nation is facing gives the same lesson to which Paul
attests. Life cannot be all glory, all good times, without periods of genuine
suffering. Whether the people of our nation will learn this remains to be seen --
this lesson that ever-increasing wealth for everyone, or almost everyone, is not a
sustainable goal. Someone has to pay and the payment is painful. What goes up,
and up, and up (be it profits, or the stock market, or record home sales during
only modest economic times…) what goes up really does have to come down,
sooner or later. When we step back and look at the larger picture, nobody gets
rich quick without somebody, somewhere, paying the cost. We have ignored that
truth for too long and now it is coming home to roost.
The consequences of, the fall-out from, our nation’s recent history of greed and
love-of-wealth are frightening. No one yet knows, just what will happen, but we
have certainly heard some dire predictions. Folks who live on pensions are
nervous about whether those will dry up; people connected with small businesses
wonder how they will weather the uncertain economy that lies ahead; we’ve heard
that car loans and student loans and loans to buy a house, loans that small
businesses normally need from time to time will be hard to come-by. Will the
result be a rash of lay-offs around the country, decreased wages, a shortage of
things we need like gas or food or parts to repair the appliances or vehicles we
already own? And what about this rescue plan the Congress has passed is
discussing – how much will that cost us down the line? We await the coming
weeks and months with some trepidation, unsure what will happen, unsure what
will be required of us.
Undoubtedly the future holds challenges for us, for our neighbors, for people
across our nation. Life will not be easy. But with this crisis may come an
opportunity for us to know Christ and the power of his resurrection more deeply.
Painful as it is to suffer loss, losing material things we have come to depend on,
might just open up room within ourselves to depend more fully on God. As
suffering increases around us we can reach out to assist our neighbors in their
difficulties. Then we will be sharing in Christ’s suffering and might just become a
bit like him in his death - by giving ourselves in love for one another. Some of
our old hopes and dreams -- for more and bigger houses, clothes, possessions --
may fall by the wayside, but as they do we might experience the wonder of
seeing them replaced by new dreams that God will plant within us.
There is only one way to “know Christ” truly – to know any other person honestly
– and that is by putting aside one’s own thoughts, opinions, desires and goals,
for at least a time, so one can listen and receive who the other is. This is
especially so if we are to know Jesus, our own agendas, our rivalries, our
material-desires have to be cleared away so there is room within us for Christ.
This time of loss and uncertainty, though hard and unpleasant, may also be a time
when we lose things that have kept us from being closer to God’s love in Jesus.
If so, then what lies before us is not only a threatening situation, but an
opportunity for increased joy, for spiritual blessings, for finding parts of ourselves
that have been missing, for growing in trust and hope, for developing within
ourselves a sense of calm and well-being even when the world outside is a mess
- because we are held safe in the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Following Paul’s leadership, this is what is laid out before us today: “(We) want to
know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings
by becoming like him in his death…” We know Christ and his resurrection power
when we also share in his suffering and experience his death. But Paul has
learned, and we know, too, that the love of Christ is worth it -- worth letting go
of other, lesser treasures, worth pursuing with all our hearts, worth clinging to in
happiest times and in the most difficult days. We want to know Christ and the
power of his resurrection – the power of life that is not greedy, but generous;
that does not clutch to keep what it has, but is open to everyone it meets and
thus has neighbors; that is not fearful and anxious, but that trusts God and is full
of joy.
We love Jesus, and we want to know him who calls us sisters and brothers, who
lives a new way -- neither Democrat nor Republican, neither Conservative nor
Liberal, but truthful, compassionate, honoring the humanity of everyone who is
poor or weak, calling those in authority to be just, being the presence of peace
in the world, loving all people – even his adversaries, fulfilling God’s will. We
love Jesus and want to know him -- Jesus, who loves us without fail, who lifts us
when we fall, who welcomes us home no matter how often we leave. No one
else loves like Jesus - so constant, so completely, so comprehensively. No one
else cares for the broken and the hurting like Jesus, calls down the arrogant like
Jesus and yet cares for them, too. We want to know Jesus and the power of his
resurrected life, given to us at baptism. We really don’t need to fear. We have
all we need in Christ -- for today, for tomorrow, for the future. Like Paul, we
press on to know our Lord as deeply as we can, but already we belong to Christ;
already we are wrapped-up in the strength and power of his resurrection life.
amen