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October 29, 2006
Anne Jensen October 29, 2006
Anne Jensen - Proper 25 B Mark 10:46-52
These same words could have come from blind Bartimaeus, and for him they would have had literal as well as metaphorical meaning. Blindness comes in so many ways—physical, psychological, emotional, political, social and spiritual to name a few. Sometimes blindness results from the way we are put together, and sometimes it is willful. We defend ourselves by choosing not to see. And that’s what Isaiah is railing about in our first lesson…the iniquities of the social system and the lack of justice …and the unwillingness or the inability of the righteous to step forward.
“The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory.” God took on the cause of justice and righteousness, Godself. God intervened.
Move ahead six hundred years and God has sent Jesus into a world where conditions had not changed much. Bartimaeus was a blind beggar who hung out at the gate of Jericho. Beggars, then as now, were at the lowest level of society. This story is more than just a story of restored physical sight. It is also a story of Jesus’ compassion, trust and faith that leads to conversion and new life.
In today’s gospel Jesus and his disciples are leaving Jericho. When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus who was passing by, he shouted out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” Obviously he had heard of Jesus and his gift of healing. He made connection: “Son of David” is a messianic title…it implied that Jesus was not just an itinerant teacher, but was a man of God’s own choosing.
The people around Bartimaeus told him to be quiet, but that didn’t stop him. He called again, and Jesus heard him.
Jesus’ response reveals the compassionate nature of God. Jesus stops and says, “Call him over here.” Which probably surprised all those around him, but they said. “This is your lucky day. He’s calling for you. Get up!” He sprang up and came to Jesus. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” He did not assume the man’s needs. He asked. And the man replied, “My teacher, let me see again.”
“Jesus said, ‘Go, your faith has made you well.’” We have heard these words before. The Greek word used here for well means both healed and saved., and in this case it carries both meanings. Jesus tells him to go, but instead of leaving, Bartimaeus follows Jesus. Seeing and following often go together in the gospels. Seeing “who Jesus is” is the goal of faith, and it leads to discipleship. Only the unblind can see where to follow. Since that the very next verse in Mark narrates the entry into Jerusalem, the way Bartimaeus followed was the way to the cross.
When have your eyes been opened to a new truth, a new way of seeing? Did it lead to fear or a deeper faith? Our greatest challenges can become avenues for growing in faith and opening to God’s grace. God’s grace and healing power will lead to restored vision and new life.
Recently we at Trinity Parish have had our eyes opened regarding our financial situation. I know that some of you fear for the future of this beloved church. My proposal to you is that this is an opportunity to grow in faith by embarking on a new understanding of stewardship. In the past there have been special appeals because the budget gap looked grim, and people have come forward to meet the need. That’s good, but that kind of request is more akin to fund-raising than it is to stewardship. I want to invite you to enter into a new way of looking at life and God’s many gifts, a conversion to a life of stewardship.
Stewardship is a spiritual practice that recognizes that all that we have ultimately comes from God, and that in the very beginning, God gave stewardship of this world to God’s people, to care for the earth, the animals, the waters and each other as God would. Out of love for God and for all of creation, and in response to God’s love made known to us through Jesus Christ, we respond by trying to see with the eyes of God the reality of life around us. We do not live for our own sakes alone, but for God’s sake and for the sake of the world.
That’s pretty abstract, but it has real application. As Christians we have committed to following the teaching of Jesus, and Jesus commanded his followers to proclaim forgiveness and reconciliation, to welcome the outsider, and to praise God. The church is body that carries out these instructions: it aims to make disciples who follow Christ. Even in the year that I have been here, I know that this faith community has changed peoples’ lives by offering acceptance. It demonstrates a level of caring that is beyond what the world at large deems adequate. It offers material help by taking on driving people who no longer drive themselves, giving furniture to those in need and food as people need it. The church and its members give spiritual support through prayer and personal support. On our campus and beyond we have served the people that Jesus reached out to...the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the ill. These are ministries I know you are committed to.
With a new commitment to stewardship as a way of life, we can continue these ministries and even grow. The Bible talks about first fruits being offered back to God. What would that look like in terms of time? If we figure in general 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of work, that leaves 8 hours a day for everything else. If we multiply that by 7 days a week and we get 56. The Biblical standard is the tithe, giving 10%. That would be about 5.5 hours a week of discretionary time. In reality most of us don’t start there, either in terms of time or money.
We need start by seeing with new eyes. In faith we start by giving a percentage off the top. I’m talking about time, talent and money. When we surveyed all the ministries last spring, every group said they needed more bodies to share in the work.
This past week Doug and I talked about our own journey in financial stewardship. The first step was the shift from “I earned this money” to recognizing that the gifts we have for life and for earning really came from God. The next step was to give off the top. At first it seemed like a lot, especially when we had children in school and I was in seminary, but there was enough. About this time I asked a priest whether one should figure the percentage before or after taxes, and his response was, “It doesn’t matter.” I found that remarkably freeing.
Another discovery about building a stewardship plan is that it feels good to be generous, to know that you, along with many others, are making a difference in peoples’ lives…people we will never know, but who have deep needs. The reason we do this is spiritual…it comes from understanding that all people are God’s beloved children. God wants us to get that message out! This mission takes time, energy and money, but through it we know that we are participating in something much larger than ourselves. We are part of God’s effort to mend creation.
Yet another step in stewardship is the realization that it is a daily thing and involves daily choices about how we use water, whether we turn out the lights, what we are going to buy, and how we are going to spend our time. Stewardship is the journey toward living consciously in the presence of God.
In order for Trinity Parish to stay strong and to grow we need your participation in worship. Stewardship of time includes making a commitment to attend church. The strength of our worship depends on all our voices lifted up. And we need your participation in giving and in doing the work of the church, for the sake of the church and for the sake of the larger community.
Bartimaeus regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way. May we too see with new eyes and embark on a journey to renewed faith through stewardship.
I close with an image of the five ships of Christian life. Our Christian life might be seen as a fleet of ships. One ship is worship. In worship we praise God and give thanks. Another is fellowship. When we find fellowship with Jesus, our lives are changed. We become a member of God’s kingdom.
Another ship is discipleship. As we learn more about the Christian faith, we learn to follow the Savior. Studying our Bible and praying become a part of our lives.
Then there is friendship. We join other Christians in serving Christ. Friendships develop among God’s people. As we attend church regularly, we meet other people who share our faith. We share a special bond and they become our friends.
But for many, there is one ship that doesn’t set sail…it is the good ship stewardship. All the other ships bring happiness and joy into our lives, but the stewardship never gets out of the harbor. This week as you set out on the sea of life with your fleet of ships, let one of them be the ship of stewardship. Your life will be blessed by it. All the other ships will be able to bring back more enjoyment and contentment when all four sail together.
Please turn to the Joy insert in the bulletin and join me in saying the stewardship prayer.
October 22, 2006
Fred Heard - October 22, 2006
October 22, 2006 Father Fred Heard
Mark:10:35-45
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So many people are concerned about the future of the church and the road that will lead them to heaven. Many people lay awake at night worrying about these two points. And now there is something else to think about: a new book has just been published which discusses the sudden growth of the mainline church: Christianity For the Rest of Us by Diana Butler Bass. She suggests that mainline church tradition is more like the clay from which you make a statue. We can rework it and play with it. She compares the clay to scripture and suggests that each successive generation is called on to take that same body of scripture and make it look beautiful in and for our own time. A church and its doctrine and a Christian can be reflective of the past or it can be relevant to our time and Ms. Bass suggests that mainline churches are beginning to recognize that fact. It was in seminary that I decided to take a class called Biblical Archaeology and it was in that class that I learned that biblical history is changing and it is changing because we are learning how to read history more accurately and we also are recognizing that the entire picture is still really an incomplete puzzle and new artifacts are being discovered almost daily.
But certain truths never change. Too many people spend all of their allotted time on this earth trying to become rich and famous or rich and powerful or maybe just rich or maybe just influential. Reality says that only a few people get to any of these slots. The lot for all the rest might be to envy them. But Jesus tells us not to envy because God will judge by different rules. One’s possessions or position do not count. What matters is what we give of ourselves. God encourages people to give the most of themselves. God’s plan does not honor the people who wield power, but people who love their neighbors and help those in need. It is how we use that power. God won't reward the people with great talent only, but He will remember the people with great hearts. It is how we use that talent. Is Bishop Tutu remembered for his power (which he does possess) or his heart? Is the Sister or Brother who calls in time of need and pain remembered within our parish because of their role in society or because of their heart?
Our new Bishop, Marc, only yesterday at our convention called on Episcopalians to become green and truly be good stewards for the planet earth. He called on us to end the war in Iraq. He called on us to end discrimination and truly open our arms to all God’s children.
What made George Washington great? Was it the fact that he was our first President? If that is the case, remember that had George Washington not been President, there would have been someone else—another first President. But would that person have contributed the precedents that President Washington left behind like declining to serve a third term? Would another 16th President have freed the slaves and offered his hand to the South as did Abraham Lincoln following the Civil War?
An athlete is chosen by the owners to bring points to the team. Does this make that athlete great? David Robinson is honored as a basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1990 ––Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 ––Most Valuable Player of the Year in 1995. When he is eligible, Robinson is probably headed for the Basketball Hall of Fame. In almost any conversation about sports, David Robinson is considered great…but that is an earthly measuring stick. In 1991 he visited the Gates Elementary School in San Antonio and challenged the kids to go to college, promising each one who did a $2000 scholarship. Many of them took him up on his offer –– and he ended up giving each $8000 instead of $2000. He and his wife then started the Carver Academy in San Antonio. They donated $9 million to get the school started. This is believed to be the largest charitable contribution ever made by a professional athlete. Carver Academy is dedicated to academic excellence—but because Robinson is a Christian he wants the kids to understand that spiritual values are as important as academics or athletics. David Robinson is a great human being. As our Articles of Religion put it, these good deeds are the fruits of David Robinson’s faith. His belief has motivated him to do good works—not the quest for power.
Today’s Gospel discusses greatness and how God defines greatness and you know what, it has nothing to do with points on a scoreboard. It is all about how we live our lives. Perhaps we think we have never lived near human greatness—but maybe we just haven’t thought of it in this light.
James and John ask Jesus for permission to sit with him at the head table when he comes into his kingdom…one at Jesus right hand and the other at his left hand. In most meetings, the boss sits at the end or like the President in a Cabinet meeting—he sits in the middle with the Secretary of State on one side and the Secretary of Defense on the other and the remaining cabinet officers sit in the order their positions were created. In any event, the most trusted or senior members of the team are closest to the head person and this allows them to prompt the boss discreetly as needed. People of lesser rank perhaps do not sit at the table but are placed around the outside wall. The boss is front and center in any arrangement and the trick for everyone else is to get as close as possible.
James and John thought that Jesus would become king once they reached Jerusalem…and they wanted the two most honored seats. Jesus, you will recall, had already chosen three disciples as favorites and the three included James and John. Peter was the third. Since James and John were brothers, it was easy for them to bond. In this case Peter was the outsider and he was being pushed to the side. "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Translated, he was asking James and John if they were able to share his fate. Imagining Jesus at the head of the table, they assured him they were able. Jesus then told them that they would share his fate, but he couldn't promise them the seats at his right and left.
Do you remember all that talk at the beginning of the sermon about power and wealth and influence? Jesus was lifted up and it was on a cross and there was a thief at his right hand and a thief at his left hand.
That was one of God's ways of warning us to expect some surprises in his kingdom. In God's kingdom, the old rules –– the world's rules –– won't apply. We will have to learn a whole new set of rules.
God gives all of us a glimpse into His kingdom. Jesus explains the new rules. He begins by talking about the rulers with whom James and John are familiar. Those rulers lord it over people. The ones whom people usually count as great are really only tyrants –– oppressors –– people who exercise power cruelly and unjustly. Jesus tells James and John –– and us –– that the kingdom of God isn't like that.
So who will be the great people in God’s kingdom? "Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." Episcopalians are smart—but we can’t be just head-smart. We must be Christians—but we must take seriously what Jesus says here. We can have a lot of money and we can be famous but that cannot be our first priority…we must devote our lives to the betterment of others. When we get to heaven those who will be sitting with Jesus will be the people who have devoted themselves to service—to giving—to others.
I know you pretty well and there are people in this congregation who I expect to be sitting pretty high up at Jesus’ table. People here on earth might not consider them as great and most importantly, they don't think of themselves as great. Not many people know their names, but God knows their names. These people show all of us the way. They give themselves in quiet service to our church or our children. They are here at church whenever there is a need at here or in the community. There will be a look of surprise on their face when Jesus says, "Come and sit with me."
"Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." AMEN
October 15, 2006
Anne Jensen - Oct 15, 2006
Proper 23 B Mark 10:17 10/15/2006
Today’s gospel, to quote one blogger, is a “doozy.” We hear it with mixed feelings: it’s familiar, yet it makes us profoundly uncomfortable. We identify with that young man, as the seeker. We fear that if we were given the same teaching, we too would grieve and turn away.
Ever since Jesus met the rich young ruler, we have been looking for a way to embrace this passage as Truth, without actually having to believe it or live it.
We have rationalized it—
Jesus was just reminding us to keep our priorities straight! After all, people with money support the Church and pay the bills, and have done so since its beginning.
We have theologized it—
The Hebrew people like many ancient people, thought wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and a mark of righteousness and worth. Jesus was teaching them new ways of looking at the world.
We have decoded it—
Scholars speculate that the eye of the needle refers to an ancient gate; A gate so small— so narrow—that a camel could enter ONLY if its load was removed. It turns out this was a medieval interpretation, and sometimes it includes the image that the camel had to get down on its knees to get through. Not a bad image. So, Jesus is telling us to give some of our possessions away. Enough, at least so we can fit through the gate…
We have ignored it.
And a few have embraced it: St. Anthony of the Desert, Francis of Assisi, Maximilian Kolbe, Dorothy Day and Mother Theresa are examples.
I think our greatest fear is that without our wealth, without our possessions, we will have no life, no existence, no way of our knowing who we are, or others knowing who we are. Our security is threatened.
The rich young man has found that his wealth does not buy him what he longs for. Does he approach Jesus as someone whose life seems empty and who is seeking a fix, as if Jesus were a first century Dr. Phil?
Maybe this gives us a clue. What if we looked at this story in a new way? Usually we imagine that the rich man does need to learn to let go, to share or to feel less attached to his wealth. For a moment-- Imagine that the rich man needs healing. Something is making and keeping this good man sick. He is ill, and he cannot heal/save himself any more than the blind man Bartimaeus could. A physician would seek to identify the toxin in his environment and remove it. Jesus does just that: “Go, sell, give, come, follow…” Jesus has compassion and even love for this young man who kneels at his feet, and recognizes the illness that besets him: it’s a kind of addiction. The most effective treatment for addictions has been a spiritual approach developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and modified by other groups.
Step one is to admit that we are powerless over our addiction, whatever that addiction is—that our lives have become unmanageable.
Step two is coming to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to health.
Step three is to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God. Step three leads us back to the story.
Remember when the young man approaches Jesus, he says, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus answers, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Jesus is pointing to God as the One who can meet the young man’s desire. What he wants can’t be bought.…not by wealth, and not by observing the commandments to not hurt others that this young man has followed since he was a child. The first three commandments tell us to love God above all else. Had he taken these to heart?
Jesus not only tells the young man to sell his possessions, he tells him “Give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” He is pointing to a way of life that is more than just avoiding bad behavior so that he can be perceived as good. Jesus is pointing the way to a life where riches are shared with the poor. Life is found in sharing life with others, including even the poorest and the marginalized. The young man is shocked and turns away, grieved.
I think Jesus must have been grieving too. He says to the disciples, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God.” There’s a tenderness there, despite the image of the camel, that matches the compassion and love he felt for the young man.
Now it’s the disciples’ turn to be shocked! “Then who can be saved?”
“For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” God is at the center.
Jesus’ words are not just an abstract reflection. They speak to the real spiritual difficulty—the fear of losing self-centeredness, or to say it another way, fear that we do not have control over our lives. Jesus knows what this young man cannot grasp, that by letting go of his anxious self-absorption and his hold on things, he will find a new security, and a new relationship to the very things he has released from his grip.
Jesus knows from his own relationship with God that a new generosity, a new abundance of spirit, far from eliminating one’s world actually gives it back in profoundly new and free ways.
Freedom from addiction is what the addict yearns for. Recovery begins with naming the addiction, admitting that we are caught by powers that we cannot handle by ourselves, and putting ourselves in the hands of God, who loves us and desires our wholeness, not just as individuals, which is certainly true, but also as a community of human beings.
What does that mean for us here at Trinity? This community is a place of immense privilege and yet it has pockets of poverty, but even this poverty pales in the face of life in third world countries. My hope is that Trinity can be a place where we can admit that collectively we are uneasy about our relationship with money and uneasy about talking about money.
In the last couple of weeks, you have received information about Trinity’s financial situation, and we will talk more about it in the coming month. But wouldn’t it be a sign of God’s healing grace if we could put our trust in God and risk honest and respectful conversation about the gifts God has given us and how best to carry out the mission of the church? Christian community ought to be where we are safe, where we need not be defensive about who we are or where we are in our journey. There is no need for being puffed up, because respect is offered to everyone.
The church ought to be a school for conversion, so that instead of turning away in fear, sadness or grief, we can together follow Jesus into a life of servanthood.
You know, Garrison Keilor always opens his monologue with “It’s been a quiet week here in Lake Woebegone.” Lake Woebegone is that imaginary place where people have real lives—where daily events raise the large questions of life. And it turns out no to have been quiet at all. It has been filled with seemingly small incidents that raise the larger questions of life, with all the attending human emotions. It hasn’t been a quiet week here at Trinity. Some people are upset, several people have had surgery. Some have a condition not yet diagnosed; people are facing life transitions. The railing on Montgomery House is gone, so I share with you the lines from Julian of Norwich, words which I find strength and comfort. “All will be well. All manner of things will be well.” I really believe that, for you, for me and for this church, because as we follow Jesus, we will find God is at the center.
