Pentecost 16 - Baptism and First Communion

Sermon for Hope Episcopal Church
The Reverend Martha Frances
Year B, Pentecost 16, Proper 20
24 September 2006
Baptism and First Communion
10:30 Service

Text: Mark 9: 30-37
Other Readings: Wisdom 1:16-2:1 [6-11] 12-22; Psalm 54; James 3:16-4:6

Jesus took a little child and put it among them; & taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Just as Jesus welcomed a child, so I welcome the children today as we prepare for the baptism of Tobe & for Chidera's first communion. Come on up & join me so we can talk. All of us-even the grown people-need to be reminded why we celebrate both baptism & also communion.

Back before Tobe was born, we prayed for his good health when his family was expecting him. God has been with Tobe ever since before he was born, & we even prayed for him when he was still in his mommy's tummy. Now we ask God to anoint him & claim him as God's own with the sacrament of baptism. When we place water on his head & I mark the sign of the cross on his forehead, we are showing in front of all the people here the blessings God gives each of us.

Someone once said it takes a village to raise a child, & we at Hope are Thobe's village. We are his church family. When John & Maureen bring Thobe to the baptismal font to be baptized, they are allowing us all to share in bringing him up as a Christian who knows & loves Jesus & wants to share Jesus with others. Just as you children might be looked after by any of the adults here at Hope, we all promise to help Tobe grow up to be big & strong & to feel Jesus' love & the love of his big church family.

In a few minutes, we're all going to make some promises to help Thobe's parents & godparents in helping him grow into a loving young man who knows he is precious to God, just as all of you are. First, we will turn our backs on evil in all its forms & then turn to Jesus. We will promise to come together to worship, learn, pray, & share communion as often as possible. We will promise to help each other avoid evil & sin in its many forms. We will learn how to share the stories of Jesus with others. We will find ways to share Jesus' love with others, both our neighbors & those who live far away. Finally, we will work together for all people to be at peace with each other & have equal chances in life. No one can do all these things alone; we need one another. That's why we're a family.

Now there is an old-fashioned word for baptism of a child: christening. The part of a baptism that is the christening is the naming of the child. Tobechi's name includes God's name-the "chi" means God. Each of us has a Christian name (name several), & then we have a family name (mention the family names). When we are christened, it's like we also take the name "Christian." If we remember that we are each named Christian, then we can remember that we're all family.

But the other day as I visited with the Ndubuisi family, I realized that we're all in the process of being Christened-putting on the name & the clothing of Christ. As we live together in community, we are growing into wearing the name Christian more & more. Christening is a life-long process, & we're all becoming christened throughout our lives.

When we worship together each week, the center of our worship service is Holy Communion. From the beginning of our lives, our parents bring us forward for a blessing. Eventually, we join with others around the altar-which is like a large family table-to share Jesus' body & blood with the rest of our Christian family. Chidera will receive communion for the first time today, & we celebrate with her. Of course, we only have one small wafer of bread & sometimes a sip of wine, but these small tastes are enough because they represent Jesus' feeding us from his very body so that we may be filled with Christ to strengthen us to act more & more like Christ in the rest of our lives. When we break the bread & pour out the wine, we remember that Jesus' enemies killed him yet he rose again to give us all new life. We celebrate Jesus' new life, so our communion is joyous as we let Jesus renew our lives again & again. Jesus told his disciples to take communion as often as we can which is why we offer communion every Sunday. In a little while, we will join Chidera as she begins this new step in her Christian life, & she will have a whole church-full of family to grow with as she & the rest of us are progressively christened. Thanks be to God.

Pentecost 16 - 8:00 service

Sermon for Hope Episcopal Church
The Reverend Martha Frances
Year B, Pentecost 16, Proper 2024 September 2006
8:00 service

Text: Mark 9: 30-37
Other Readings: Wisdom 1:16-2:1 [6-11] 12-22; Psalm 54; James 3:16-4:6

Jesus doesn't waste any time on the road, for he teaches those who will carry on his ministry even as they walk along. Last Sunday they were in Gentile territory, but this week they are in his home neighborhood & indeed headed toward Capernaum, his adult hometown. The best place for some concentrated training of the disciples is in the privacy of his own home.

First, Jesus once again predicts his own passion-his death & resurrection. There's a sense of urgency as he announces that the Son of Man-he himself-will be betrayed to those who will kill him but that he will rise again. Jesus is saying, "Listen up! I'm not going to be around much longer, & I have a lot to tell you before I go. Let's not waste a minute of time."

Throughout Mark's gospel, the disciples are incredibly dense, missing the points Jesus makes. But here, perhaps they are at least figuring out what he's telling them about his death. When they finally get to his house & he asks them what they were arguing about on the way, they are embarrassed to tell him. They've been arguing about who is greatest. You'd think they would be in deep conversation about how to save Jesus from the death he's sure will befall him. But no, they're avoiding the whole subject altogether. I think we call this avoidance "denial." If we deny it, it will surely go away. Right?

You would think that Jesus would be pretty frustrated with the disciples' denseness & avoidance by now, but instead, he takes their argument as a teaching opportunity. Their expectations about what kind of Messiah he is to be don't fit his reality, so he tells them that if they want to be first in his book, they'll have to learn how to be servants. "What good is that kind of Messiah?" you might hear them say. Jesus knows he's got to do something drastic to help them understand what it means to be a servant.

His response to them is amazing. He reaches over & scoops up a child in his arms & embraces the child. This isn't an unusual action in our child-centered society. This week as we prepared for Tobe Ndubuisi's baptism later today, I gathered him into my arms to help him know me before I hold him up in front of God & everybody to baptize him.

But in Jesus' time, children were really non-persons until they were old enough to help the family economically. Children were socially invisible & were treated like servants. This child wouldn't usually have been in the public room with the men but rather back in the kitchen with the women & other children.

However, Jesus embraces this child whom society would consider last, a no-count. Jesus demonstrates how those whom society discounts should be treated. Jesus pays special attention to one who matters no more in his society than the poor & the homeless. Furthermore, he says a couple of incredible things to these disciples: they should treat children & other of society's disenfranchised people the same way. Jesus says it's their job to treat people that other ignore or avoid as the most important people around.

I'm reminded of the story of Elizabeth's restaurant lunch with her mother & aunt. When their waiter asked Elizabeth what she wanted for lunch, her mother answered for her. Patiently, the waiter again asked Elizabeth what she wanted. This time, her aunt tried to order for Elizabeth. When the waiter asked Elizabeth what she preferred the 3rd time, Elizabeth turned to her mother & aunt, saying, "This man treats me like a real person!" Perhaps our treatment of children is not so different from Jesus' time.

Jesus says further that we are to welcome children. We're to be hospitable to those who are most vulnerable. You see, Jesus was using that little child to represent all who are discounted in society-young or foreign or poor or ragged. We're to welcome them. We're to treat them as honored guests, not to try to get rid of them as quickly as possible. We have a special responsibility to those who cannot take care of themselves.

Several of the homeless folk at Lord of the Streets insisted on helping serve breakfast before they ate their own. That's treating others with integrity. We're all responsible for passing God's grace & love on to others no matter how much we can contribute financially. Those who can have a responsibility to pledge from their income & actually pay that pledge.

When Jesus' treats the little child like he or she matters in the world, Jesus teaches his disciples-& us-how to behave toward others, even those whom the world tries to ignore. Jesus begins his discipleship training by helping the disciples see how we must treat one another, especially the most vulnerable of our society.

One way we can be responsible Christians is to register to vote-soon-then learn about the candidates before voting our preferences. Another responsibility we all have is to let our elected officials know how we believe they should vote. Keeping up with the issues of the day & responding to them is expected of every citizen in a democracy. We have opportunities both to reach out to others personally & also to participate in changing systemic policies which need to be improved.

Looking back at today's gospel reading, Jesus tells us that those who welcome a little child welcome Jesus himself. Our care for others really is representative of our love of God. Each of us can fulfill both of the great commandments for, when we show love to our neighbors, we are truly loving God with our heart & mind & strength. Amen.

Pentecost 15

Sermon for Hope Episcopal Church
The Reverend Martha Frances
Year B, Pentecost 15, Proper 19
17 September 2006

Text: Mark 8: 27-38
Other Readings: Isaiah 50: 4-9; Psalm 116: 1-8; James 2: 1-5, 8-10, 14-18

Jesus moves with his disciples through the villages of Caesarea Philippi. They're walking along the road, talking as they go. Jesus' ministry up until now has been quite successful. He has attracted great crowds as he has preached & taught, healed & performed miracles. The common people have been greatly enchanted by this young rabbi who has dared to challenge the religious authorities & to include even the Gentiles in his itinerant mission work. He's curious & asks the disciples what the current buzz is on the gossip circuit. "Who do people say that I am?" A safe enough question-he only wants the disciples to report what they've heard. Their answers fit the expectations of the Jewish community of their day: John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. This conversation is sort of a recap of their travels with Jesus. Still on safe grounds.

Then Jesus hits the disciples with a question certainly neither expected nor as safe. He says, "But who do you say that I am?" Can't you just imagine the disciples shuffling their feet & trying not to look at Jesus in case he looks at them & expects a straight answer. It's as if he's saying, "Ok, guys & gals, you've been my traveling companions for awhile. You've seen what I've done & heard what I've said. So what? What does all this mean to you? Why do you keep traveling with me? What's all this to you anyway?" Mark has just spent the whole first 8 chapters of his Gospel identifying who Jesus is.

Now Jesus has asked the question which is the turning point of his whole ministry. "Who do you say that I am?" Just leave it to Peter to rescue the rest of the disciples. Can't you just hear them breathing a sigh of relief when Peter jumps in with his answer? He says, "You are the Messiah." Such a simple 4 words. The rest of the disciples must think, "Well, there you have it. Peter's spoken the truth & we don't have to be vulnerable now. Anyway, what's this I hear? Jesus is telling us to keep quiet, not to tell anyone about what we've seen & heard. Suits us fine, we say. Don't want to get mixed up in this identification game anyway. Glad that's all settled. Everyone knows how this long-awaited messiah is supposed to act, & it's about time he got here & started straightening things out with the Romans, isn't it?"

But Jesus doesn't follow any preconceived ideas about messiahship either. Just look what he says next. He doesn't tell them about the success before them as he takes over in strong military victory & puts those Romans back in their places. Jesus could appoint his closest followers to positions of responsibility, & they could run this country the way it was meant to be. The disciples are off on their own fantasy trips about what's in it for each of them when Jesus shocks them all.

"What's this we hear that Jesus must undergo suffering & rejection, be killed, and rise after three days? What kind of a Messiah is that? Doesn't he know that he's supposed to hold the upper hand? We've given up 3 years of our lives with this man because we believed in him, & now what do we hear? He's giving up the opportunity he has to be of influence for his people? Who does he think he is?"

Well, it's just too much for Peter to bear. He'll just get to Jesus & explain how much all the disciples are counting on him to make their lives & the lives of the common folks better. Peter takes quite a superior attitude as he rebukes Jesus. He pulls Jesus aside & tells him that he's got to sound like the leader that they expect. No more of this suffering & death stuff. Who wants to follow a leader who is gonna die?

And Jesus says to his disciple Peter who just a moment ago passed the pop quiz, "You don't have a clue. You need to wash your mouth out with soap. Don't tempt me to take the softer, easier way. Get behind me, Mr. Temptation. This is hard enough without your acting like you know it all. You're not in charge. I am. Get in the ranks behind me & join with me in this task of doing things God's way & not your own. Let me tell you about what kind of Messiah I am." Here we have Jesus' first of three passion predictions in Mark, none of which the disciples "get."

So begins the 2nd half of the book of Mark, & from this time on, Jesus sets his face like flint, as Isaiah said, & heads toward Jerusalem. Jesus begins right here to warn the disciples what it will be like to continue to follow him. Jesus has to unteach his disciples because they have their own pre-conceptions about Jesus' messiahship.

How many of us really think that those who truly believe in Jesus & are saved should have nothing else bad happen in our lives? We've had more than our share of bad luck & sorrow, haven't we? How many of us are attracted to the conviction that when we join Jesus' army, we should always triumph & our lives will move from one victory to the next, all in Jesus' name, of course? How many of us believe that if we just pray the prayer of Jabez, God will provide more & more blessings, will increase our possessions for us? How much we want to believe these things are true! The cover article in this week's Time magazine poses the question of how much of the population is entranced by the Prosperity Gospel. We're inundated with the notion that God is on our side and will reward us for good behavior or correct belief.

In contrast, let's look at what Jesus tells us lies before us if we put our mind on divine things & seriously follow Jesus. Let's wrap our minds around what we have in store if we commit to growing as Jesus' disciples. First, he says that to follow Jesus, we have to give up the idea that we're in charge of our own lives, that we know what's best for ourselves & those around us. We have to give up the control to God. We must be willing to turn our will & our lives over to the care of God who loves us more than we can love ourselves & who knows what is best for us. That may be that we are willing to give up the other gods we've had in our lives: alcohol, success, the lure of money, or security for your family. What god do you bow to which you need to deny or at least put in proper perspective? For me, it has sometimes been that my own best thinking would get me where I needed to be. Giving up & asking God to guide me has been excruciatingly difficult until I've done it & realized that God knew better all along.

Jesus says we must take up our crosses to follow him. One cross that I've had to accept is that I can't go it alone. I can't just strike out, always looking out for number one, & to heck with everybody else. When I had young children, I sometimes had to give up what I wanted for myself in order to care adequately for them. Recently, I've needed to adjust my speed & my travel to what my husband Bill could tolerate. As a congregation, you've been very understanding of that fact. And the toughest cross for me to bear at times is that I'm no longer as young as I used to be, & I can't go as long or as hard as I could when I was in my 20s or 30s. I have to make allowances so I won't get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Those are set-ups for me to try to take back the life that I've turned over to God. I have to pace myself. I have to depend on others as I delegate tasks. Not a bad thing at all, actually. What a rude awakening to this middle-aged woman! What are the crosses which you must bear in order to be Jesus' disciple?

Next, Jesus says if we want to save our life, we must lose it, & then he says only if we let go of our life to God's care & guidance will we save it. How many times have we seen someone work really hard, really long hours, to give his or her spouse & children all the good things in life, but then the children get in all sorts of trouble with drugs or the law to get the parent's attention? One of the downsides of women's gaining equal status in the job market is that we are now equaling men in stress-related diseases like heart trouble & stroke. There's got to be a better way for both women & men to practice self-care so we can live healthily.

Jesus' next statement strikes me as particularly tricky for some of us. He says that those who are ashamed of him & of his words, he will be ashamed of us in the next life. Ouch! How many times have we said pious, God-fearing things in church & then told someone a lie in order to get something we want or need? Have you ever spoken kindly to someone's face & then talked ugly when that person's back is turned? When we decide that our way of doing things is more important than God's way, we behave as though we are ashamed of God. Do you play such games in your own life?

Here in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus begins to challenge his disciples to evaluate their own lives & see whether they can live up to the term disciple. From now until the time of his arrest & passion, he focuses upon the disciples, knowing that he must leave his Gospel to them to absorb & then go & tell others when he is no longer with them in the flesh. Furthermore, Jesus shows them that discipleship may mean they have to give their lives in his service. We don't often have to put our physical lives on the line for Jesus' sake, but today's world is as much a sinful & adulterous generation as was Jesus'. One of the books our Bonhoeffer group is studying on Wednesdays is The Cost of Discipleship.

What area of your life is Jesus calling you to put on the line for the Gospel? What would God have you place on the altar today. In a few moments, we'll say the general confession, & that's a perfect opportunity for you to give to God whatever behaviors you want to put behind you in order to take up Jesus' cross & follow him. I will offer God's absolution to you in assurance that God has forgiven you & expects you to move past that behavior to something healthier & more wholesome.

As you place your money offering into the collection plate today, I encourage you to place all your old behavior & stinkin' thinkin' that has kept you stuck in unhealthy ways of doing things right in the collection plate with your tithes & offerings. Trust God that God can redeem all that old stuff & grow in you seeds of health & wholeness you've never even dreamt of. Finally, after we've prayed the Eucharistic prayer together & offered God thanks for Christ's body & blood offered here in the Great Communion, I urge you to come forward to eat the bread & drink the wine. Christ's body & blood will strengthen you to fulfill the vows you have made with the offering today.

Does it all happen that quickly? Yes, & no. In our communion service, we enact the symbols & the ritual which represents our hearts' desires for our lives out there in the world. Through our receiving of the bread & wine here today, we gain the nourishment needed to become a more committed disciple of Jesus Christ day by day. It doesn't happen over night; it takes a lifetime. Do you have anything better to do with the rest of your life? Contemplate for a few moments what you are willing to forfeit in order to gain the whole world.

Pentecost 14

Sermon for Hope Episcopal Church
The Reverend Martha Frances
Year B, Pentecost 14, Proper 18
10 September 2006

Text: Mark 7: 31-37
Other Readings: Isaiah 35: 4-7a, Psalm 146: 4-9; James 1: 17-27

Today’s scripture lessons richly portray the down-to-earth miracles which occur because of God’s abiding love for creation, particularly for human beings. Each week’s collect for the day on our scripture sheets ties all the readings together. Can we proudly rely on our own abilities & strength? Clearly not. In our prayer today, we ask God to give us enough trust in our hearts so we don’t assume we can manage our own lives but rather look to God’s mercy in all we do.

The prophet Isaiah tells us God gives us strength; in fact, God will come & save us. What will God’s salvation look like? Isaiah’s community lives where water is scarce, so water will break forth in the desert, & pools & springs will replace burning sands & thirsty ground. Even more amazing, blind people will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap like a deer, & the mute will now sing with joy. No wonder the early church viewed Isaiah’s prediction as coming true when Jesus performed such healings as in Mark’s gospel story today.

Jesus, now in Gentile territory, has just restored a Syrophoenician woman’s daughter to health when the mother argues convincingly that even Gentiles deserve healing. Now he moves on throughout Gentile territory and is sought out to care for the sick & needy. Friends bring a deaf man to him, & not surprisingly, the man also has a speech impediment. Does the deaf man believe in Jesus? We aren’t told. Rather, the friends believe in Jesus’ healing powers & beg him to cure the man’s deafness. We must all lean on others’ faith when ours is too weak to move us forward. How often we need the strength of a faith community for the courage to act on our beliefs. We build each other up as we become Christ’s body, the Church. You have certainly done so for me in the past two weeks.

Mark tells us much about Jesus’ manner of healing. Jesus takes the man aside, out of the limelight, & gets down-to-earth to heal the man: he uses his touch & his own spit. Then, Jesus reminds us that it is God’s regenerative power which heals the man. Jesus’ humanity is obvious as he uses a strange word from his common language, Aramaic: “Ephphatha,” translated “Be opened.” The people are amazed that the man speaks plainly, not the unintelligible sounds he had previously uttered. Only here & in today’s Isaiah passage is the Greek word for his speech impediment used. No wonder these two passages have often been paired! They illustrate what the world is like when God’s reign comes about here.

This healing & that of the Syrophoenician woman precede next week gospel when Peter finally professes Jesus as Messiah. Isn’t it interesting that these Gentiles, not Jesus’ closest disciples, first recognize Jesus as Messiah? We’ll explore next Sunday how much the disciples needed to have their ears—& perhaps their hearts—opened in order to speak clearly about Jesus’ saving power. Before then, meditate on how often you are deaf when God’s little miracles happen around you. Just watching for miracles helps us open our ears & eyes to hear & see God’s everyday gifts.

What happens AFTER the healing miracle. First, Jesus says not to tell anyone what they’ve witnessed. Can’t you just imagine keeping quiet? You & I would look around eagerly to share this amazing story. Well, that’s just exactly what the witnesses do. It says that they are “astounded beyond measure,” “overwhelmed with amazement,” & they proclaim zealously what they have seen & heard.

The witnesses to this deaf man’s healing say, “He has done everything well.” Remember God’s words at the creation of the world? After each day of creation, God declares the creation good. After the creation of humans, God proclaims them very good. Jesus has re-created this deaf man, given him new life. In this story, God again makes all things new.

Today’s psalm celebrates the creator God’s making heaven & earth, the seas & all that is in them, & God keeps his promise forever. Once again, God cares for God’s own creation. God looks after those who most need care: giving justice to the oppressed & food to the hungry, setting the prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, & lifting up those who are bowed down. God loves the righteous, the people who treat those who most need to be cared for well. Three vulnerable groups are mentioned here: the stranger, the orphan, & the widow. Today’s most vulnerable people certainly include but are not limited to the stranger, the orphan, & the widow.

I’ve never been an orphan, but now that I have been twice widowed, I’m conscious of how emotionally fragile I will be at times, & I have advantages many surviving spouses do not have: my health, an education, a profession, independent children, & a ready-made community to care for as I am being nurtured.

When I was pregnant with our second son, our little family moved to Germany—strangers in a strange land—hardly speaking the language, & amazed at the cost of setting up house & preparing for the new baby’s birth. A group from our church there showered us with otherwise unaffordable baby supplies at Christmas time, just before Michael was born. On Bill’s & my visit to Munich in 2003, I was able once again to thank that church community for their tender loving care 30 years before. The stranger among us always needs special attention. Greeting visitors & incorporating newcomers into parish life broadens us all. Your welcome of our friends & family last week for Bill’s funeral was awesome; many commented on our loving community.

This week’s news reports of the expansion of so-called “civility ordinances” to neighborhoods beyond downtown & midtown will certainly mean we see more homeless people in our neighborhood. My 4½ years at Lord of the Streets taught me much about how short-sighted are NIMBY solutions: not in my back yard. Whether the homeless are down at LOTS or in Oak Forest or Inwood Forest, they are our brothers & sisters. Criminalizing homelessness makes those without means more desperate while ignoring the root causes of homelessness & poverty. While I agree with Mayor White that it is more effective to donate money to organized providers such as Lord of the Streets, we can certainly provide other necessities such as food & clothing to those we encounter. I carry bottled water & a snack in the car to hand out to those in need. I look them in the eye; they deserve dignity. We must support MANNA, whose resources are limited. The presence of pan-handlers in our midst calls us to redouble our efforts as Christians to provide for those who cannot care for themselves. It’s a complicated problem; we can’t just send needy folks to another neighborhood.

James also emphasizes the care of widows, orphans, & other vulnerable people in today’s epistle. James tells us we become the 1^st fruits of God’s creation when we listen carefully & hear others, consider carefully what we say, are slow to speak & also slow to anger. How we behave is our responsibility, & we must listen to the implanted word—the Word of God—which has the power to save our souls. Notice that he doesn’t say we must act a certain way in order to be saved. Our behavior is, rather, an outgrowth of & in gratitude for the salvation Jesus has already provided us freely.

James’ most famous statement is that we must be doers of the word & not merely hearers. When we act kindly & generously in response to the redemption & re-creation Christ has freely given us, we will be blessed in our actions. However, we still need to listen more than talk & to mind what we say so we & others may be blessed by our words.

As I return to Jesus’ healing of the deaf man & his disciples’ difficulty in understanding what the Gentiles seem to pick up so naturally, I’m reminded that when we share our beliefs with others, we better understand them & apply them in our lives. When I teach, I feel like I learn as much if not more than those who attend the class. We must witness to what we see & hear & read to truly understand it. Most learning is reciprocal; we learn also by listening carefully to others, sharing views in both directions.

Regardless of our economic circumstances, we all have gifts of caring & helping & being friends with others which Jesus calls us to give. It may be just a smile we give, especially hard when someone has not been kind to us. Whether it changes the other person’s attitude is not the point although sometimes that may happen. Kindness to others changes OUR lives & helps us to practice what James calls pure religion, undefiled before God. In such simple, everyday activities, we come to understand God’s love in our own lives & pass it on to others.

Today is Rally Day which marks Hope’s launching of new activities and ministries for the next school year. Many opportunities abound for adults & children. How you grow in your spiritual development this year will be affected by how you contribute to your faith community. Your commitment to getting the children & youth here for Christian formation, choirs, & other activities will allow you to participate in our great adult Bible study class &/or sing in the choir. Don’t see something that peaks your interest? Offer to start a group yourself. Each of us grows deeper spiritually as we give of ourselves & as we worship together. Let us continue our worship as we open ourselves to what God has for us.