RCL Year C (Advent 1) - November 29, 2009

The Rev'd Kenneth H. Saunders III

Christ Church - Cleveland, NC

RCL Year C (Advent 1) - November 29, 2009

Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-9
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36

(transcribed from audio - sermon preached without notes or manuscript)

You only have to walk down the street in Cleveland, down main street, to see what’s happening. Just last week, actually before thanksgiving, they put up the lights, and the garland, the bows… and you can walk into any retail store, even before Halloween and see trees, these evergreen things that we like to bring into our homes, and ornaments, and ribbons and bows and frilly things used to decorate our homes.

Now, I am not going to preach against all of that… but I am going to call you to an awareness of what the season is. The season is Advent! It is a time of preparation… preparation for the coming of the messiah, the coming of Jesus Christ who came and dwelt among us, but not necessarily for the coming of a baby that was born in a barn 2000 years ago, but also for the coming again in glory and majesty.

That’s what the readings were about. Jeremiah in a torn and horrid situation witnessing the burning of his own community was not torn to strife and despair, but drawn to hope in the restoration of Israel.

The church in Thessalonica, was taught by Paul not to run scared, not to fear what’s going to happen, but be united with Christ in His coming again.

And Jesus tells us in the Gospel that it’s time to start paying attention. It’s time to prepare ourselves. It’s time to prepare introspectively and collectively for when He will come again into the world.

This time of year, in our society, it seems that time of preparation is hijacked… That time of introspective thought and prayer and dedication and focus on the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we ran straight from All Saints’ to Christmas.

We want Christmas to be here so bad. That we don’t want to stop and take some time to think about what we are waiting for, who we are waiting for… The commercial society has hijacked the feelings and magic of the coming of the messiah to sell goods and to boost the economy. They have hijacked it so much that we don’t spend time preparing ourselves with prayer, and fasting, and meditation about what is happening… what is happening now, and what happened then…

So Advent is a time of the already, and the not yet… We know that Jesus came… Came into the world, died on the cross, and saved us from our sins. The saving work has been done… that is the already. Jesus promised that he would come again into the world to draw the whole world unto himself. That’s the not yet. So we are in that liminal space between the already and the not yet. And we were warned to prepare ourselves…

The gospel reading say that we will see signs, but we are not to worry about those signs huddled in a corner, worried about what we have or don’t have – or done or not done – so many preachers hijack this scripture and try to sell from the pulpit some kind of celestial fire insurance, or a get out of Hell free card, instead of taking the time to nurture the people in the faith to teach them how to prepare with prayer and anticipation and expectation for the coming of the Christ.

That’s what Advent is about. It’s about the already and the not yet. It’s about the time that came, and the time to come. The time to come of the One who was and is and is to come. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming into the world, and we are called to prepare and look for signs and not run from those signs in fear, but hold our heads up high, for our redemption awaits us all.

RCL Year B (Proper 27) - November 8, 2009

The Rev'd Kenneth H. Saunders III
Christ Church – Cleveland, NC

RCL Year B (Proper 27) – November 8, 2009

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Psalm 127
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

(transcribed from the audio - sermon preached without notes or manuscript)

We have to do some thinking about these readings. We have to do some serious, serious introspective evaluation of who we are. Not only who we are in society and community, but who we are as children of God.

Why is it, regardless of how much we have in this world, it’s never enough. It’s never enough. Why do we feel that way? It’s never enough. Regardless of how much we make, or how much we think we make or think we need, it’s never enough.

It reminded me of a story that I heard when I was very young. It’s a story about a great king, a great and RICH king, King Midas, you probably have heard it before. The king was so scared that he would never have enough, never had enough of what he needed in this world, so he made a wish that everything he touched would turn to gold. King Midas made a wish and was granted that wish, so EVERYTHING that he went around and touched was instantly turned to gold. But the problem was, when his daughter ran to embrace him, and jumped up in his arms to hug him, she too in fact was turned to gold. Tragic story… Tragic story… Do we have enough? Is there enough??

Jesus tells us that it’s the scribes who walk around in fine robes at the temple, dumping there money into the treasury as they walk into the temple, “look how great I am, look how much money I give” But they are giving out of their abundance – they have a gospel of scarcity, because they want to hold on to what they have in order to control others, in order to use their money as a weapon and their checkbook as a sword. “I will only give when it benefits me! – when I get something out of it! - I will write that check and put if forth to do whatever damage it will do!” A gospel of scarcity, and fear that there is not enough… so they store it up in grain silos where “moth consume and thief break in and steal.”

But Jesus, on the other hand points out, as he and his caravan are parked over across from the treasury – you can get the picture… as he’s kicked up against the wall, observing what’s going on… as people are walking by – and he sees this poor widow, one of the least of society. Widows and orphans have no worth in the society of the ancient world. This widow comes up, and everything she has in this world are two small copper coins - how Jesus knew they were copper, I have no idea – but translated to modern day worth it is about a penny.

Two small copper coins, not worth a whole lot, not used like the modern day penny that the government can round off to a number and collect tax, but it represented everything that she had. And they were putting the offerings in these big fluked jars that people would come by to dump there money into, put their tithes and offerings in as they entered the temple. This is how they contributed to the economy to make it go, to make the temple grow, and further the spread of the kingdom of God that cared for others.

This woman comes by and gives everything she had in faith and puts it in the treasury not knowing where her next meal was going to come from, but trusting in God and in the goodness of the community that she belongs to, she contributed to the commonwealth of the community.
A gospel of abundance! The idea that the Lord God blesses my life and gives me everything that I have, and makes me everything that I am is a gospel of abundance. I am not afraid to give and contribute because I know that the Lord will return to me 10, 20, 1000, 100,000 times than I could ever contribute.

A gospel of abundance vs. a gospel of scarcity… do we live in this community, in this life, in this world thanking God for everything that God gives us – and everything that we have, and everything that we rejoice in? Do we live practicing a gospel of abundance, or do we live this life afraid to take the next step or walk the next mile or go to the next phase, or be something out of the box because there is a little bit of risk involved? Or fear that we are not going to be “open” next year or the year after that? Do we live out of a gospel of scarcity?

This is wonderful time to have this reading and this text as we gather for the Annual Parish Meeting after the service. I have reviewed the Annual Meeting notes minutes from the last 20 years, and I am convinced that one year we live out of gospel of scarcity, and then one year we live out of a gospel of abundance, then the next year it starts over – we live out of a gospel of scarcity, then we live out of a gospel of abundance.

I have made it a point in my presentation at the Annual Meeting, and in my ministry to help you and nurture you to live out of a gospel of abundance – to be thankful for everything that God has given us and everything that we have to be viewed as a gift from God.

There are many readings through the latter part of this liturgical year, back to back readings that have built up to this point… I want you to think back to last week and the week before, to the gospel story of blind Bartimaeus.

Blind Bartimaeus got up from his roadside vocation of begging, where he had his cloak spread out to receive the alms that were pitched his way. That was the only way he had any money to live on. The only way he survived and was able to eat was by begging. He had his cloak spread out, sitting there, and he heard Jesus passing though the town and he abandoned everything he had, and everything that he felt secure about in order to follow Jesus. He through off his cloak and left it there, as the scripture says, and he ran to Jesus. And Jesus healed him and made him see… and made him see.

Sometimes we walk around with our eyes shut, groping along the wall… Do you remember that imagery from the sermon? How often do we let Jesus and the gospel open our eyes to see the positive around us? … to see the energy in everything that we are engaged in and involved in, and how many times do we let our hearts and our souls rejoice in that?

And how often do we come to that table, knowing that Jesus is ALWAYS there, and it’s Jesus that continues to give to us in ways that we can neither understand nor imagine, but our souls continue to be fed and filled. And then we take that gospel of abundance in ourselves, and some of us go out into the world around us and spread the excitement of everything this community has going on.

That is what the Church is! It is a thanksgiving and gathering of the community. That is what the word “Eucharist” means - Thanksgiving! It is NOT a sacrifice of Jesus over and over again like the letter to the Hebrews reminds us, but it is our continuous act of thanksgiving and praise to God for everything that God has given us and done for us in the person of Jesus Christ.

And it’s everything that we are drawn to, to fill that void and emptiness in our lives – to keep coming to the table day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year to keep being fed in ways that we don’t always understand, but its more than we can ask for or imagine.

So this morning is a morning of self evaluation, of something to think about, deep down inside whether we live out of gospel of scarcity where we are afraid – or whether we trust the abundance of Christ and His presence in this community.

So come to the table, let yourself be fed, let your souls be nourished – there is always enough. And then carry that abundance with you and go out to rejoice in, and glorify God in the world around you. Amen!

RCL Year B (All Saints') - November 1, 2009

The Rev’d Kenneth H. Saunders III
Christ Church - Cleveland, NC

RCL – Year B (All Saints’ Day) – November 1, 2009

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9
Psalm 24
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44

Happy All Hallows’! This is one of those special days, one of those great feasts in the liturgical calendar where we pause for a minute and remember all the holy ones (All Hallows’)… the Saints that are part of our common life as Christians…

All of the saints that have gone before us, ALL of the saints that are here today and ALL of the saints who will come after us… All part of that great communion or gathering of the saints.

You all know, that I love to learning about Church History and ALL of the great witnesses that have gone before us… But I want you all to know that most of the Saints’ that I know were not great witnesses to the faith, nor will they be martyrs, or great confessors, or not even great theologians. But they are Saints!… and that includes us. We are all saints…

I love telling the story this time of year about the wise old priest who was once asked, “How many people were at the early celebration of the Eucharist last Wednesday morning?” The old wise priest replied, “There were three old ladies and the janitor… several thousand archangels, a large number of seraphim, along with several million of the triumphant saints of God.” He had a grasp of what it meant to be celebrating with that great ‘cloud of witnesses’ or the communion of saints at every Eucharistic feast.

It is actions like this that become the answer to our deep human urge to be part of something larger than ourselves, to not just stand alone… It gives our simple individual lives meaning. It has often been said that “one drop of water, when left alone, evaporates very quickly. But one drop of water in the immense sea endures.” We are connected to something larger… we are very much a part of that great communion of saints.

We are as St. Paul said, “Children of God.” We hold that divine seed of Christ within us, because we have been created by the one true living God! We are Holy – All Hallow – We are blessed! We are Saints! That’s what we are!

Because everyone who claims Christ as Lord and Savior, and has been baptized into Christ’s life, death, and resurrection has been purified and made holy, and made His saints - Saints to dwell in the fellowship of the communion of saints. And today is our special feast day! This is our day to celebrate the everlasting life that we have as a result of our faith in Christ and our adoption as Children of God. That’s a lot to take in…

We have a special day on the calendar that is ours… I don’t know if any of us realized that... But not only do we have a special day, we share it with all the other great ones that don’t have another day specifically assigned on the liturgical calendar…

You can probably sit for a second and think of who those great ones are… You could name all the saints in your life… it could be your husband or wife, your sister, brother, cousin, child, nephew, grandparent… the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the peacemakers… anyone in whom you have been able to recognize that Christ within…
That Christ that is the light… the light of the world… I always like the image of a stained glass window… reminding us that as saints we are like a stained glass window… We let the light of Christ shine through. Or even the other metaphor that says… “a Christian is like a keyhole, though which other folk see God”... All of the Christians in our lives are saints; it is just that some of them have day jobs and most of them will never have a feast day named for them.

The challenge this morning is for us to be that stained glass… to be that keyhole… To be that person on the day job that lets the light of Christ shine through…

Allowing others to see that Christ within because we live with that unquestionable faith in the God who created us, who redeemed us, and is sustaining us…

This morning, we get to add two more to that great multitude of saints who walk in the light of Christ. In a few minutes, Ginger and Megan will share with us in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and become part of the great communion of Saints.

They, like Lazauras, in the Gospel Lesson, will come out of the darkness of the tomb of their lives into the light of Christ. They will loose themselves from the things that bind them down, the evils in this world that seeks to destroy the creatures of God.

It has been a long season of learning… learning how to live a life of discipleship… learning of how to be the church and love one another, growing and learning about how to reach out to others and show others the kingdom of God… Learning how to build up God’s kingdom using our earthly treasures and talents. Letting the Christ that we believe in, whom we emulate… who is known by us, and who knows us – be known to the world. And when it gets rough, that is when it is most important… That’s when we have to reach down deep, into our innermost self, and trust that God in Christ will help us.

It is our training to become saints…

Have you ever noticed the baptismal covenant promises, (that we will say together with Ginger and Megan in a few minutes). It never says that we can do it all by ourselves… It never says that we have been shown, therefore we are on our own…

It always says, “with God’s help”… It is with God’s help that we are able to resist evil, and proclaim the Good News of God in Jesus Christ to the world…

It is with God’s help that we continue to learn about our faith in the apostles’ teaching, and continue to break bread and join in the prayers… to love “the other” our neighbor as our self.

It is an ongoing process for us… with God’s help… so as assured as our sainthood may be, it is up to us to continually strive to become the best saints we can be – with God’s help…

As we stand in a few minutes and recite the baptismal vows, we will once again have the chance to own these for ourselves, we get the chance to be refreshed, and transformed, as we seek to be formed in the image of Christ…

My prayer for us is that we all pay attention to the words as we own them once again… And then seek to do the things that we promise to do together as followers of Christ… and then live a life worthy of the sainthood that we have all been given.

RCL Year B (Proper 25) - October 25, 2009

The Rev’d Kenneth H Saunders III
Christ Episcopal Church
Cleveland, NC

RCL Year B (Proper 25) – October 25, 2009

Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 10:46-52

There once was a young man that found an old tarnished brass lamp. He began to polish it to clean it up a bit and all of a sudden… POOF! - out popped a genie! “I will give you three wishes,” said the genie. You may have anything you like.”

So the guy thinks for a minute and says, “I would like a billion dollars." (10% of which I will give to the church) "You shall have it," and the genie grants him the wish. "Anything else?"

The guy thinks for a while. "I would like a brand new red 2010 Mustang GT, maxed out! With a big engine and a booming stereo system." "Your wish is my command,” said the genie. And the Mustang magically appeared.

What is your last wish? "Hmmm. I think I'll save my last wish for later." "OK, suit yourself," says the genie. So the guy gets in his new Mustang and goes for a drive to show off to all his friends. He turns on his booming stereo system…

But there's a very familiar commercial on… and the guy starts singing along to it: "I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener." The moral to that story is… Be careful what you wish for…

These past few weeks we have heard the stories from scripture of the disciples wishing for positions of power; of one wanting to be exalted over the other to some kind of important position within the kingdom of God…

When two of the disciples, James and John came to Jesus… Jesus asked them, “what is it that you want me to do for you?”

What is it that you wish for?

Today we hear the story of the blind beggar, who is identified to us as the son of Timaeus. Bartimaeus… We are told that Bartimaeus is sitting on the side of the road begging… Positioned carefully by the side of the road, with his cloak probably spread out to receive any alms that may be pitched his way…

Doing the only thing he knows how to do… living within the shame of his condition… And along comes Jesus and his caravan of followers, making their way toward Jerusalem… Now, Bartimaeus cannot see, but he can surely hear the crowd, as they must be causing a large commotion… Among the buzz of the crowd, Bartimaeus figures out that Jesus must be with them… So, He cries out loudly… “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!!!”… Addressing Jesus by his royal lineage, focusing on Jesus… and forgetting about his begging for a minute… Bartimeaus cries out… Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!!!...

And after being told to be quiet… He cries out again, even louder… Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!!!... Jesus stood still…

Again, Bartimeaus cried… Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!!!... Over the noise of the crowd, Jesus heard the voice of the blind beggar… Then Jesus tells the crowd, “Call him here…” Bartimeaus springs up and goes to Jesus… Jesus asks him… What do you want me to do for you?...

What is it that you wish for???

And very affectionately, and very simply, Bartimeaus replied, “Teacher, let me see again.” Then, without smoke and mirrors, and no drama… with no spitting on the ground to make a mud cake… or any other mysterious physical act, Jesus simply says, “go, your faith has made you well. ”

What is it that you wish for???

Bartimeaus is the son of Timeaus. His name, literally translated, means: “bar” (son of) and “Timao” (honor). Bartimeaus wasn’t just a blind beggar. A son of honor was sitting by the roadside begging for his next meal. And he goes to Jesus when Jesus calls him…

By his faith, Bartimeaus regained his sight. Jesus restored his “place of honor” in society from the shame of his condition. After he was healed, Bartimeaus abandons the security of his roadside vocation and follows Jesus and the caravan to Jerusalem…

What is it that you wish for?

Bartimeaus doesn’t seek power. He doesn’t hope for a high office. He doesn’t crave being special, or anything “flashy.” He doesn’t want to do something and be seen… All he wants to do is see.

He wants to be ordinary, and see the beauty of the world and God’s creation around him. This is the only transformation that Bartimeaus desires. And in that transformation Bartimeaus moves from blindness to sight. It is not a matter of medicine or magic It is only a matter of faith that opens his eyes.

Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” and we grope along sometimes like the blind… along a wall groping along like those who have no eyes, and Jesus wants to know what we wish for… Do we want to be seen like James and John, one seated on the right hand and one on the left… Or do we just want to see, like Bartimeaus?

What is it that we wish for???…

Do we wish to be seen in positions of power, ready to impress our friends? Or do we wish to just see, and then follow Jesus along the way, down the road to Jerusalem?

Following Jesus down the road to Jerusalem, where he will be beaten, hanged on a cross and die a traitor’s death. We know that faith alone in Jesus made Bartimeaus well, and like Bartimeaus, even in our blindness and most broken moments, we can recognize the presence of God in Jesus Christ.

And we cry out, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us… And we know that it’s Jesus that hears us, and by our faith, He makes us well. So, what is it that we wish for???

Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us!! Be careful what you wish for…

RCL Year B (Proper 24) - October 18, 2009

The Rev’d Kenneth H. Saunders III
Christ Episcopal Church
Cleveland, NC

RCL Year B – 20 Pentecost (Proper 24) – October 18, 2009

Job 38:1-7, (34-41)

Psalm 104:1-9, 25, 37b

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

It's a really nice thing to be around a polite person. Most of you know that I was at my son’s graduation from Air Force Basic Training last weekend. It was amazing to see the person that my son has transformed into, but what I think amazed me the most is how he treated others.

When he was out on his town pass and on base liberty, he was extremely polite to everyone, even those in his own flight. It was beyond the simple yes sir, no sir, yes mam, no mam… It was genuine and sincere, and it had become part of who he is. He was always a polite kid, but this time it was extremely noticeable… Even the way he treated the new recruits that were just starting their training…as he passed them, he whispered words of encouragement telling them that it would only get better.

It caused me to take notice immediately about the way I respond to others. I have always tried to be a polite person, using those “good” words that I learned as a child… such as please and thank you. After all, it’s the right way to be, but every once in awhile I forget.

Instead, I find myself reverting back the barking… you know, those times when we make requests of others that sound much more like military commands, rather than respectful requests. Such as, “While you’re up, get me something to drink” or “make me a sandwich.” Does it sound familiar?

Sometimes the way we come across to others is so much a part of who we are, that we don’t even realize how harsh it sounds. It makes others want to come back with that horrible question, “What do I look like, your slave?”

Or sometimes it's just that "look" that will burn a hole right through you. I have had that said to me… I know that probably some of you have too… Whenever someone says that to me, I feel extremely bad… I regret that I did not choose a kinder way to ask. And the word “slave” itself generates a very negative and guttural feeling in me…

Having the word “slave” thrown into a conversation makes many people uncomfortable and nervous. Sometimes I am on the receiving end of that word, but sometimes I’m the one directing that word in another direction. Many of you may think it’s not a big issue, but that’s not the issue that I want to debate here this morning.

Rather, It’s just a description of how I personally feel when I hear the word. I think we can all agree that our words matter. Words have great impact, power, and a lasting presence. And we need to take a minute and realize that they can hurt people as much as they can heal.

That’s why it’s so hard to listen to today’s Gospel lesson from Mark. Jesus says, “whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” Slave of all... what in the world does that mean?

We hear the word “slave” and immediately we conjure up images of mistreatment, abuse, degradation, despair, hardship, and sometimes even death. And when Jesus says that slavery is something we need to embrace and model ourselves after, it gets more than a little confusing. In what ways are we to be slaves? What exactly does God expect of us?

It’s important to remember that all language has limitations… Our words, phrases, analogies, metaphors, and even stories themselves (such as parables) are never perfect representations of the meaning behind them. And so, in this case, we must understand that Jesus is affirming SOME aspects of being a slave FOR others, but there are probably other aspects of slavery that Jesus would not and could not support, nor would he ask us to condone or embrace.

So, what aspect of being a slave is Jesus asking us to live out as his disciples? Well, we’ll probably never know exactly. But I’d like us to take a look at one aspect of slavery which might be helpful to us as we walk our journey of faith.

We often think of slaves as simply taking orders from others, doing whatever the task-master asks. However, it was so much more than that. In many ways, the slave did not live separate lives from that of the household they served. Their life was not their own. Rather, their life was fully immersed in and completely overlapped with that of the family they served. The family’s concerns were their concerns. Their well-being was that of the family’s. The family’s needs were their needs. And whatever the family requested, the slave provided if he or she was able --- with no questions and no conditions.

This sort of overlapping of lives is something many of us just don’t do. We like to keep our distance. We have this bubble around us that we like to live in. We like to pick and choose when, where, and how we will love. We help others and care for them only when it’s convenient, or give only when we have something to gain. And if we just don’t feel like it, well, you know what happens. We just sit on the sidelines, detached, leaving others to fend for themselves.

My guess is that when Jesus encourages us to be a “slave” for others, in part, he is asking us to resist the temptation to stay uninvolved and unconcerned. Rather, he’s asking us to enter into --- in a very real way --- the lives of those around us.

In today’s Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews we heard, “Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

Jesus entered into our world… God became one of us, and knows what we’re going through. If only we could do the same --- enter the world of others --- and share in their struggles and joys, their hopes, their fears, and their dreams. Truly serving others requires that we carry some of their burdens, take on some of their pain, and help them work through some of their difficulties and struggles. Imagine if we all truly acted that way.

Imagine if every “I need you to . . .” was followed by, “Let me know how I can help.” Imagine if every expression of sorrow was followed by an offer to listen and an attempt to understand. Imagine if every admission of guilt was followed by, “I forgive you.” And imagine if not one person had to journey through this life feeling alone or abandoned.

This is the sort of “slavery” and service that our Lord calls us to. And the good that we do for each other is a good thing in and of itself. Of that we can be assured.

But it is more than that. When we are truly present to one another… the bonds between us grow a little stronger, our understanding of one another becomes a little clearer, and the walls between us begin to be torn down. Mistrust turns to appreciation, suspicion turns into hope, and indifference turns into to true caring.

All of that can be a reality. But, staying in the tiny world, this bubble, that we create for ourselves is not enough. It is beneath who we are as children of God… God entered our world in the person of Jesus Christ, and the world was changed forever. If we are willing to step into the world of another… step in all the way… who knows what might happen?

Parts of this sermon were derived from the musings of the Rev. Deacon Mark Arnold, Sacred Heart Church, Jim Falls, WI – thank you for your words of wisdom, my colleague and friend in Christ!