RCL Year C (Christmas Eve) - December 24, 2009

The Rev'd Kenneth H. Saunders III

Christ Church - Cleveland, NC

RCL Year C (Christmas Eve) - December 24, 2009

Isaiah 9:2-7

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-20

Sometimes we think too much… I know that I do, especially when it comes to preaching on Christmas Eve. Most preachers that I know are terrified of it, I think it’s because there are so many more in the congregation than usual…

People that come on this holy night to experience the wonder, the awe and the mystery of the miraculous birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem. Most congregations double in size on the holy feast days of Christmas and Easter… That in itself is a mystery…

So, I thought and prayed this year until my head hurt and then I thought and prayed some more... and in my study, I ran across some folks… folks that seem to have been short changed in the nativity story… folks that appear right in the middle of all the action in the gospel lesson that we just heard.

Shepherds!

You remember the shepherds… every young boy wants to be a shepherd in the Christmas pageant. It's the character in the reenactment that gets to wear their bath robe and put one of mamma’s checkered dish-towels on their head... You know... The Shepherds... the ones that watched over their flocks in the field by night…

The working class… grubby, and smelly, just trying to earn a living. If Mike Rowe were around then, he would have probably interviewed them for the show Dirty Jobs. They were classed with the other working stiffs… folks the tanners, sailors, butchers, camel jockeys, and other despised occupations…

But unlike these other occupations, Shepherds were different, since they were away from home at night they were unable to protect their families and therefore they were considered dishonorable. These folks were the lowest of the low, and yet God chose them first…

God chose the shepherds… and revealed to them the Good News of the miraculous birth. An Angel appeared – and stood before these shepherds and the glory of God surrounded them and they were scared - to - death…

And the Angel said, "don’t be afraid – I am bringing you Good News to share with everybody! ALL PEOPLE!!" And the angel told them where to find the child wrapped in bands of cloth and laying in a feeding trough. And then there was a bunch of Angles singing… "Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace to everyone! with whom God is Well Pleased!"

And the shepherds decide to go and see this miraculous thing that God had made known to them. And they found it just as the Angel had told them, Mary & Joseph and a child laying in a manger (a feeding trough) wrapped in strips of cloth…

But the amazing part of this story is… it didn’t stop there.

These simple shepherds were so excited by what they saw, they went and told others about the child… and all who the shepherds told were amazed… The mystery and awe that surrounds us on this holy night is partly made possible by the shepherds… God chose to reveal God’s self to the lowest of the low – the dishonored in society and tell them of the miracle of the birth of Christ…

A miraculous birth to a peasant family that didn’t have a place to stay when they traveled… and didn’t even have a bed for their new born baby… God trusted that the shepherds would go and see what had taken place and share it with the world…

This is just the beginning of the story of Jesus who is the Christ… A man who we know will turn the world on its ear, disrupt society and make an impact like no other has ever made… In 1926, Dr. James Allen wrote a poem. The poem is called One Solitary Life some of you may have heard it before… I would like to share that poem with you to give us something to ponder in our hearts this evening…

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village

The child of a peasant woman

He grew up in another obscure village

Where he worked in a carpenter shop

Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book

He never held an office

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never travelled more than two hundred miles

From the place where he was born

He did none of the things

Usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away

One of them denied him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves

While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing

The only property he had on earth

When he was dead

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind's progress

All the armies that have ever marched

All the navies that have ever sailed

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth

As powerfully as that one solitary life

God humbled himself and was born as a human...

God came to live among us as one of us…

God didn’t come to us in glorious splendor, he came to us from a poor family that had no place to stay when they traveled, so they stayed in a barn.

He didn’t have royal robes and fine garments, he was bound with rags – strips of cloth or swaddling clothes. He didn’t live a life of luxury… he didn’t even have a bed. He was laid in a feeding trough…

But it IS from that feeding trough that he continues to feed the whole world!

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among all people with whom God is well pleased! Amen!

RCL Year C (Advent 2) - December 6, 2009

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

RCL Year C - Advent 2 - December 6, 2009

Baruch 5:1-9
Canticle 16
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6

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

This time of year reminds me of my mother. I know that she reads my sermons regularly, so God help me when she gets hold of this one. I am going to talk about her a little bit, but in a kind way… During the season of Advent, my mother is always… oh, let’s say fussy. To the point of the halls decked just perfectly. When I was growing up, there was almost a tree in every room, a rope of holly on the mantle of the fireplace, candles on the tables and a single white candle in each window, and of course fake snow… and I am not talking about the spray stuff, I am saying the bag o plastic shreds – where you put one handful on each branch of the tree… I even think she is looking for some this year, but hasn’t been able to find it. On top of the decorating, she always found time to bake. Fruit cakes, cookies, cakes, and even one year made candy. Her preparations were meticulous, and everything had to be just so.

We are called, like I said last week, to a “preparation” in Advent... careful, meticulous preparation. But John calls us today (John the Baptizer) to a different kind of preparation. A preparation for the coming of the messiah.

The words from the 40th Chapter of Isaiah, the prophet, are echoed by Luke the evangelist… Make straight paths… straighten out the crooked spaces, make the high places low and the low places high… but, do this in the wilderness.

Something very interesting that I think we need to pay attention to. The place between Egypt and the Promised Land always involves “wilderness.” The way to salvation, the salvation of our God in Jesus Christ always involves wilderness. The wilderness places that you have heard me speak of before. Those are the places of chaos. Places of the wild and crazy. The places where demons dwell. Places where food is not bought and can’t be found. The wilderness is the lowest point, where people had to go to fully rely and depend on God in order for God to bring them into the promised land. To bring them to salvation.

So, if you think of it like that, in order to find our way to Christ, who is our salvation… to find our way to the promised land, we have to go through the wilderness. It is a way that we go by preparing ourselves. Preparation through personal discovery. It means wrestling with things in our lives that we otherwise don’t want to mess with.

It makes me think, “where is the wilderness?” Our mere lives are the wilderness, and we are on a journey through the wilderness, where we are looking for direction, where we are looking for guidance, where we are looking to be fed and nurtured as we grow and go along the way.

We are looking for God to make those paths straight, and our narrow ways to be made smooth, because sometimes we come along boulders in the path, and regardless how much we try, we cannot remove those boulders by ourselves. We have to trust God and let God provide us with that smooth path. We have to come together as a community to bring forth the Kingdom of God, and move those rocks together. To make that path straight, and the wilderness that much more tolerable.

Regardless of how fussy we may get this time of year, John is there to tell us the way to the Kingdom of God. The way to Christ. In fact, that is one of the reasons that I picked the illustration that was used on the front of the bulletin, it is Leonardo Da vinci’s portrait of John the Baptist. If you notice the in the painting he is pointing up. In most of the artist renditions of John, John is pictured pointing up, pointing the way to salvation.

That is what John does for us. John through his, as you have heard me call it before, his unexpected, unlikely messages. He was one of those messengers that you wouldn’t expect anyone to listen to him. But he is so strange, he gets our attention. He points the way to salvation.

He is the son of the high priest, Zachariah, but he doesn’t conform to the norms of society for that sort of family. He dresses in camel hair and puts a leather belt around his waist and eats locust and wild honey, and tells the people to come and follow me, we are going out to the wilderness, we are going out to discover those places in our lives where we need that true change. In Greek it is called metanoia, a real change of heart, changing the way from a sinful life to a life of righteousness.

We are called out to the wilderness to discover those places in our lives where we need metanoia. Where we need to make a change and repent of that sin, and then we can prepare the way for Christ to come. Not only as a child in a manger… cause we love the baby stories – we love the heavenly host of angels and the manger and the animals – it’s very very nice, but that is not exactly what Advent is all about. Advent is sometimes about scary things, of an apocalyptic or eschatological nature, in preparation for Christ’s coming again in might and great glory.

So we take this time of preparation, and if we loose some of the fussy-ness in our lives and go over to the other side and think more about what we can do to prepare ourselves, to prepare our souls and bodies to see the Christ who is coming, who is coming again. But we can’t do it by ourselves, we do that as a community of faith, because we are here in the wilderness of our lives on a journey. It is a journey through this life.

When we go forward from this place, we should think about how we can be that prophetic voice that cries out to others in this wilderness of our lives and lead other to that repentance (that metanoia) that change and conversion in their life.

That change and conversion that needs to take place. It needs to take place in their lives like it took place in our lives so that we can receive the Christ.

So as we go forward from this place, and think about how the preamble to today's lesson would be written in a more modern language… we could say, in the first year of the presidency of Barack Obama, when Beverly was Governor of North Carolina, and John was elected Mayor of Cleveland… a voice cried out in the wilderness of North Carolina, make straight the paths, make low the high places, remove all the obstacles that lay in between, and prepare the way of the Christ to come among us.

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!

RCL Year B (Proper 22) - October 4, 2009

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

RCL Year B – 18 Pentecost (Proper 22) - October 4, 2009

Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Psalm 26
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Mark 10:2-16

What does it mean to live in “right relationship” with God and with each other? Are we doing it? Are we even trying to do it? If we were ALL striving to live in “right relationship,” would we do anything different than what we are doing?

I want to go out on a limb here a bit, and suggest that our only purpose in this life is to practice living in “right relationship.” Right relationship with God and with each other! If you think about it for a minute, our entire life is surrounded by relationships… of course there is the obvious relationships – our relationships to our spouses or significant others, our family and extended family, our brothers and sisters, our parents and our kids, our friends and our enemies, our church, our teachers and our students, our co-workers… and the list goes on and on and on – with just the “people” in our lives!…

Then there is the not so obvious relationships – our relationship with our surroundings (the created order around us…) the plant and animals, our pets, trees, the environment, or even the relationships with our possessions or the stuff that clutters our lives… money, houses, furniture, cars, jobs, hobbies, or our passions... and THAT list goes on and on and on…

Anything and everything and everyone that comes in contact with our lives is a sort of relationship… and if we stop to think about it, we know that relationships are powerful things – good or bad, they form, inform, and transform our very lives…

The very Bible, the book of Holy Scripture… is a book about relationships. Relationships between God and us and our relationships with each other… of how good, bad, or ugly it could possibly be…

In the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, we learn about God’s relationship with Israel, (God’s chosen people)… In the Old Testament, Israel learns to rely on God’s faithfulness… God’s faithfulness that continually redeems and restores them back into “right” relationship. And in that relationship, we know of some who learn to be faithful… Faithful in following and accepting God’s presence in their lives.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about relationships, both, relationships with God and with each other. In today’s lesson from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus continues the teaching that we heard about. You remember the difficult stories in latter part of the ninth chapter of Mark that the bishop taught us about last week? The stories about cutting off that which keeps you from having a “right” relationship with God. I, for one, am glad we understand the amputations that Jesus speaks about more as metaphors that are used to represent other things – I don’t think Jesus was into literal body mutations.

In our story this morning, Jesus and the disciples have traveled down the road a bit and they have reached the edge of the wilderness in Judea near the river Jordan… hmmm… doesn’t this sound familiar? We knew a man who preached there in the wilderness - John the Baptist! So, Jesus is now in back in John’s old venue and he starting to get noticed and attract attention.

A large crowd was starting to form around him and – as was his custom – Jesus begins to teach them… But the Pharisees have different ideas – The scripture says that they were going to test, and we can assume that they want to embarrass and defame Jesus…

We already know that Jesus has upset the social order in order to set “right” the relationships that had run amiss… so the Pharisees decide to test Jesus by asking him about the legalities of divorce. Jesus teaches and argues with them about the intent of the law… He explains that the only reason that the law allowing divorce was given is because Humans are “hard hearted.” That God’s intent, as He quotes Genesis, was for us to become one flesh – the “new creation” that we speak of in our marriage liturgy.

But as humans we mess up relationships, we mess up relationships because we live far from the created balance and order that God intends us to live into…

After Jesus answers the Pharisees, they go into a house… And as usual, the disciples still don’t quite understand what Jesus was teaching… So, Jesus enters a deeper conversation with His band of closest followers and teaches them about some of the consequences of divorce and human separation.

Then the unthinkable happens… little children are brought to Jesus for a blessing, but the disciples rebuke them… and think the children are disruptive. (You want to know why I am an advocate of children being in the liturgy? Read this chapter closely!)… Jesus stops the disciples and takes the opportunity to use the situation to teach them about the greatest relationship of all.

Jesus speaks to them of the restoration of the world to “right” relationship… The Kingdom of God, being one in which people have humility, openness, and the relational gift of being childlike... Childlike - where the complex issues in relationships that we all seem to get messed up in, confused about and stressed out over, all become simple, faithful, and earnest…

So, what does it mean for us to be in “right” relationship? I would like to suggest, it takes a divine balance… A divine balance that is that is sincere uncomplicated and unprofaned. A relationship where we actually seek to serve God in Christ and all do our part to help reconcile this broken world to get it back into right relationship with God…

We all made promises in our baptism (and reaffirmed them last week) to be good stewards of ALL Creation – because everything was created by God and BELONGS to God… and is put in our care… We also promised to seek to serve Christ in ALL persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves… If we just follow through with those two promises and live out our baptismal covenant, then we will start to know what it means to live into “right” relationships.

If it is - in fact - our purpose in life to practice living in “right” relationships, then we are here this morning in this community of faith, to learn how… we are here to worship and learn, and we are called to have our hearts and souls as open vessels to receive the word and the body and blood… so that through our worship and learning, we are formed and transformed… So we learn how to nurture and nourish each other and learn that it is God who nurtures and nourishes us…

God wants a “right” relationship with each and every one of us… and part of that “right” relationship with God… is living in “right” relationship with each other… here at Christ Church and in the world.

RCL Year B (Proper 20) - September 20, 2009

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

RCL Year B (Proper 20) - September 20, 2009

Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalm 1
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

Be Somebody!
Just do IT!
Life is short!

Let’s party all night long and take in our fill… we ALL deserve it! You have to MAKE it to the top in life to be successful! I am stronger than YOU are!

Don’t let your co-worker stop you… just use them as a stepping stone!

Go ahead and get to the Top… that way you will look good! So… take on that extra responsibility! If offered the chance, move into that corner office with a view!

It doesn’t matter what peon you had to step on to get there. Make more money, get a bigger house (with a bigger mortgage)! Buy a new car! Get that extra credit card! Or better yet… Just “claw your way to the top”

At this point, you are saying to yourselves… Wait a minute Ken…

But, I am here to tell you… That yesterday, today and tomorrow… That imagery in our society is REAL…. And it’s scary! There is so much pressure in this world to do just that! And it causes us ALL anxiety!

So… This morning - the question is… What ARE the disputes among YOU? Where do they come from? Family?, Work?, Church?, Money?, Power?… You want something and cannot have it… You covet something and cannot obtain it…

Our modern society puts so much emphasis on obtaining positions of false power and authority…

I even heard a young mother just the other day saying to her young child, “when you grow up, one day you aught to be president!” I even think that MY mom used that one on… That may be ok for a kindergartener, but what happens if that level of aspiration is forced?

You’ve got to BE a Doctor… BE a Lawyer… Be Somebody!… Don’t get me wrong… There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with having a successful life, or aspirations for success accomplished with hard work, but too many folks see it as a “zero sum game.” Where there is a “winner”… there must be a “loser.”

Therefore, we do everything that we can to “Claw” our way to that top position of power sometimes at the expense of others… and as the peak of the Mountain gets smaller and smaller on the way to the top there is less and less room for us to stand, but one finally emerges… victorious! What anxiety that produces… It is no wonder that one in ten young people in the United States today have a diagnosed anxiety disorder.

This isn’t completely unlike what is going on in our readings today. We were very carefully warned at the beginning of the service, as the collect so plainly tells us… “not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly!” Anxious? – about earthly things? – Who us???

NOW… that statement even makes me anxious! Anxious about being anxious!

Anxiety and Society are friends… And our Society LOVES Anxiety!!! And anxiety is created in all types of situations… How will I get that job and a corner office with a view??? I have been a faithful employee for YEARS!... I deserve more responsibility – AND – MORE MONEY! Will I be accepted????

Or even better yet…

Lord, who will sit at your right hand in the place of honor? Lord, you said you had to die… do you think when you are gone, I can be in charge? Lord, don’t you like me better than him?

Can you imagine what the anxiety level is of the disciples? In their society, that is what they know… They lived in a world where honor and status had extreme value… Their obsession with positions of power rendered them totally incapable of understanding, or even accepting what Jesus is trying to teach them.

Even though Mark’s account of this incident says that they were silent when they hit Capernaum, (on their way to Jerusalem) Jesus knew something was going on… Jesus tried to teach them along the way, as he told them over and over - That “the Son of Man is to be betrayed, killed, and then risen in three days… But the scripture says that they continued to not understand… and they were anxious…

They were all caught up within the struggles for power of their world, arguing with one another about who was the “greatest" and who would sit at his right hand… Jesus, like so often before, uses the opportunity to try to teach them more… He tells them, “Whoever wants to be first… must be last of all and servant of all?”

I can only imagine the responses…

but Lord, I left my job and my life and followed you… I have listened to your teachings… I believe that you are the ONE that has been sent by GOD into the world… You ARE the Messiah, the Christ!

We can only imagine…

I am ready to run with the ball… Put ME in coach… I am ready to play!

The disciples were anxious… and yet they still did not understand… and at this point… they were getting more and more anxious…

So… In the midst of their anxiety and them not understanding… Jesus goes a step further… Jesus takes a little child in his arms… A little child, who was considered to be the weakest and most vulnerable member of their society… A little child, with little or no status and the least among those within the community or family… And Jesus said to his followers…


“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

In one phrase, Jesus collapses the whole power structure that his disciples were climbing and disarms their understanding of the way things work in society. They learn quickly that they need to put it back together and reassess things in their heads and in their manner of life VERY differently.

They must welcome the child… Because when they welcome the child… they welcome GOD! They must come off of their “high horse,” forget about their quest for personal greatness, and completely HUMBLE themselves... Completely Humble themselves and show a radical hospitality to even the weakest member of their society…

And this is a very difficult thing for them to put into practice… This is very difficult for ANYONE to put into practice

St. Benedict, the abbot of Monte Cassino, lived in the 6th century. He wrote a famous “rule” to govern Monastic life. Part of that rule included 10 steps of humility… After listing all the steps he says, “after ascending all these steps of humility, the monk will quickly arrive at that perfect love of God which casts out fear. Through this love, all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort, as though naturally, from habit…”[1]

Now - We are NOT Monks in the 6th Century. However, we must show welcome like Jesus says, but, not just to each other… We need to welcome the lowest of the low… we must cast down our personal delusions of power, and redefine in our lives what it means to be “great.” We must HUMBLE ourselves… and through our acts of personal humility and welcome, God will casts out our fears, and remove our anxieties…

In our gospel story, Jesus will not be among his disciples for very much longer… He has told them that he will die, they are scared… and they are anxious… because they don’t understand. But, we have had 2000 years to figure it out… We know the rest of the story… We can look beyond the cross to the glorious resurrection… We know that the saving act of Jesus has been done… But we are still anxious about earthly things…

So, as we approach the table this morning, let us humble ourselves… let us put aside our personal power, and our rank and status, and let us get rid of our personal feelings and realize that we are NOT better than anyone or anything that happens to kneel next to us…

Let us understand that we don’t have to be “successful” by the world’s standards to inherit the kingdom of heaven… let us not be anxious…

Don’t be anxious about earthly things, but love things heavenly…

[1] Benedict’s Rule 7.67

RCL Year B (Proper 18) - September 6, 2009

The Rev'd Kenneth H. Saunders III

Christ Episcopal Church

Cleveland, NC 27013

RCL Year B (Proper 18) - September 6, 2009

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Psalm 125
James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17

Mark 7:24-37

Today we kind of get bombarded from all directions!

The scripture readings are bring us full circle, calling us to a self-awareness, generosity, good works, humility, and dignity as God’s redeemed people. The lesson from James is a sermon in itself; therefore, I am not going to preach that one again.

It is something that we should probably meditate on. It is as direct as it gets with a call to action for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How appropriate is it to hear this lesson of a call to action on this weekend that we honor those that labor? After all, we are a redeemed people, our sins are forgiven, and in response to that forgiveness, we should desire to go out and do those good works and show the Christ that we experience to the world.

But this morning, I want to focus on the healing miracles that we just heard about in the Gospel reading.

Jesus is going (somewhat haphazardly) from town to town, trying not to be noticed too much, for fear of drawing a large crowd and too much attention to himself… at this stage he has found himself a sojourner in a strange land, depending on the hospitality of strangers in order for him and his rag-tag caravan of followers to survive.

His mission at this point, is to preach repentance and redemption to the children of Israel. They have found themselves in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This is pretty far north of their normal stomping grounds around the sea of Galilee.

This was up near Mt. Lebanon, along the sea coast of the Mediterranean. It was most definitely Gentile territory. Not a good place for a Jewish boy to roam.

Word had obviously spread in the region about all the wonderful things that Jesus was doing… the healing & the casting out of demons… He was developing quite a reputation. Jesus shows up, and all of a sudden all things are made well. He comes for a visit and suddenly the mute are speaking, the crippled are walking, and the blind are seeing.

No wonder he can’t get a moments peace! We have to remember that this is ancient Palestine... In a time when there were no hospitals, no ambulances, and no pharmaceuticals – Compared to what we are accustomed to, this is an extremely harsh world with sickness and pain and death… until Jesus shows up!

The grape vine of communication is quick, and a Syrophoenician woman immediately hears of the great healer that has come to town. She has a daughter who has an unclean spirit, so she goes to Jesus… and in an act of pure humility, this non-Jewish woman, bows down at Jesus’ feet and begs Jesus to help heal her daughter.

Not surprisingly, Jesus tried to dismiss her. He actually seems rude and insults her, calling her a dog (which was pretty commonplace for a Jew to say to a gentile – most times much worse)… Jesus’ words were, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

Ooooo… you can almost feel the tension in the air, as this woman (who should have never addressed a man in public), claims her dignity and get’s very bold. She doesn’t return the derogatory remark, but remains humble in her dignity… She answers, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Jesus acknowledges her, and tells her that because of her statement, she can go – her daughter had been made well.

It is amazing that we get the images of humility, dignity, and restoration all in the same short story of an encounter with Jesus. It almost seems that we have heard it before? Maybe we have?

One of the things I miss most about the Rite I liturgy in the Episcopal Church is the prayer that was usually said after the Agnus Dei, before the bidding to the table called the Prayer of Humble Access…

If you will indulge me for a moment and open your Prayer Books to page 337 – find that prayer at the bottom of the page and let us read it together… slowly. And, if you have never done it before, this is the time to pay attention and think about the words…

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

Does it seem familiar? It is a prayer that is older that we can imagine… it was taken from the Old Latin Sarum Litrugy and was translated to English in by Thomas Cramner for the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549.

It is a way of approach… A way to approach Jesus, who is present with us in the bread and wine of the blessed sacrament. Suddenly, in this prayer, we are in the mindset of complete humility, putting ourselves behind the place of even the Syrophoenician woman in the Gospel lesson, by claiming that we are not even worthy even to gather up the crumbs under the table.

But the prayer also claims our dignity, the dignity that we receive in our baptism as followers of Christ, as we are admitted to the table to eat and drink the body and blood and be nourished, restored, and ready to go out and proclaim the risen Christ!

But hold on!

That’s where we need the second part of the Gospel lesson that we heard… We know how to approach Jesus, now what do we do when we get there?

A deaf man with a speech problem was brought to Jesus. Jesus takes him away from the crowd and then in the crudeness of form, puts his fingers in his ears and spits and touches his tongue and says “Be Opened” – Opening his ears and loosening his tongue… So that he can hear and speak plainly.

Jesus meets us, right where we are in the crudeness of our humanity. He is present with us and wants our ears to be open to listen to his holy word, and he wants our tongue to be loosened so that we can proclaim it to the world. We approach in humility, and we are restored to dignity then we go forward into the world and proclaim what we have heard…

These two stories of healing are very real to us in our journey of faith… we come to Jesus from different places, through different circumstances, and Jesus meet us right where we are.

We experience his real presence in our lives through the Eucharist, and then we leave in dignity, forgiven and restored, ready to proclaim the gospel to others… And we are also ready to do all those good works that James is talking about!

So take this with you this morning… humble yourself and come to the table, receive the body and blood of Christ… Take in His “real” presence in the Eucharistic elements and let your souls and your bodies be nourished. Be restored to the wholeness that only Jesus can give you and then go fourth into the world to proclaim the gospel with your life and do the good works that Jesus has given us to do… Amen!

RCL Year B (Proper 15) - August 16, 2009

The Rev'd Kenneth H. Saunders III

Christ Episocpal Church

Cleveland, NC

RCL Year B (Proper 15) - August 16, 2009

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Psalm 111
Ephesians 5:15-20

John 6:51-58

I once knew an Italian man that lived in our small neighborhood back in Delaware. This man owned the local restaurant on main street and freshly baked all of the bread that he served. The small restaurant was always full of the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread… You know the smell… It seemed absolutely heavenly! He would even make those little Italian “bread knots” which are tied pieces of dough painted with mixture of garlic butter and herbs. I can see him behind the counter now, adding just the right amount of ingredients, mixing it up, kneading the dough… All of the things that he made were just perfect and extremely delicious…

We were frequent visitors in that small restaurant, we often went there several times a month and sometimes, several times per week. Once we left Delaware, Kelly and I caught ourselves comparing other restaurants to that tiny little hole in the wall we found in Delaware with the wonderful fresh baked bread.

We continuously notice ourselves looking for that perfect bread. Even thinking of that little restaurant today makes me extremely hungry. We had found other breads in our travels, but we are still hungry for that fresh baked bread by that Italian man in that little restaurant in Delaware.

Now, I know that bread has been around for a very long time… But, it is hard to imagine that they had bread that good 2000 years ago. We have to remember that bread was THE staple food it was a major part of every meal, it was made from scratch and it was a big part of everyday life. Bread required a lot of work to prepare.

The “good” bread (often called ‘clean’ bread) was mostly eaten by the rich, and it was was made with sifted flours which were milled at night. It took over three hours just to prepare. Then it was baked in an outdoor oven.

As good as this bread must have been, this wouldn’t have been the bread that Jesus was talking about in today’s Gospel lesson. The bread that Jesus was speaking of wasn’t the “good” bread – eaten by the rich… nor was it the modern fresh baked bread made by that wonderful little restaurant in Delaware, it isn’t even the bread of our ancestors which was the “manna” provided by God to the Israelites who were roaming around in the wilderness. But – it is the bread of everlasting life!

So – what is this bread of everlasting life?

And why are we all now so very, very hungry for it??!?

The crowd that Jesus was teaching was completely full! – or were they? This passage occurs just after Jesus had just fed them all – over 5000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, then the disciples filled up the 12 baskets with the leftover scraps.

Now, it’s the very next day and the Jews are still following him around waiting for more signs. He tells them that they are working for the wrong bread. They are working for bread that causes death, when they should be working for bread that gives eternal life. Then Jesus tells them that they they must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man in order to have everlasting life.

Jesus once again turns the understanding of Jewish law on its head. The Jews had strict laws about how blood was to be handled. Blood was the life-force of the Hebrew people and therefore had an essential role in sacrifices which were fundamental in Hebrew society. Drinking it would have been completely repulsive and an abomination against God and God’s law. Ritual purity of the food had to be kept!

The clean animals were prepared so that all of the blood was drained a certain way. So – if they had all these rules governed animals… Eating the flesh of a human was completely unheard of… And yet, now they are being told by Jesus to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

People back then – and even for people today, found this is very hard to listen to and even harder to understand. “Eating Flesh? and Drinking Blood?” Yuck! We just don’t get it!

Like the Jews we are still looking for “real” bread instead of focusing on what Jesus wants us to learn. And this is a far cry from the restaurant containing all of that wonderful baked bread. But we should understand that there is much, much more to eating flesh and drinking blood…

This play on words today helps us understand the true humanity of Jesus – Because Jesus was fully human, complete with a body of flesh that could be broken and blood that could be spilled… Yet, at the same time it explains the divinity of Jesus – Unlike the manna that came down from heaven in the wilderness, He now is the bread that has come down from heaven, and offers all those who eat of it - eternal life.

Only the physical body of an animal, in this case, the human being of Jesus Christ, has flesh and blood… and it is the physical incarnate life and death of Jesus that is our life-giving food… and then Jesus give up his life, his human existence, for the life of the whole world… Jesus offers forgiveness of our sins and new life… His life for our life… Only God can do that!

His flesh is to be broken and blood is to be spilled… and we are to be nourished with this awesome gift of Jesus’ self…

Little did the Jews know what Jesus was preparing himself for. Jesus was preparing himself to suffer death, death on a cross, and offer himself as a whole, complete and sufficient sacrifice for the whole world.

So, what are we to do now? How can we get this life-giving bread?

At a meal with his disciples in the upper room the night before he was taken to the cross, Jesus took bread, and after he had given thanks to God, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said “Take, eat, this is my body that is broken for you, eat this in remembrance of me.”

And after they ate he took the cup of wine, after he said the blessing, he gave it to his disciples saying, “Drink this all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant that is poured out for you, drink this in remembrance of me.”

We all need this food that Jesus is offering… it’s not just merely some optional gift that we all can ignore, because apart from the life that Jesus offers us… we are all dead. We come to the table in this Church week in and week out in order to share a meal of the body and blood of Jesus. We call it a Sacrament (a principal sacrament) because it is to us, the most prophetic, of the outward and visible signs of the inward and spiritual grace that we receive from Jesus.

Taken, broken, poured out and given to us freely…

Not because we did anything in this world to deserve it, but because God loves us unconditionally – so unconditionally that God gave us his only Son so that we could believe, be forgiven of our sins and have a chance to be reconciled to God.

We are all hungry… Not for the fresh baked bread of this world from some bakery in Delaware, and not for the manna that our ancestors ate in the wilderness, but for the bread of everlasting life that only Jesus can offer us.

I encourage you to come forward to the table this morning and feed on that spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of God’s Son, our savior, Jesus Christ. and be filled with life… but not just life, life everlasting…