"Don't Let the Light Go Out!"

Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27A)

Matthew 25.1-13

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

When I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s, the favorite music genre in the Fincher household was folk music. Joan Baez, The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, The Chad Michell Trio, just to name a few of our favorite performers. To this day, folk music is still my preferred, go-to genre. Partly because of nostalgia. Partly because some of the songs are joyful, even playful. But also, partly because many of the songs contain commentary regarding social justice, providing messages of encouragement and hope. Originally regarding what was going on in the 60s with civil rights, women’s rights, anti-war sentiments, and the like. Messages that continue to be relevant today. Messages that have renewed relevance today.

 

One of our family’s absolute favorite groups was Peter, Paul and Mary. We would listen to their records for hours in the evening or on weekend afternoons. They continue to be one of my absolute favorite folk groups, second only to Joan Baez. One Peter, Paul and Mary song that I find particularly moving was not one I grew up with. The song, “Light One Candle,” was written by Peter Yarrow as a pacifist response to the 1982 Lebanon War. The song commemorates the struggle of the Maccabees, with themes of resilience, justice, freedom, and peace. The Maccabean revolt occurred between 167 and 160 BC, when the Jews revolted against the oppressive Seleucid Empire, ultimately leading to the recapture of Jerusalem and the rededication of the Second Temple. It was during the rededication of the Temple that the miracle of Hanukkah occurred. Even though there was only enough olive oil to keep the Temple’s menorah candles burning for one day, the candles continued to burn for eight days. Symbolizing religious freedom, resistance to oppression and forced assimilation, and bringing light into darkness. Themes not limited to second century BC Palestine, but rather, themes that continue to be relevant today.

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Blessedness as Identity

All Saints’ Sunday (Year A)

Matthew 5.1-12

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

I don’t know if it’s just me, or if all clergy struggle with this. But it seems to me that the Church sort of has a fast and loose approach to dealing with All Saints’ Sunday. Particularly when All Saints’ Day and All Saints’ Sunday fall on the same day. Perhaps it may seem to be splitting hairs, but for those who are liturgically obsessive-compulsive, these are the kinds of things that have the potential to send you into a tailspin. Allow me to explain.

 

All Saints’ Day, which is celebrated on November 1^st, is one of the seven “Principal Feasts” observed by the Church. In addition to All Saints’, Principal Feasts include Easter Day, Ascension Day, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Christmas Day, and The Epiphany. While three of these always fall on a Sunday, four do not always fall on Sunday, and one never does. Each of these Principal Feasts are to be celebrated on the actual date on which they fall and are NOT transferred to a Sunday. With the exception of All Saints’ Day. If not falling on a Sunday, “All Saints’ Day may always be observed on the Sunday following November 1, in addition to its observance on the fixed day” (BCP, p.15). What this tells us is that the Church Fathers determined that, not only is All Saints’ one of the handful of Principal Feasts of the Church, it is so special that of all the Principal Feasts, it CAN be moved to a Sunday to ensure it is properly celebrated. And, that it can actually be celebrated twice if November 1^st is not a. That is saying something. In addition, All Saints’ is designated as one of the four Baptismal days—days considered particularly appropriate for the performing of Baptisms. So, suffice it to say, the celebration of All Saints’ is a really big deal.

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Just Imagine . . .

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)

Leviticus 19.1-2, 15-18; Matthew 22.34-46

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

Whenever I hear Jesus’ response to the question, “which commandment in the law is the greatest?” I cannot help thinking of my maternal grandfather. Whenever you asked him a question that had a choice, particularly an “either/or” question, he would invariably respond, “Yes.” Or perhaps “No,” But usually a response that did not directly answer the question. Which invariably caused me and my cousins to laugh and comment on the silliness of his answer. We were just kids, after all. As we grew older, the laughs turned more into groans with the addition of eyerolls. But we loved the playfulness he exhibited, nonetheless.

 

While I seriously doubt Jesus was being playful in his response to the question posed by one of the Pharisees, even after all these years, I still can’t help but be a bit flabbergasted by Jesus’ response to the question as to which of the commandments is the greatest. He starts with “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.” Okay, fine. But he does not stop there. He continues on with “And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” This is where the engineer in me rears his sarcastic little head. What part of the question did you not understand? Asking “which commandment in the law is the greatest” implies a single answer. One commandment. Just one. Not two. Although, I suppose Jesus could be forgiven, as he does say “the second is like it.” Perhaps stretching the intent of the question a little. But, I suppose when your father is the one who handed down the commandments, you can take a few liberties. And, of course, he then connects the two with the concluding statement, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

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The Image We Bear

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)

Matthew 22.15-22

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

There is a mistaken notion that the Church is not allowed to get political in its message. Perhaps partially due to a misunderstanding of the First Amendment of our Constitution and of two specific clauses contained therein: the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing a state-sponsored religion. And the Free Exercise Clause protects the citizens' right to practice their religion as they wish, providing the practice does not run afoul of “public morals” or a "compelling" governmental interest.[i] Other restrictions are actually policies of the Internal Revenue Service, which have largely been eliminated under the current administration. While neither the Establishment Clause nor the Free Exercise Clause are biblical, today’s Gospel reading is about the closest scriptural support you will find for these principles. Demonstrating in no uncertain terms that Jesus was decidedly political. And in so doing, providing justification for how we as followers of Christ and how the Church as the Body of Christ, are called to be political.

 

I know there are some that start to get nervous, even anxious, when such topics come up in a sermon. Equating politics with partisanship, which is where things generally go in our national political discourse. But I merely preach what scripture gives us. And today, Jesus gives us, “Give . . . to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Establishing clear distinctions regarding our relationship to both church and state. I submit there is nothing to get nervous about in following that injunction. While it is most certainly a political statement on Jesus’ part, it is certainly not partisan. In fact, Jesus deliberately crafts this statement to be non-partisan, as we shall see. So, let’s all take a deep breath and take a look at what Jesus is really getting at in today’s Gospel.

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Invitation

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23A)

Matthew 22.1-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

So . . . let me get this straight. A king hosts a wedding banquet for his son. The invitations went out months ago. Presumably those invited had RSVPed. And given the fact that it was likely the most extravagant event of the year, there were few, if any, regrets sent. And now that it’s time for the big event, nobody shows up? That’s pretty rude. No, not rude. Impossible! After all, who would not want to go to a banquet hosted by the king? It’s not every day you get to do that. And to add to the lunacy, when the king is told that no one is bothering to come, he goes ballistic and sends his army—an ARMY—to kill the ungrateful invitees and burn their city down. Now that’s a little over the top, to say the least. So, then, still wanting to have a party, the king has his servants go out into the streets and bring in anyone and everyone who passes by—both good and bad. After all, you can’t let all that food and booze go to waste.

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Transformed

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21A)

Matthew 21.23-32

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

At first glance, there seems to be a disconnect between the two distinct portions of today’s Gospel reading. We start off with the temple leaders questioning Jesus’ actions: “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” After a little back and forth which ultimately puts the temple leaders in a no-win situation—as only he can do—Jesus then tells a parable about two contrarian sons. One who refuses to do what his father asks but ends up doing it anyway, and one who agrees to what his father asks but then fails to follow through.

 

What does this parable about two contrarian sons have to do with questions about Jesus’ authority? Are we missing something? Are the questions of authority and Jesus telling a parable even connected. After all, sometimes, the writers of the Gospel—or rather, the redactors, the editors—do occasionally make abrupt shifts with no transition, no explanation. Well, that is not the case here. The parable is indeed part of the broader conversation about Jesus’ authority. Is part of a broader, albeit implied, conversation about living as God would have us do.

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You Have Made Them Equal to Us

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20A)

Matthew 20.1-16

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

Lately, I have been thinking about the subject of “original sin,” as one does in one’s free time. In Christian theology, original sin is the condition of human sinfulness and guilt that we all inherit from the first humans, Adam and Eve, due to their disobedience in the Garden of Eden. That disobedience being their going against the single command God gave them that they are not to eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Which, as we know from Genesis Chapter 3, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent, who told them that if they did eat of the fruit, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Gen 3.5). And we all know what happened. They ate the forbidden fruit. And things just went downhill from there.

 

Now, admittedly, the doctrine of original sin is not without controversy, particularly in many expressions of Protestant Christianity. Without going into all the gory theological details, I think it is fairly safe, at least for our purposes here, to boil the idea of original sin down to its basics and to recognize that humans, by nature, are imperfect creatures and are subject to sin. As defined in the catechism in our own Book of Common Prayer, “Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation” (BCP, 848).

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Servants of the Servants of God

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Welcome Home Sunday and Patronal Feast Day

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

Today we are trying something new. At least, new for us. At least, new for us in the time that I have been here as Rector. We are celebrating our Patronal Feast Day—commemorating our patron, St. Gregory the Great. While many, if not most, Episcopal congregations celebrate their patron saint on a Sunday near the feast day for said saint, we have not traditionally done that. Not because we are ashamed of St. Gregory or feel he is not worthy of celebrating. As we shall see, he most certainly is worthy. But rather, our lack of celebration was not so much an oversight as it was an unfortunate circumstance of calendar. The traditional feast day for Gregory the Great is March 12, the anniversary of his death in 604. Which always falls during Lent. And the Book of Common Prayer explicitly states, “The feast of the Dedication of a Church, and the feast of its patron or title, may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter” (BCP, 16). Which kind of leaves us out of luck.

 

But! Fortunately for us, Gregory has an alternative feast day. September 3, which is the anniversary of the beginning of his papacy in 590. Established by Pope Paul VI precisely because Gregory’s feast day falls in Lent. While we really should have celebrated last Sunday, we chose to move our celebration to today to avoid the Labor Day weekend.

 

While a parish’s patronal feast day by and large focuses on the life and example of the saint for which the parish is named, I think, to the extent possible, the celebration should also focus on the parish itself. And, as we shall see, this is particularly appropriate for St. Gregory’s—the patron saint and our particular parish.

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Conflict Mediation

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18A)

Matthew 15.10-28

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

I’m beginning to think I should just not go on vacation. The last couple of years, it seems like every time I return from time away, be it sabbatical or vacation, I am immediately confronted with having to preach on challenging readings. Or rather, readings that address challenging issues. But I do need an occasional vacation, so maybe I just need to do a better job of scheduling it around the Gospel readings—stick the supply priest with the difficult passages. Although, I suppose Fr. Gary had his share of challenges while I was gone—particularly last week’s conflict between Jesus and Peter, with the famous “Get behind me, Satan!” comment (Mt 16.23), followed by the command that “any [who] want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mt 16.24).

 

The reality is, the Scriptures should challenge us, precisely because the Scriptures reflect the truth of everyday life. And, I think we would all agree that life can, at times, be challenging. And while some Scripture passages may seem challenging, it is often these very passages that provide us with the guidance we need to navigate the challenges of everyday life—both individually and communally.

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Schooled

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15A)

Matthew 15.10-28

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

Schooled. A term that is, at the same time, a blurring of proper English and slang. In proper English usage, schooled means to teach, train, or discipline someone. As a slang term, it takes on a slightly more biting connotation, meaning to defeat, or outsmart someone. Subtle differences, shades of gray, depending on intent. As we look at the Gospels, we see that Jesus is a master at schooling people, particularly his opponents. How many times does he go up against the scribes and the Pharisees, seeking to trap him on some liturgical or theological point, only to have Jesus turn the tables and school them in their own laws; resulting in them walking away, scratching their heads, and muttering, “what just happened?”

 

That’s what’s happening in the first half of today’s Gospel reading. In both the proper English usage and in the slang. Jesus is preaching to a crowd, attempting to explain his understanding of what it means to truly live a faithful, righteous life, in moral terms as opposed to the religious authorities’ focus on dietary laws as a means to ritual purity. “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Effectively saying, “it’s not what you eat that makes you pure and righteous, but what you say and do.” Schooling the crowd in the proper English sense of the term, while subtly schooling the scribes and Pharisees in the slang sense of the term. The unwritten subtext being that the religious authorities are focusing on the wrong thing when it comes to righteous and faithful living. They are focusing on the letter of the law instead of the intent. To the point that they are obsessed with what foods are considered clean vs unclean, as opposed to focusing on moral teachings that are the foundation of truly faithful and righteous living according to God’s laws. Or put in more generalized terms, that purity and religious faithfulness are not about the blind worship of tradition—“we’ve always done it that way”—but about seeking to understand more fully God’s purposes and to strive to live accordingly. This is what true faithfulness and righteousness are about.

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