Sermon- Last Sunday after the Epiphany 2007

Sermon- Last Sunday after the Epiphany 2007
The Rev. Fr. Jeff Reich, Vicar
The Church of Saint John, Aberdeen MS

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Eli’jah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Today is by tradition known as The Sunday of the Transfiguration. Every year, on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, or the last Sunday before Lent begins, we read the story of Jesus being transfigured on the mountain.

So, if you have been coming to Church for a while, it is doubtless that you have heard many a sermon on the event of the Transfiguration. If you go ‘online’ you can also find thousands of sermons on the Transfiguration. It is everywhere, it is a major part of who we as Christians are.

And one of the most curious things about this Sunday, the Sunday of the Transfiguration, is what a goodly portion of the sermons speak to concerning this event. Many sermons look to Jesus’ being transfigured, or becoming dazzling white with the glory of God, as a prototype for the average man.

Or that when Jesus becomes dazzling white, those blessed enough to be on the mountain with Jesus, see what they too can become. I myself have even preached on that idea- that there are moments in our lives when we are transfigured and the glory of God shines through us.

But to preach on the idea of the average man and the Transfiguration in the Gospel of Luke is a bit more difficult. It is more difficult because we are privy to what Moses and Elijah speak to and the teaching of Jesus that precedes the event of the Transfiguration itself.

The teaching Jesus gives immediately before Jesus and Peter and James and John go up the mountain is this:

“”The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised…”And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

So, with those words the men make the trek up the mountain. When they arrive Jesus begins to pray and the apostles fall asleep. Moses and Elijah appear and begin to speak with Jesus. We understand them to speak to Jesus of his exodus or departure, which will happen in Jerusalem- they speak of His crucifixion and death.

Moses and Elijah are important figures because they represent the Law and the Prophets…or the witness and approval of the Old Testament. And they confirm for us the teaching of Jesus- that He must suffer many things, be killed, and on the third day rise again from the dead.

And the voice of God confirms this as well as He speaks: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

So, with all that being said, the transfiguration is not as warm and happy as might want it to be. It is difficult to glean from it an image of someone helping another in some soup kitchen and shining with the glory of God. This is not a Hallmark moment.

Rather it is the confirmation of the way of the Cross. It is the Divine Confirmation of the suffering and death of the Son of God.

So, looking at the image of the Transfiguration through the lens of the Gospel of Luke, it is bittersweet. One the one hand, we see fully and with clarity the glory of God in the person of Jesus.

And we also see fully and with clarity the sinfulness of the world. We see that humanity has the desire and the ability to cause suffering and death to all that is good and true in the world.

The image on this week’s bulletin is an icon of the Transfiguration. I spent an hour or so in front of this icon as I prepared for the Bible Study and the Sermon. And it brought tears to my eyes. Tears of joy at the thought of the goodness and love and light of God…and sadness as I thought on the evil that resides in the world. And it brought a sense of wonder and awe at the life of Jesus.

And try as I might, I could not escape the notion of the cross…the notion that our salvation came by means of suffering and death. I could not help but think how lonely that mountaintop must have been. I could not help but think how painful it must have been to know that Jesus had to travel to Jerusalem and knew that when he arrived, His life would end, and It would be accomplished.

And I could also not help but think that in our own lives, if we begin to dazzle with the brilliance of God…the cross is not far off.

Meaning that God’s will…God’s plan for humanity is all too often in direct conflict with the ways of the world. And if we truly and honestly begin to live as fully as possible into the will of God…we will find ourselves more and more going against the ways of the world.

And when we honestly and as fully as we can, live into the will and the glory of God…when we find ourselves going more and more against the ways of the world…we will begin to more clearly hear that difficult teaching of Jesus:

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.”

These instances, the Transfiguration…they are indeed not Hallmark moments.

Rather they are moments of decision…moments of choice. Which brings us to the Apostle Paul and his letter to the Church in Corinth. We have been reading this letter for some weeks…and we have been hearing him instruct them…and honestly, chastise them for their lack of understanding in regard to the Christian faith and practice.

The Corinthians have taken on the idea that things such as prophesying, speaking in tongues and fits of ecstasy are signs of spiritual maturity…or that these emotional outbreaks are the greatest signs of Christian faith.

This week Paul speaks to their misunderstanding very clearly, the Apostle tells them that love is the greatest of the Spiritual gifts, followed or bolstered by faith and hope.

And the Apostle understands love as a choice to sacrifice self. And the Transfiguration points unmistakably to Love…as Jesus stands on the mountain top, sure in the knowledge of what is to come…he chooses love…he chooses to sacrifice Himself for others. And in this choice, He shines.

Perhaps we would do well to hold near and dear this image of the Transfiguration. When we begin to doubt…when we begin to lose sight of the important things in the world…we must look no farther than the Transfiguration to understand Love and understand what goodness and beauty are…and to understand the forces of evil that work against them.

And most importantly, we should look to the image of the Transfiguration as the realization that Truth and Beauty- though they must suffer…shine with the glory of God and will in the end overcome the powers that seek to destroy them…Truth and Beauty will overcome everything.

And that is Good News and light indeed for us who must live in darkness at the foot of the Mountain.

Sermon- Sexagesmia Sunday 2007

Sermon- Sexagesmia Sunday 2007
The Rev.Fr. Jeff  Reich, Vicaar
The Church of Saint John, Aberdeen MS

“If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

There floats an enormous, hairy, muddied and muddled, Two Thousand year old Elephant over the face of much of American Christianity.  That is to say, that there are many, even and maybe specially those in authority, who deny the real and physical resurrection of the Son of God- of Jesus Christ.

The denial of the bodily resurrection and the idea of a spiritual resurrection came into fashion sometime in the Sixties and Seventies…and it became all the rage to explore and promote new and different ideas about an ancient faith.

Many of these people thought they were exploring new ground, thought they were bringing exciting innovations and ideas that would make the Christian faith relevant to a modern and fast changing society.

The Apostle shows us this morning however, that the idea of the denial of the physical resurrection is as old as Christianity itself.  It is the Two thousand year old elephant.  And Paul chastises the Corinthians for their denial…and he reaches forward through time to chastise in our day as well.

In our own day, it seems the idea of a body being physically raised from the dead is thought by some to be irrational…and an idea that many in the modern age could not, or rather would not grasp…for them, it seems this whole idea of a physical resurrection only served to place the Church farther outside the realms of science and progress.

And that thread of belief is still very much alive and well in 2007.  It seems, and is evidenced in the teachings and preaching of many that the very idea of physical resurrection is something of a myth and that Christianity makes more complete sense without troubling over something that goes against the very nature and purpose of the modern thought processes.

So ‘mainline’ American Christianity shifted its focus to social action and justice.  It seems that this is something that more people could agree upon.  In truth, it is probably more honest to say that mainline American Christianity lowered its common denominator to attempt to be more inclusive.

So, with that lowered common denominator, with a focus on this life only, and very little talk of a future life beyond the grave…American Christianity pushed on.  Focusing primarily on the here and now.

And while I agree with some of this movements basic tenants of faith…things such as Christianity being the realization that we are all made in the image and likeness of God…and that love is at the heart of social action…I find the modern trend to be woefully inadequate.

One has to look no further than the shape and state of modern American Christianity to see its downfall.  There is severe and major disagreement within every Church body.

People cannot agree upon moral value, people argue with might over just who God is and what our relationship to Him is…people fight over ideas of how Christ is realized in a person…Some saying that we are Christ and not looking to a higher transcendent God…some saying that it is not possible for Christ to dwell among us in any shape form or fashion.

Basically, it is becoming painfully and woefully clear that ideas of Christianity being primarily about social action and justice…ideas about Christianity being primarily about things only pertaining to this life and this world are all falling short and unable to bring any real and true sense of unity in the Church or in the world.

“If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

So I think it high time we confront the elephant and ask ourselves a difficult question.  What, at its heart, is the point of Christianity?  Or why do we come to Church?

If it is for reasons of charity…I am sorry to say that the Church is inefficient in these matters…although She does hold them in highest regard- things such as the feeding of the poor, clothing the naked and the other caporal and spiritual Works of Mercy- it is not Her primary reason for existence and some agency such as the Red Cross stands to show us a thing or two.

If it is primarily for social reasons- I am afraid the Church will only serve to disappoint as well.  Because in the Church, you will find all sorts and types of people…from all different classes and political affiliations.  You will find within the Church people whom you would probably not wish to socialize with…you will find people whom you might even try and avoid in everyday life.

Although, it is to be sure, fellowship and brotherhood are essential to the life of the Church, and there is indeed a social element to our common life.  But, if it is for social reasons alone…you would be better served joining a garden club or a hunting lodge or some other group of like-minded folks.

If it is for reasons of social action and justice…again, I am sorry to say that the Church will only serve to cause disappointment.  She is inefficient in this regard as well, though again She holds this in highest regard, and you will find that the people that make up the Church are in disagreement most of the time about courses and causes of action.

One would do much better picking a social activism agency that one feels serves their specific agenda and giving time and effort to that particular cause.

So, again, we return to the question, What is the point of Christianity?  Why do we come to Church?

And the short answer is this- to win Heaven and to avoid Hell.  We come to Church primarily because of faith in the Resurrection of the Son of God.  Because Jesus suffered, died and was buried…and rose again from the dead, Body and Soul, we come so that we may take part in his offer of Bodily Resurrection…we come because of that hope.

“If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied”

So, as strange as it may sound to some ears…we come to Church because of our hope, not in this life, but in the life to come.

We come because with all of our heart and soul, we love Our Lord, and give wish to give Him our thanks and praise for overcoming death for us.

For in his overcoming death, we too, through faith, can overcome death.  So, we come to Church because of faith in the Resurrection of the Son of God, and our hope in the life to come…we come to win heaven and escape Hell.

Now, it is to be sure, from our love of God and hope of Heaven, all things spring forth.  Our desire and obligation to do charitable things, our desire and obligation to engage in social action and justice, our desire and obligation of fellowship and brotherhood.

This reminder of the point of Christianity also has something to say about Evangelism.  If we try, and we should try, to bring others from outside into our midst, let us remember that if we do so for any other reason than that we hope Heaven for them…or that we want them to meet Jesus Christ who has risen from the dead…if we bring others to Church for reason other than these…we are bringing them to the wrong place.

The waters of modern America swirling around us will only continue and will at times rage…I can say with certainty that Christianity in America will continue to become more divided and there will continue to be more fighting and disagreement…the elephant is not going to leave us any time soon.

And it is ever important for us to remember why we come here in the first place…it is ever important for us to remember to keep our eyes on the prize…we must continue to look towards hope in Heaven and Salvation in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.

“If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

Sermon- Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany 2007

Sermon- Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany 2007
The Rev. Fr. Jeff Reich, Vicar
The Church of Saint John, Aberdeen Mississippi
And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

Today’s readings swirl with images and thoughts of authority. The prophet Jeremiah is called by God, as a young man, to deliver a message of doom and destruction. He is commanded to preach that because of the sins and iniquities of Israel, she will be destroyed and her people banished into exile.

And as a young man, we see that Jeremiah felt unequal to the onus task. But yet God tells him: “Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.””

He is given authority by Almighty God to bring this message. God informs him, that in fact, he was formed in the womb to deliver these ominous tidings. So, while Jeremiah might not ever dream of doing such things of his own accord…he is under the authority of God and therefore takes the message of doom to the people.

And Jesus this morning, shows His authority in His teaching in the Synagogue. He enrages some of the people and amazes others. We read this morning: And he went down to Caper’na-um, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath; and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

The people recognized the authority of Our Lord. Some were amazed and thankful. And others were angry and doubt filled. They asked the questions like isn’t this the son of Joseph? Which translates loosely to, ‘I remember little Jesus playing Hide-And-Seek with the other little children’. It means that some saw Jesus as still being a little kid…or as one who should not being saying these types of things to older people.

The saying, “A prophet is not accepted in his own country” probably resonates with many of us…or at least it has at one time or another.
I can remember the beginnings of my own journey of spiritual maturity. As a child, I was a son of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church. I was an acolyte, was in the EYC, did all of the things I was supposed to do. The parish helped raise me.

But going back years later as an ordained priest, I couldn’t help but be intimidated by some of the comments… ‘well, look at little Jeffrey, all grown up..” or “Good Heavens, you’re a priest now!…I remember when you were just a little kid…I remember that time you tried to drive your truck through a lake…”

But on the other hand…I had no trouble living into my vocation in other places…in fact, it was very comfortable…very natural.

But, as I said earlier, I think this is common to us all. At one point or another we have all felt belittled when we returned home…when we were home. It was as if time was frozen…and although we grew and matured and gained wonderful gifts and talents…we stepped back in time when we went home.

Or, to put this in terms that relate to this mornings theme…we all have probably struggled with issues of our own authority over and against what others think of us. Or, we have struggled because of concern about how people perceive us.

So, perhaps we might not have contributed as we should…perhaps we kept silent. Perhaps we remained simply the son of Joseph…and let people remember us as the little kid playing in the street.

And then there are some of us that have had to deal with other issues. Perhaps we had the desire to become better people. Perhaps we desired to turn over a new leaf and lead of a life of goodness, of mercy, of charity.

And perhaps when we tried to begin to lead that new life, others around us began to remark, “Isn’t that so-and-so, I remember when he used to be wild and crazy, what in the world does he think he is doing?”

Or, “I can’t believe its her, you know how she used to be…what in the world does she think she is doing…doesn’t she know her place?”

Or better still, “look at so and so, you know what family she comes from…”

Perhaps some of us have dealt with issues such as these throughout the course of or lives…perhaps issues and comments and perceptions such as these have stopped us from becoming something more…perhaps the thoughts and criticisms of others have served to in some twisted manner, put us back in our place and kept us from taking on the authority God gives us.

Which is what is at the heart of these longing I have spoken of…the authority given to us is by God. This authority is given to us at our baptism…it is an authority that is not of this world.

It is an authority that serves a specific purpose. And to define that specific purpose, we need to look at what this God-given authority entitles us to do.

First of all, and most importantly, we die to sin…or we are able to rise above the sinful world and see clearly, Truth and Beauty. We are united to God the Father through the death and Resurrection of the Son of God.

And this act, this grace of God in the waters of Baptism, grants unto us a heavenly authority. It is an authority that enables us to live a Christ-like life. We are given the authority to feed the hungry…to clothe the naked…to give harbour to the homeless and lost…

And we do these things with the authority and the knowledge that it is not so much that it is our civic duty…or that it is a good thing…we do them with this God given authority in the knowledge that every man is made in the image of God.

We are also given the authority to defend and promote Truth and Justice. We have the God given authority to speak the Truth about God and man when no one else will.

When a free market society defines worth and value by capital or contribution…when a progressive society defines worth and value in terms of enlightenment, or race, or education…we, through our baptism can stand squarely in the face of worldly ideas and ideals and proclaim that worth is only valued in terms of God…and that all worth or value stems from the fact that all are of God’s own making.

We are also given the authority to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ…given the authority to share the Good News of Jesus with others. And for some…this might be the most daunting of our Christian authority. Precisely because we must share it with those who know us…who helped raise us…who know who we once were.

But the authority to share this Good News is one of the more profound of our gifts. We can lead others to Christ…we have the authority to help others turn from death and isolation to life and goodness. We can share with them salvation…we can share with them love and joy. We can share with others, the most awesome of gifts.

But this authority…the authority we are given in our Baptism, can be a tough thing to take on. Because, as I mentioned earlier, we are all sons and daughters of some community. And we have all acted in unwise or ungodly manners. We may seek to live above the definition that others place upon us…but we must live with the knowledge of our past.

But, there is a shining light in all of this. That being, the authority we are given by God in our Baptism is not subject to criticism or definition by the mouths of men.

That is to say, the authority to feed the poor, or to proclaim Truth and Justice, to share the Good News of God in Christ, are not subject to how a free market might define us. Nor can the communities that raised us…nor can those who knew us in our wild and crazy days.

The authority that is given us comes from above…and cannot be taken. However, we must have the courage to close our ears to those who have frozen us in time…we must have the courage to brush off those who wish to remember us only as foolish or cheap or little worth and value.

You have within you the authority to change the world for the better. You have been given the authority to share Jesus with those around you. You have been given the authority to show to the world around you…Truth and Beauty.

Do not be afraid of the mouths of men. Rejoice and revel in what God has given you. Share the Good News…share with others how God has changed your life…how God can change the lives of any and all who seek it.