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Photo by Trevor Gerzen on Unsplash
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Sermon for April 29, 2018
The Fifth Sunday after Easter (B)
The Rev. Vicki K. Hesse, Preacher
St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church
Onsted, Michigan
God, take our minds and think through them,
take our lips and speak through them,
take our hearts and set them on fire for you.
Amen.
Watch this sermon on YouTube, here.
Good
Morning St. Michael’s! My name is Vicki
Hesse and
I am
the director of the Whitaker Institute for the Diocese of Michigan.
The Whitaker Institute is the educational arm of the Diocese.
Our overall purpose, our mission since 1954, is to form disciples
to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ.
We do this through education, equipping and empowering.
We exist to provide lifelong formation –
that is, learning opportunities
members of our faith community to
grow in knowledge, mature in their faith
and become better equipped for their unique ministries.
Practically
speaking, this includes three main
programs:
First,
Academy for Vocational Leadership –
a
monthly school for ministry operating collaboratively with
Dio E
Mich and Dio W Mich.
The
Academy provides theological training
for
people seeking ordination.
Second,
Exploring Your Spiritual Journey –
a
twice-monthly circle of people (from our Dio)
listening
with the ear of their heart
how
God is calling them to serve in the world.
Third,
Safeguarding courses –
regular
courses designed to teach church ministers
about
protecting the safety and dignity
of
children and vulnerable adults.
Perhaps at coffee hour we will have a time
to explore the programs that Whitaker offers:
next Saturday’s Ministry Fair,
or e-Formation for Digital Literacy in Ministry
or participation in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land next year.
Thank you to Judith and Diana
for the invitation to preach today
and be with you in celebration of our Lord’s
resurrection!
A few years ago, the parish in which I served
hosted video-oriented Sunday course called
“Living the Questions,” by author and theologian Diana Butler
Bass.
In this series, Bass explores how
the times, they are a changing for The
Church.
– and importantly so.
In the series, Bass shares that
“The
basis of the institutional church
is
believing (creed and dogma),
behaving
(rules and techniques) and
belonging
(membership and choice).
All of
this results in people thinking
that
Christianity is about getting the answers right,
living by
the rules, and passing the test.”
Learn what we believe so that you may behave this way and then you
belong.
However, she contrasts, our faith formation (our “catechesis”)
needs to change and align with post-modern spirituality.
She says that, “When talking of spirituality,
the three
B’s (believing, behaving and belonging)
are still
important but their emphasis changes
from what
you believe to how you believe,
from what
you do to how you act and
from what
is your membership to who are you?
This focuses
on relationships and community.
And
perhaps the order shifts, first to belonging,
then
behaving then believing.
For Jesus asks, “Follow me”
before he asks, “believe in me.”
So, the model is worth considering,
knowing that in fact it is spiral –
each person’s participation in a community –
and therefore a communities engagement with God –
works on all levels according to context.
Today’s story from Acts of the Ethiopian eunuch
echoes these very themes.
His way of salvation offers
a pattern of “catechesis” (or formation).
How often we, too, need to travel a wilderness road
to secure God’s salvation.
See, the eunuch yearned
for salvation.
He longed for and suffered for a people of which to belong.
Although he had worldly success
as a wealthy court treasurer,
he was doubly outcast by his religion.
He was rejected because of where he lived (Ethiopia is not Israel)
and
because of his sexuality – he had been castrated,
which is against the Torah law[1].
He definitely traveled the wilderness road.
And that is where Philip found him.
“Do you know understand what you are reading?”
With honest vulnerability, the eunuch replies,
“How can I, unless someone guides me?”
The eunuch yearned for
salvation through belonging,
so he behaved as one “should” by taking a pilgrimage
and read scriptures for right belief.
I wonder how we, too, yearn
for salvation –
for personal and for societal transformation.
We are far from Jerusalem, the way of peace.
The list of ways our hearts are broken is long:
we ache for healing for our family and friends affected with
disease.
We long for hospitality of, instead of punishment to,
the refugees and immigrants.
We look for peaceful solutions from gun violence.
We know there is sufficient food
yet we see neighbors who are hungry.
We weep for the devastation of the earth
and crave legislation that cares about creation.
We thirst for civil conversation in our thorn-infested, desert-dry
politics.
We definitely travel the wilderness road.
And that is where Philip finds us.
“Do you know understand what you are reading?”
Where is God in that mess?
With honest vulnerability, we reply,
“How can we, unless someone guides us?”
So who is guiding you these days?
How do you follow Jesus – and with whom?
-------------------------
When the eunuch said that,
God’s Spirit guided Philip and
God engaged in the eunuch’s life right then.
Philip went over to the chariot, joined the eunuch,
and offered communion – through the scriptures –
to belong to the way of Jesus.
Philip spoke and proclaimed the good news,
pointing out salvation which was in plain view.
Philip showed how God got involved in all of life
by water and the Holy Spirit.
“What is to prevent me from being baptized?” the eunuch wonders.
What is to prevent me from belonging?
And through water and the Holy Spirit,
God began doing God’s work through the eunuch, and
encouraged Philip to keep sharing the good news of salvation,
especially among those who the religious traditions marginalize.
See, that same Spirit is among us here – in this Christian
community.
That same Spirit is working among us, to remind us we belong.
Here.
That same Spirit drives us to follow Jesus.
Here, we can behave as Jesus shows us in the gospels:
Beseeching prayerful healing and reconciliation for family and
friends,
offering hospitality and aid to refugees and immigrants,
working for laws that make our society safer in the midst of
violence,
reaching out with food to those who are hungry
while
challenging the laws that make people poor
Educating folks everywhere to care for creation
while challenging unjust legislation that allows pollution to
continue.
Practicing patient, open conversation with brave space guidelines
for diverse and inclusive communities.
Look out! Following in this
way is not easy!
It’s turning the whole world upside down!
This God we believe in is training us, through this community,
in the art of mutuality and co-creation.
God offers us a catechesis modeled by this eunuch to depend on
others:
Do you like to learn? God calls you to teach.
Do you like to give? God calls you to receive.
Do you like to talk? God calls you to listen.
Do you like to act bravely? God calls you to be vulnerable.
The eunuch yearned for salvation and we yearn for salvation.
And God in Jesus enlists us to engage this crazy Spirit.
What is to prevent us from being baptized, from belonging? Nothing.
For we are God’s answer to what is wrong in this world.
Today’s good news is that the Spirit is among us,
engaged in our belonging, our behaving, our believing –
God is here, enlisting us
not to stay where God found us but
to move us to where God needs us to be.
Today, the Spirit is snatching you
to proclaim the Good News to this very broken world.
Go on your way, rejoicing in the Spirit of God!
Amen
