By The Rev. Bernard W. Poppe, RectorThe lessons today give us images, metaphors really, for the kingdom of God. In the Gospel of Mark the Kingdom is like seed scattered on the ground which grows in a way that is not known to people, but through the power of God. Or again like a small mustard seed which becomes the largest of all shrubs with strong branches able to house the birds. These are simple images but have a power in their own right to draw our attention to the life giving and abundant love of God. We don't understand it, but we can see it at work and make a home in it.
The arboretum in the first lesson from Ezekiel didn't make out quite so well, however. In this case the tree which grew large enough to house many creatures and provide shade over vast amounts of land actually rivaled the Garden of Eden. This tree, representing Egypt, was cut down however because of its pride and belief that it rivaled God in power and majesty. The prophet Ezekiel was to remind the people of Israel that it is God who creates and sustains, and those who are not rooted in God will topple and to quote contemporary wisdom, the bigger they are, they harder they fall.
When we put these botanical lessons side by side they witness that while we might aspire to be the trees, we are in fact the birds who find shelter in the loving, embracing branches God extends through grace and love.
These lessons are helpful for us this morning as we bless and baptize two sets of twins. We are guiding them to seek and accept God's love and shelter, to nest in that protection without the need to usurp the tree of its height and strength. We as a community of faith are asking them to share the abundance space among the strong branches with other birds and creatures of God who will make their homes too. One of the advantages of a parable is that you can keep going on and on with the metaphor. It's tempting, but I'll refrain.
But I will use this metaphor as a jumping off place to talk about something that I believe we should be paying attention to. Just as the branches of God's love shades and protects the many creatures of God so must the church as a community reflecting God's love. We're blessing Max and Sam and baptizing Noel and Lily into the Christian church within the Episcopal tradition. It's a tradition that at its core has embodied widely differing views on theology, mission and social justice. But we have always used the tension between us to find creative solution or at least peaceful resolution.
This day in Columbus, Ohio, the National Church continues into the second week of what is a ten day convention accomplishing legislative duties. Most of these tasks will have little impact on the life of the church but among the larger issues is one that may very well separate the American Episcopal Church from its fellowship with the worldwide Anglican Communion. That issue is about human sexuality, and more specifically whether or not to ordain openly gay and lesbian people to the priesthood and even more importantly, the Episcopacy. There is also a resolution to create ceremonies to bless same sex unions.
This denomination has long been known for open dialogue, but unfortunately has become too often part of the national trend toward galvanized intolerance. Strong views spoken with uncompromising intent. Judgmental opinions vilifying opponents on both sides of any question. Threats to walk out are made if the vote goes to allow gay and lesbian bishops. People in the pews are also waiting to hear, some making their own plans to walk away if the voting goes one way or another.
I must remind everyone that this is not new territory for the Episcopal Church. Threats of division have been made before: the ordination of women beginning 30 years ago, and before that Civil Rights, before that women's suffrage, before that abolition and before that revolution with England. As a denomination we have weathered each of these threats. This time however, it looks uncertain.
Prejudice has always used scripture as a weapon, and our ability to take the same scriptures and come up with entirely different interpretations is staggering. The rhetoric surrounding the debates becomes dehumanizing and violent. Death threats are made to those who vote in favor or gay ordination. Much of the debate on consecrating gay men and lesbians to the Episcopate began three years ago when Gene Robinson, an openly gay man in a relationship was elected the Bishop of New Hampshire. Death threats did accompany the news and controversy to the point that when Gene went to his own consecration, he did so wearing a bullet proof vest surrounded by FBI agents working undercover for his security.
We sing National Anthems speaking of equality and justice for all, and this reality mocks that ideal. Long before 9/11 terrorists have been in this country as KKK, organized crime, vigilantes and others. The church as institution has to recognize its part in hate mongering and inspiring violence both spiritual and physical against its own members and those outside its fold. Only when we recognize it can we move forward into the Kingdom God calls us to co-create. Our very baptismal vows call us to repent when we are wrong and strive for reconciliation. All of us need to take seriously the voice of faith within us. I mean our own voice.
A while back I heard a poet read a work call "Question Authority." He based this poem on a bumper sticker he'd seen. It's been around a while and occasionally you still see them. He noted that it's important to question authority and not follow blindly. The public can be lied to, and deceived by leaders we want to trust. Questioning authority can be seen as unpatriotic or rebellious. Whole groups can be manipulated with false information, and questioning that same authority is important to validate the information, its sources, conclusions and actions. This is true regardless of governmental or ecclesiastical authorities. However, the poet went on to talk of the danger of questioning only. We might become cynical or use the lack of trust to justify taking no actions whatsoever. It becomes easy to sit back and shoot down any opinion without offering one in response. And that was where the poet took his listeners. To take upon themselves the responsibility to find the information, voice and opinions, and to take actions. To stand up for something. Echoing the words of Malcolm X he said those who stand for nothing will fall for anything. So don’t just question authority, speak with it.
It's into this spirit and dialogue I would like to venture. St. George's is a church that has long broken with conventional ways of doing things. The history of this parish shows efforts and accomplishments in areas of racial justice and equal housing in this and surrounding neighborhoods. We were progressive acting on the role of women in the church, having elected the first woman vestry member in the diocese many years ago, later sponsoring one the first women in the country ordained a priest. One of our members is currently the first woman chancellor of the Diocese. In electing my predecessor as rector, you called the first openly gay man who was ordained. All these "firsts" made successive accomplishments easier. We've sponsored several gay and straight men and women for ordination to the Diaconate and Priesthood, and have a couple more on the launch pad. By the time my election as rector rolled around four years ago, that you elected another openly gay man amid no controversy or fanfare, in a way that could be called "ho-hum" is a sign of progress.
St. George's has taken its prophetic role seriously if not fully articulating it. We have lived it. I want us now to own it publicly and fully. We are a progressive and liberal Christian church. We think critically and strive to make informed decisions in our theology and mission. We do not hold that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. It is the living word of God. Inspired by faith and written by people living in a world they tried to make sense of just as we do today. Their writing is wisdom born of their experience and faith. Its praise and worship is sincere for its context and instructive for us as a basis on which to understand our own world and issues. We have brains and we have voice. We cannot abdicate either in our faith or practice.
Earlier this week in a conversation with one of our wardens, he mentioned that he would be away at the graduation of his nephew. He mentioned that his nephew went to a Christian College. Well, so did I. The college I went to was Holy Cross in Massachusetts, a college founded by Jesuits in the Roman Catholic tradition. But you and I both know that's not what was meant. And I believe that's the sad crux of our dilemma. All too often, the word "Christian" in today's world refers more commonly to a fundamentalist, conservative branch of Christianity. While I will not deny that they are Christian, I will not stand for them denying that I am. The liberal, progressive church has abdicated much by way of word and symbol to another part of the Christian faith to the point where the loudest voice in the national pulpit belongs to the fundamentalists and radical conservatives. We have to speak out with a voice that balances and demonstrates that Christians can disagree and still claim their faith in the same God.
This parish is such a place. I believe we have a mission to speak out and take a place in the open public for those who question the authority and have the courage and preparation to speak with it. Further, to recognize that even then are the thoughts and ideas are wrestled with and conclusions arrived at, that even members in our own parish will not be of one mind on all given topics. We have members who are liberal and conservative. And that makes us traditionalists. So if anyone asks you if you are a traditionalist, tell them proudly, yes!
Claim words and symbols that are common property to all people of faith and especially those that are Christian. Debate them, use them and by all means witness to them.
I have been in gatherings that get a little heated when some will wonder how I can be gay and allowed to be a priest. Others who are gay will ask how I can be part of an institution that denies our full rights; questions the legitimacy of our being. The answer to both who wonder how I live in what appears to them to be a contradiction is that I am a priest of God exercising my ministry in an institution that is far from perfect but trying hard to be faithful. My faith and ministry transcends denominational boundaries. I worship a God who loves me as I am even as I live among people who may not be able to. God can make sense out of the contradictions and constructs that bring us to battle each other. That's part of my story.
The world is full of contradictions and always has been. After the service today there's a forum to be held sponsored by the Absalom Jones Committee led by one of the authors of a book about slavery in the North called "Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged and Profited From slavery." No doubt we’ll hear about conflicts and contradictions. Today is Father's Day. Many people have conflicted and complicated relationships with their fathers.
We cannot escape these realities or the histories of them. We have got to meet them head on, openly and honestly even when it's hard and painful. Support each other when we need strength and repent when we have made errors. As Paul says, we walk by faith, not by sight.
Shortly we'll bless Sam and Max. They are from an interfaith family where their father is Jewish and their mother Christian. They are not being baptized but receiving a blessing. As they grow we will support them in their journey towards weaving together the two rich traditions they are part of which can be a model for the rest of us. When we renew our own baptismal covenant, bless Sam and Max and baptize Noel and Lily we are not sparing them from the complexities of the world, but giving them the strength and consolation of a vigorous faith in which to proclaim God’s truth with boldness and minister God’s justice with compassion. Amen.
© 2006 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ
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