The Generosity of Christ

A friend asked me to preach and celebrate last Sunday. He and his family took some time off. As with many in this recession, his parish is challenged to meet expenses. I found the readings to be most helpful. (This parish uses readings from the Book of Common Prayer):

• Deuteronomy 15:7-11: (do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor)
• Psalm 112: (They have given freely to the poor, and their righteousness stands fast for ever)
• 2 Corinthians 8: (For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means)

I found the culmination in 2 Corinthians 8, "For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich."

Sure, I understand Baptism as immersion in the life of Christ through his death and resurrection... but to understand stewardship in the same way... participation in the generosity of Christ as a means of sharing his wealth given to the world?

I admit that, even with all the training, etc, I can still fall victim to seeing stewardship as fundraising. However, sharing some time with a busy clergy family, the clatter of the kids, the preciousness of the time, thanking God for broken bread, I sometimes see wealth in the things where Jesus sees wealth, but sometimes dimly, as in a mirror.

Pentecost 2: The Mustard Seed

This past Sunday I visited a congregation whose rector recently retired. The Gospel reading for the day was Luke's Parable of the Mustard Seed, an especially helpful asset when trying to reset the dials.

For many years I took this to be a parable of growth. I distinctly recall a distant religion class where Sister explained how the mustard seed was very small while its tree was huge, a true miracle of God. Later years would come to place the Nun's enthusiastic description in a more reasonable light. Nevertheless, the lesson had its effect.

On one particularly boring stretch of I-75, I had the vision of a mustard seed being planted in the ground and growing... just growing. I had a vision of a mustard seed the size of a Volkswagen out standing in its field. The birds of the air tried to carry it off but could not. The farmer had to plow around it, causing the crops to be difficult to harvest. Villagers suspected that the visitation of the useless seed was God's pronouncement of judgement upon the whole community.

Growth without transformation is just as useless, if I'm readng the lesson correctly.

Trinity Sunday

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity; Keep is steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and etrnal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Trinity Sunday. Seminarians are often called upon to deliver a sermon on this day, and many refer to is as "drawing the short straw". For me, this prayer (called a "Collect") goes a long way toward settling down to a rational approach to what might otherwise be an intimidating experience.

First, I note that the prayer declares that we are given grace. Unmerited, undeserved ability is given to me simply bacause I am beloved by God. Second, I see that this grace is given not to understand the Trinity (yikes!) but to acknowledge its glory.

Long before the Gospel was presented to the Irish, three-sided petroglyphs were etched into the old rocks of Eire. While we can only speculate about their meaning, we know that the Irish were fascinated with three-ness, giving St. Patrick a ready toe-hold when God whispered something about shamrocks into his ear.

Moving from self-reflection to dialogue to conversation, the Glory of the Three in One is readily available to our senses. We see this Glory in everyday discourse, thereby acknowledging God's Trinue Glory as we speak. It is not lost on me that the usual Old Testament reading is Isaiah 6, where the lips of the prophet are made clean.