23rd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 27

23^rd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 27

November 08, 2009

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

(I Kings 17:8-16; Ps. 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44)

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU ___ OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

Human beings .... we are very symbolic creatures. Some scientists argue that is one of the major intellectual differences between us and say, chimpanzees. We understand symbols.

Letters are symbols. The letters C A T have no intrinsic meaning. To people who do not read English they have no meaning at all.

Money is symbolic. A hundred dollar bill has an actual value of less than one cent. Its actual value is only the paper and ink used in printing it. We decide it has the value of one hundred dollars.

Fred Watts got me thinking about this a couple weeks ago! While discussing stewardship he made the off hand comment that what we will do today .... I will explain it in a couple minutes ... what we will do today felt more Baptist than Episcopalian.

Fred made me think and he may be right in that the practice may happen more often in the Baptist church but the intention is much more Episcopalian. Funny how those things work out.

If human beings are symbolic creatures than Episcopalians are on the far edge of that spectrum! We are a very symbolic denomination. I think that’s good because symbols can reach us at places pure intellect or data cannot. A flag for example ... watching the US flag being burned can touch us very deeply even though all that is actually happening is a piece of cloth is burning.

Or how some people grew up being told that anything remotely Roman Catholic was a sign of the devil. If a person knelt, or crossed themselves, or lit a candle that was devil worship. Obviously it is not but the symbolic meaning for those people is very strong. That’s the reason I reduce the number of symbols used during the 5pm service. We designed that service for people with little or no liturgical background or training. So we do not challenge them with symbols they would not understand and easily could mis-understand.

However, too often the symbols become nothing more than a habit. Consider some of the symbols we use in the service. Some people cross themselves. Few people think about what that means to them. And it can mean something different to different people. I like the understand that it is a physical way of saying “Amen” which means, “I agree” or “I say again”.

You may have noticed that during the Eucharistic Prayer when we get to the words about “make us worthy” I cross myself. That is a very powerful reminder to me that I am NOT worthy ... not worthy to be at the altar ... not worthy to receive God’s gift. A very powerful reminder that we receive those gifts as “grace” – an undeserved gift from God.

Or consider the options of standing or kneeling for the confession and to receive communion. Either can be a very powerful indication of our relationship with God.

It is difficult for us to really get our heads around having a relationship with God. Partially that’s because there are two very appropriate relationships: Jesus as our friend and brother ..... and God who is so far beyond us we cannot even imagine.

It is particularly difficult or us to understand a relationship with God because as Americans we have been trained NOT to have such a relationship! ... Give me a moment to explain that. In ancient times people understood what it meant to have an ultimate authority – someone who must be obeyed. Someone who could not be questioned. Someone who could issue any arbitrary order and it would be obeyed.

God is not arbitrary! Still, as Americans we have been taught that no one has control over us. We have been taught we can always vote them out of office, appeal to the courts, whatever. We have been taught that the authority’s control over us is limited.

I have often thought that one reason slaves had such a strong relationship with God is that they could understand such ultimate authority — they had experienced such ultimate authority. Those of us who have never been slaves don’t have that insight and that makes the symbols of kneeling and standing harder to understand ... to feel.

But try. .... Imagine there is such an ultimate authority in your life. Now imagine you have done something wrong. Imagine the difference in your relationship with that ultimate authority if you kneel to tell them, or if you stand. For me each is important at different times in my life. Each has deep meaning.

Or imagine you approach that ultimate authority to receive a gift. There is a huge difference between standing to receive that gift and kneeling to receive it. Neither is right, or wrong. But doing one or the other for the symbolic reason gives it more meaning than just doing it.

Lots of other symbols! Many of them were given meaning AFTER they were put in use. Candles were for light! Later people began to assign them symbolic meanings.

Our prayer candles – a visible sign of our prayers. A reminder. Our prayers are just as important and heard just as clearly if we do not light a candle.

The accutaments of our worship ... the shiny candles and eucharistic vessels, the linen cloths, etc. They are a symbol of bringing our best to God. Valid, important symbol.

When we use an altar with no linens, use ceramic vessels, have no large candles that is symbolic of a simpler relationship with God. Valid, important symbol.

For some people the simple altar is more representative of Jesus our brother and friend whereas the fancier settings are more representative of the creator God who is beyond our understanding. If that works for you — great! Neither is right. Neither is wrong. Rightness and wrongness is only in our understanding. I am convinced God does not care whether the wine is in silver or ceramic.

Or the gathering and presentation of our gifts to God .. our offerings. If you have been to the morning and afternoon services you probably noticed, but probably did not think about the different symbolic approaches. In the morning the more typical pattern is used where the offerings are collected and after the offertory music is sung everyone stands and sings the doxology as the money is brought forward. In many churches the collection is left on the altar.

At the 5 pm service the collection is taken up and then brought forward, presented while the offertory music is being sung. No special symbols are used. (Technically I should have the congregation stand during the end of the song but that created confusion the couple times I tried.)

Consider the two symbolic patterns — the major presentation and the more quiet one. What do you see/feel is the difference?

Notice I have not imposed either pattern on the other service! My preference is for the simpler pattern. Again, no right or wrong just personal preference which is why I have not changed the other services. My reasoning goes back to what I said about how I am not worthy. My connection with God puts emphasis on that fact whereas other people put more emphasis on God accepting us. Neither is right or wrong — just different. And the difference is small, a matter of emphasis only.

I like to keep the emphasis on God’s great and ultimate gift to us ... rather than sharing that with our relatively puny gifts back to God. So I prefer not to have a sharing of the limelight.

A very powerful symbol for me is taking communion last ... a servant never eats first, never eats at the main table, and is never served.

Today we are going to make a major symbolic gesture. In your bulletins on yellow paper is a commitment form. Take it out. There are pens at the end of each pew. I know some of you have already submitted a form. I also know some of you for various reasons will not submit a financial commitment and some of you are too new to even be asked for a financial commitment. Notice my emphasis on the word financial.

During the offertory I will ask everyone to come forward — that’s the part Fred Watts thought was very Baptist! — come to the altar to symbolically make your commitment to God. NO ONE BUT YOU AND GOD WILL KNOW WHAT YOU WROTE OR EVEN IF YOU WROTE ANYTHING!! We are not going to post your forms on the internet. Our bookkeeper will be the only person to read these sheets. Place your weekly financial gift in the basket also.

We certainly hope many will include a financial commitment to God, through this church. Families frequently do so together But even more importantly I hope you will take a moment and make an individual, non-financial commitment to God ... which may or may not be through the church.

You may promise: I will pray 5 more minutes a day ... .... I will read the Bible an hour every week. .... I will serve God through the Open Door or IHN, or this church for at least 2 hours per week. ...... Notice I have given examples involving prayer, learning, and doing. Notice also I made each of the examples very specific and easy to measure. The example was 5 minutes a day or prayer and not just ‘I will pray more’ which is easier to wiggle out of. Finally notice each example was about doing more – not just “I will keep doing what I have been doing.”

New people might write: “I will continue to seek a church where I can grow closer to You, O God.”

Some people have found it helpful to be reminded of their non-financial commitment. So if you would like to receive your form back, to remind you, write your name and address on the form and our bookkeeper will send it back to you.

If you prefer simply write “I will pray about this” or write nothing. I believe it is symbolically powerful for each person to come forward and prayerfully place their sheet in the basket. I suggest that as you place it in the basket you simply say: “This Lord is for you.” Like all symbols, this action will have the value you place on it.

AMEN

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CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation. (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to: ken@st-christopher.com)