St. Paul’s Church in
Bergen, Jersey City NJ
September 8, 2013
Year C, Proper 18:
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17
Philemon 1-21
Luke 14:25-33
The Jesus Community
It’s
been two Sundays already since many of us gathered in Liberty Park to celebrate
with parishioners from our Jersey City sister churches, Grace Van Vorst and the
Church of the Incarnation.
Now,
I’ve already admitted publicly that I had some misgivings about doing this. I
worried about the weather, transporting all of our church stuff – the bread,
the wine, cups and plates, linens and all the rest. I wondered if we’d have
enough food. I was curious how many people would actually bother to show up.
Well,
as you know, as usual there was no reason to worry.
The
weather could not have been more perfect.
And
it was a truly wonderful service.
Lots
of people from all three churches were there – and everybody seemed to have a
great time praying and singing together, lining up to receive the Body and
Blood of Christ, eating really delicious – and plentiful – food, playing games,
meeting new friends and renewing old friendships, and just soaking in one of
the most spectacular spots in all the world.
Lots
of people I talked with that day were already looking forward to doing it all
again next year.
Standing
at the altar and looking out at the crowd, I marveled at the beautiful
diversity of the congregation. There were people of all different shapes, sizes
and colors. There were infants curled up in their mothers’ arms, children
running around charged with unlimited energy, people like me who were beginning
to think about taking a nap and the elderly and disabled slowly making their
way around leaning on canes and walkers.
I
imagine that some people who were there weren’t sure how they were going to
make next month’s rent – and others who were there have more money stashed away
than they will ever be able to spend.
Some
of our families have been here for many generations while others are just
beginning to put down roots in this old soil.
We
live in every neighborhood in Jersey City – and beyond.
Standing
at the altar, it was a beautiful sight to behold.
And
what brought all of us together?
What
brings us all together here, week after week?
There
are probably lots of answers – habit, our parents make us, the priest guilts us into it, the need for
fellowship, the desire for beauty and meaning in an often ugly world.
But,
behind and beneath and above all of those reasons, we come here for Jesus.
We
come here because, although we have our doubts and questions and uncertainties,
we still hold on to the heart of Christianity – we still trust that Jesus is
the way – we believe that Jesus offers us the way to live, the way to be
truly free, the way to life forever with God.
We
come here – all shapes and sizes and colors, all different stations in life –
because we are disciples of Jesus – because we are members of the Jesus
Community.
And
we become members of the Jesus Community in the water of baptism – when we die and
rise again with Christ.
We
become members of the Jesus Community in the water of baptism – where God makes
an indissoluble bond – an unbreakable bond – with us.
Now,
it just so happens that we’re going to have a baptism here next week.
And
during that baptism, little Jeremiah will die and rise with Christ.
During
that baptism, God will make an indissoluble bond with Jeremiah.
And
we’ll all be reminded of our baptism.
And
we’ll also be reminded of the promises we made – or were made for us – at our
baptism.
We’ll
be reminded that we promise to continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship – that we promise to resist evil and when we sin repent and return
to the Lord – that we promise to proclaim by word and example the Good News –
that we promise to serve Christ in all persons – that we strive for justice and
peace among all people.
It’s
a lot to promise.
It
requires a lot of sacrifice.
Even
with God’s help, those promises and sacrifices take a lot of effort.
In
our baptism, we really promise - as a disciple – as a member of the Jesus
Community - we really promise to put Jesus first in our lives.
Which
is really what today’s challenging gospel lesson is all about.
We’re
told large crowds are following Jesus.
We
can imagine they are an excited, rowdy bunch. They are eager, maybe even
impatient, to see Jesus’ next miracle. They want to know who’ll be the next to
be healed. They want to witness Jesus performing another exorcism. They want to
hear Jesus tell another entertaining, if puzzling, story or parable.
And,
then, Jesus turns to them and says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate
father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life
itself, cannot be my disciple.”
“Hate.”
Strong, strong language, right?
This
teaching is also found in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. Obviously Jesus’
strong language made quite an impression on the first members of the Jesus
Community. It wasn’t something they forgot.
And
I bet it gets our attention, too. It’s not something we’re likely to forget,
either.
Hate
our parents? Hate our spouses and children? Hate our brothers and sisters? Hate
life itself?
Really?
Well,
we think of “hate” as an emotion, a feeling - which it is.
But,
we know enough about Jesus to know he doesn’t want us to hate anybody or
anything, except sin.
So,
what’s going on here?
Well,
Jesus doesn’t mean “hate” as an emotion. Instead he means “hate” as “turning
away from” or, better, “detaching from.”
To
put it more positively, Jesus says to us if we want to be a disciple, if we
want to be part of the Jesus Community then we have to take up our cross and put
Jesus first in our lives.
Very
difficult. But, when we do that – or, rather, when, with God’s help, we try to put Jesus first in our lives - then
the truth is we are able to love our parents, our spouses and children, our
brothers and sisters, love our very lives, more generously and fully than we
ever thought possible.
But,
don’t take my word for it.
Just
think back to the beautiful sight of the Jesus Community gathered in Liberty
Park.
Think
back to the people of all different shapes, sizes and colors. Think back to the
infants curled up in their mothers’ arms, children running around charged with
unlimited energy, the people like me who were beginning to think about taking a
nap and the elderly and disabled slowly making their way around leaning on
canes and walkers.
When,
with God’s help, we try to put Jesus first in our lives then the truth is we
are able to love more generously and fully than we ever thought possible.
Don’t
take my word for it.
Just
look around.
Look
around at this beautiful Jesus Community that gathers here week after week –
praying and celebrating, laughing and crying, singing and hugging, filling up
containers of food for the hungry, checking in on elderly or sick neighbors or
friends, welcoming absolutely everybody - all shapes, sizes and colors.
So,
I’m really excited about Jeremiah’s baptism next week.
I’m
excited that in the water of baptism, Jeremiah will die and rise again with Christ.
I’m
excited that in the water of baptism, God will make an indissoluble – an
unbreakable bond – with Jeremiah.
And,
as Jeremiah dies and rises again with Christ, we’ll all be reminded of our
baptism. We’ll all be reminded that we are called to be disciples. We’ll all be
reminded that we are called to put Jesus first in our lives.
And
we’ll be reminded that all of us – with all our different shapes, sizes and
colors – all of us from all different stations in life - are beloved members of
the Jesus Community.
Thanks
be to God.
Amen.
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