Trying Difficult Christianity

St. Paul’s Church in Bergen, Jersey City NJ

February 23, 2014

Year A: The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

Psalm 119:33-40

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Matthew 5:38-48

Trying Difficult Christianity

            So, have you ever wondered what clergy talk about when they get together?

            Oh, we talk about all the same kinds of things as everybody else: for example, the latest styles of vestments, which communion wine tastes best, the benefits of using whole wheat wafers, and so forth.

            Seriously, one topic that comes up a lot is church attendance.

            Since I’ve been rector here a number of my clergy colleagues have been checking in with me.

            “How are things going?” they ask.

            And some bolder and, yes, nosier colleagues ask, “What’s your average Sunday attendance?”

            Now, since, thank God, we’re growing, I don’t really mind be asked about our attendance, though it really isn’t any of their business. But, some people are very uncomfortable getting asked that kind of question because a low or dropping average Sunday attendance, or ASA, unfairly indicates some kind of failure on the part of the priest, the vestry, and even the congregation itself.

            The disturbing truth is that church attendance has been dropping in the Episcopal Church and in most other denominations for years. The decline has begun to affect the Southern Baptists and even the nondenominational mega-churches, whose growth not too long ago seemed unstoppable.

            So we clergy and others church people puzzle and worry over the decline.

            Why don’t people come to church like they used to?

            Well, there are lots of reasons, of course.

            Over the years the Church has lost credibility with a lot of people because of various scandals – usually either sexual or financial or both.

            And then some supposedly Christian leaders have hurt all of our reputations, stained us all, by the hate that they spew from their pulpits and over the airwaves and on the streets.

            Some people get turned off or even rejected by the church they grew up in. Rather than looking for another Christian community where they might be welcomed and fed, they drop out, or dabble in another religion or create their own religion or describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.”

            And then in this age of skepticism there are lots of people just don’t find our claims about God and Jesus and life to be believable and so they fall away.

            And, then we all know that in recent years, for better or worse, American culture has changed a whole lot.

            For example, for many Americans Sunday used to be set aside for church and family – even here in Hudson County.

            I’m old enough to remember the days of the Blue Laws, strictly limiting shopping on Sundays. (Most of you probably know that Blue Laws are still in place in Bergen County.)

            Not too long ago, the idea of schools or athletic teams scheduling Sunday morning practices or games was practically unthinkable.

            I’m not really sure how it is here in the city, but certainly out in the suburbs church has a lot of tough competition from soccer, football, ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse and all the rest. Out in Grace Church in Madison I saw many parents really torn by having to make the choice between sports and church. Some would just figure out a way to do both, coming to an early service for example. But, others would reluctantly give in and drive their kids to the field or the rink.

            And then there are people who are simply exhausted. Sunday is maybe the one morning they get to sleep in; the one morning they get to have a real breakfast; the one morning they get to spend with family and friends.

            So, you see we’ve given some thought to the decline in church attendance.

            But, I wonder if there might not be another reason why not as many people show up for church.

            Christianity is difficult.

            Now, Christianity isn’t so difficult if you’re just going to go through the motions, if you’re just going to come here and say the words and sing the songs, eat the bread and drink the wine and then go out into the world and live just like everybody else.

            That kind of Christianity is easy.

            But, of course, that’s not real Christianity.

            Real Christianity is hard.

            Thinking about how hard it is to be a Christian reminds me of a famous quote by G.K. Chesterton, a writer who lived about a hundred years ago.

            He wrote: “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and not tried.”

            I think that’s absolutely true. Christianity – real Christianity is difficult and is usually not even tried.

            And this Sunday and last Sunday we’ve been reminded just how difficult Christianity is – this Sunday and last Sunday we’ve heard the highest expectations that Jesus sets for us.

            Those of you who braved the ice and were here last week may remember that we heard Jesus dig down into the roots of God’s law – we heard Jesus dig down to the heart of the Law.

            Jesus teaches us that in his view, in God’s view, hate is as bad as murder and lust is as bad as adultery.

            Jesus teaches us that we are to keep our promises and commitments – and we are to be absolutely honest.

            Jesus sets the highest expectations for us.

            And then today difficult Christianity gets just a little more difficult.

            Jesus calls us not to resist the evildoer, but to turn the other cheek.

            Jesus calls us to give away to those in need not just our coat but our cloak as well. That may not sound so tough except when we realize that in the First Century if you gave away you coat and your cloak, you were naked.

            Difficult Christianity.

            In the Roman Empire soldiers could force civilians to carry their stuff for one mile. Jesus calls his followers to go a second mile.

            Jesus commands us, “Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

            Very difficult. So difficult that I’m surprised some people haven’t begun to make their way out the door!

            Jesus demands that we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

            And, finally, Jesus calls us to be perfect as God is perfect.

            G.K. Chesterton again: “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and not tried.”

            And, yet.

            And yet we need to try to live this difficult Christianity because Jesus’ way of love, forgiveness, and sacrifice really is “The Way.”

            We need to try because Jesus’ way of love, forgiveness and sacrifice is the way to true joy and fullness of life.

            We need to try because Jesus’ way of love, forgiveness and sacrifice is the way things were always meant to be, the way we were always meant to be.

            But, real Christianity, the way of the Cross, the way Jesus, sure is difficult.

            So, as I said last Sunday, that’s why we come back here week after week.

            That’s really why we get together here each Sunday – to get the support we need to meet the highest expectations that Jesus has for us.

            That’s really why we get together here each Sunday, to receive forgiveness for the many, many – too many times to count or remember – times that we fail to meet Jesus’ highest expectations – that we fail to follow the difficult way of Jesus.

            That’s why we come to church, to receive the help of God’s grace, the help of God’s grace that we receive in and through the Scriptures, our prayers and songs, our fellowship, our service to one another and to the wider community, and most especially in the Body and Blood of Christ that we take into our bodies and into our hearts.

            We may wish otherwise, but Jesus has set the highest expectations for us, his disciples and followers.

            Jesus has called us to his way, the way of the Cross, the difficult way of love, forgiveness and sacrifice.

            And, together, with God’s grace, we can begin to rise to Jesus’ highest expectations.

            Together, with God’s grace, we can actually, finally, try this difficult Christianity and take even just a few small steps towards perfection.

            So, actually, yes, our average Sunday attendance is pretty important after all. Amen.

The Highest Expectations

St. Paul’s Church in Bergen, Jersey City NJ

Church of the Incarnation, Jersey City NJ

February 16, 2014

Year A: The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm 119:1-8

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Matthew 5:21-37

The Highest Expectations

            Many of you know that before I became a priest I was a high school teacher.

            I taught for quite a while – for seventeen years, actually.

            And during that time I learned a few things – a few things about teaching, about kids, and about life.

            One thing I learned is something many of you have also probably learned in your lives.

            Generally, people rise or sink to the expectations that are set for them.

            When it’s clear that no one really expects us to succeed, we may try really hard to prove them wrong. But, more often, when no one really expects us to succeed we prove them right by sinking to the low expectations that have been set for us.

            On the other hand, when the people in our lives really believe in us – when the people in our lives – our parents, teachers, bosses – really expect us to succeed – when they set high expectations for us – we are more likely to meet those high expectations - or at least give it our best shot.

            Thinking back to my teaching years, one of the things I emphasized was geography.  As you probably know, it’s a subject that’s not really taught anymore. And, sure enough, Americans have very little geographical knowledge. Every once in a while the news will report some study how even our best and brightest – students at places like Harvard – can’t locate places like New York City or London on a map.

            Well, in my small way, I was determined to do something about that. (And, it seemed bizarre to be talking about all this history in class and the students had absolutely no idea where these places were.)

            So, in my freshman World Civilizations class we had a series of map quizzes. Continent by continent, the kids had to memorize and then identify all the countries of the world.

            You can imagine their faces and their groans when I first explained this to them.

            The one map that they dreaded more than the others was Africa.

            So many countries. So many countries that are hard to spell. (Yes, it was half off for misspellings!)

            They would pout and complain.

            “Mr. Murphy, there are too many countries.”

            “There’s no way that we can remember all of these.”

            “There are three countries named Guinea – how can we remember which is which?!)

            “This is impossible.” “This is unfair.” “You’re unfair.” “Other teachers don’t make their classes do this.”

            And I’m sure they said worse under their breath or when I wasn’t around.

            I sympathized with them. After all, it was a hard task. But, I was determined to hold the line.

            I would try to reassure them saying that I knew, if they tried, they could do it.

            High expectations.

            And, sure enough, when the day came for the dreaded Africa map quiz, most of the kids did just fine. I fact, there were always a few who got a perfect score.

            High expectations.

            Well, in today’s gospel lesson Jesus offers some very high expectations – the highest expectations of us, doesn’t he?

            Actually, to understand today’s passage we need to back up to what we heard last week. Remember, Jesus calls to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world?

            And then Jesus goes on to say, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”

            In today’s passage, Jesus explains what he means by fulfilling the law and the prophets.

            Jesus doesn’t abolish the law but instead he goes deeper – gets to the roots of the law – gets to the heart of the law.

            And, it turns out, the roots of the law – the heart of the law – is about what’s going on inside our hearts at least as much as it’s about our actions in the world.

            If you think about, this is nothing new. Even way back in the Ten Commandments, God commands us not only about our behavior but also about coveting our neighbor’s wife or our neighbor’s goods.

            From the start, God sets high expectations for us.

            So, Jesus continues that old tradition of high expectations, equating anger, equating saying, “You fool!” with murder.

            Jesus continues that old tradition of high expectations, equating lust with adultery, demanding that we practice absolute honesty.

            Jesus continues that old tradition of high expectations, demanding that we honor our marriage vows – offering the very tough teaching that divorcing a woman causes her to commit adultery and marrying a divorced woman is committing adultery.

            That’s probably the hardest one for us to hear since we may be divorced ourselves or we certainly know people who are divorced and remarried.

            It’s hard to talk about, but we have to admit that in our day, legal divorce is relatively easy – so easy that sometimes people choose divorce rather than even trying to work through their problems.

            But, we also know that unfortunately marriage can sometimes be physically and/or emotionally dangerous. I am certain that Jesus is not demanding stay in abusive relationships.

            But, keep in mind that for most of history – and in much of the world today – divorce was very bad news for women. For the most frivolous reasons, men would – and still often do – cruelly cast women off into a life of poverty and disgrace.

            So, the bottom line is that Jesus has the high expectation that we will work hard to keep our commitments – and that we certainly won’t throw away people when we grow tired of them or someone more attractive comes along.

            The highest expectations.

            Really, Jesus is calling us to perfection.

            Perfection.

            Now, at this point, we might be feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, even depressed. We might be feeling like my students back in World Civ. class.

            Anger is just as bad as murder?

            Lust is just as bad as adultery?

            No divorce except in cases of unchastity?

            Absolute honesty, no matter what?

            Ridiculous. Unfair. Other people don’t have to do this. There’s no way we can do it. It’s impossible.

            And, we’d be right.

            It is ridiculously impossible to do any of this.

            Or, rather, it’s ridiculously impossible to do any of this on our own.

            You know, back in World Civ. class the kids who did best on the map quiz were the ones who worked together – who quizzed each other, who corrected each other’s spelling, who practiced and practiced and practiced.

            And the same is true in our lives. We can only take even tiny steps towards perfection when we work together – when we support and encourage each other – when we forgive and love each other.

            That’s really why we get together here each Sunday – to get the support we need to meet the highest expectations that Jesus has for us.

            That’s really why we get together here each Sunday, to receive forgiveness for the many, many – too many times to count or remember – times that we fail to meet Jesus’ highest expectations – that we fail to achieve perfection.

            That’s why we come to church, to receive the help of God’s grace, the help of God’s grace that we receive in and through the Scriptures, our prayers and songs, our fellowship, our service to one another and to the wider community, and most especially in the Body and Blood of Christ that we take into our bodies and into our hearts.

            We may wish otherwise, but Jesus has set the highest expectations for us, his disciples and followers.

            Jesus has set the highest expectations for us Christians.

            And, together, with God’s grace, we can begin to rise to Jesus’ highest expectations.

            Together, with God’s grace, we can take even just a few halting steps towards perfection.

            Amen. 

Salt and Light

St. Paul’s Church in Bergen, Jersey City NJ

February 9, 2014

Year A: The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 58:1-12

Psalm 112:1-10

1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Mathew 5:13-20

Salt and Light

            I know it feels like Christmas just ended – like we just took down the tree and put away the decorations until next year.

            But, in fact, the holy season of Lent is just a few weeks away.

            Lent, those forty days of preparation for Easter, starts, of course, on Ash Wednesday, which this year is March 5. We’ll have three services here in church and I’m going out to McGinley Square at both rush hours to offer “Ashes to Go” to people who can’t or won’t come to church. Hopefully some of you will join me.

            Whether here in church or out on the street, the imposition of ashes with the words, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return” is powerful. It’s a powerful ritual that reminds us that we don’t have all the time in the world – reminds us that we are completely dependent on God who created us from dust and will not let go of us even when our bodies return to the earth.

            And then, throughout Lent we’re going to offer other services and practices designed to  help us have a better Lent – to make us more mindful of the ways we’ve let down God, let down each other and let down ourselves –and  to open our heats to repent, to ask forgiveness, and to be transformed.

            The services on Sunday will be different, with the confession right up front, some different prayers and more somber music.

            Of course, we’ll put away the word “Alleluia” until Easter.

            A friend has created Stations of the Cross for us, which will be displayed in church during Lent. And on Wednesday evenings we’ll walk those stations, reflecting on the rejection of God’s Son and the great sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

            And, we’ll also be reading a powerful little book called Speaking of Sin.

            So, during Lent there will be a lot going on here.

            And, maybe, on top of all that, at least some of us will take on our own special spiritual practices during Lent. And what’s the most common practice during Lent?

            “Giving something up.” Fasting!

            Maybe that means giving up something extra like chocolate or wine. Some people try to quit smoking. I know some people who give up computer games or (can you imagine?) facebook!

            Why do we do this? Why do we sacrifice? Why do we fast?

            Well, like the ashes, fasting reminds us of our total dependence on God. Fasting reminds us of our many blessings. Fasting helps us experience in a very small way what life’s like for those who are forced to fast every day. Fasting cuts away some of the extras, some of the distractions, that weaken our focus on loving and serving God.

            So, these Lenten practices, especially fasting, are all good. And I hope that each in our own way, we’ll try to give up something, sacrifice a little, during Lent.

            But, it’s not enough.

            All our religious practices – our fasting, our walking the Stations of the Cross, our confessions – are worthless if they have no effect on how we live our lives when we’re out there in the world.

            If we give up chocolate and then go out into the world and live pretty much like everybody else, then God is displeased.

            It would be much better just to eat the chocolate.

            Today’s long reading from the Prophet Isaiah comes from what should have been a wonderful and joyous time in the history of the people of Israel. Many of them have returned home from exile in Babylon.

            Homecomings are usually times of great excitement and celebration.

            Yet, that doesn’t seem to be the case here.

            The people seem to be doing everything right. They follow their religious obligations. The follow the rules. They fast.

            But, despite following all the religious rules, despite fasting, their country is still a broken mess.

            So, in confusion, they cry out to God,

            “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves but you do not notice?”

            And God, speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, tells them why their practices, their fasting, have made no difference. God says,

            “Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist.”

            In other words, the people gave up whatever they gave up, they fasted, but those practices made no difference on how they lived their lives. Out in the world they lived pretty much like everybody else. And God is displeased.

            It would be much better just to eat the chocolate.

            And then, in one of the greatest passages of all of Scripture, God, speaking through Isaiah, describes the kinds of sacrifice God really wants.

            God calls on the people – God calls on us – to loose the bonds of injustice and to let the oppressed go free.

            God calls on the people – God calls on us – to share our bread with the hungry, to bring the homeless poor into our home, to clothe the naked, to not hide from those in need.

            Or, as Jesus teaches us in today’s gospel lesson, God calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

            It’s hard to know exactly what Jesus meant by salt. In the ancient world, like today, salt was used for many things. It was used to season and preserve food. It was used in religious ceremonies. And, salt was also a symbol of purity and wisdom – which I’d guess is what Jesus is pointing us to.

            Light is easier to understand. Jesus is the light of the world. And we, his followers, are called to be the light – to let our light shine - in what’s an often dark and shadowy world.

            We are called to be salt in a world filled with suffering – filled with suffering people like the great actor Philip Seymour Hoffman who died last week enslaved by addiction.

            We are called to be light in a world filled with suffering – filled with suffering people who don’t know where they’ll stay tonight, filled with people right now, today, who don’t know how they’ll feed themselves or their families.

            Fortunately, just like we have ritual opportunities to pray and to fast, we have other opportunities to serve, to be salt and light in the world.

            First, every time we come into church the first thing we see are the bins waiting for food donations to hungry neighbors. We’ve been doing OK, but the truth is that a lot of us still come to church empty handed. The truth is, a lot of us go to the market and don’t pick up an item for the poor. The truth is we can do better. Let’s all be part of this work. Let’s all be salt and light for our poorest neighbors.

            Second, as I’ve mentioned before, faith leaders and others in Hudson County have begun the work of starting a shelter for homeless families. Right now, there is no shelter in our heavily populated county for families. If they enter a shelter they need to split up.

            Our second meeting is this Tuesday at 7:00pm at Grace Van Vorst. Come to the meeting if you can. Whether you can be there or not, let’s all be part of this work. Let’s all be salt and light right here in Hudson County.

            Finally, this Thursday, we have our first “Stone Soup” supper. We’re throwing open our doors to absolutely everybody – rich and poor and everybody in between is welcome. We need your help. We need food for the meal and help with the preparation. We need you to be here to welcome our guests. Let’s all be part of this work. Let’s all be salt and light right here at St. Paul’s.

            So, even if your Christmas decorations are still up, it’s just a few weeks until Lent.

            Here in church we’ll be offering all sorts of opportunities to pray and reflect.

            Some of us will give up something for Lent. We’ll fast.

            That’s all good.

            But, our prayer and fasting are worthless and displeasing to God if they aren’t matched by how we live our lives, if we don’t also strive to the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

            If we live like everybody else, it would be better just to eat the chocolate.

            Amen.

            

Presenting Jesus

St. Paul’s Church in Bergen, Jersey City NJ

February 2, 2014

The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord

Malachi 3:1-4

Psalm 84

Hebrews 2:14-18

Luke 2:22-40

Presenting Jesus

            Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation.

            The Feast of the Presentation is sometimes called Candlemas – because it’s the day when priests would bless the candles that would be used for the year ahead.

            On the Feast of the Presentation we remember a story told only in Luke’s gospel – the story of Jesus’ parents bringing the child Jesus to the Temple.

            Actually, In the story of the Presentation, Luke combines two different Jewish rituals.

            First, according to Exodus, every firstborn son belonged to God and could be brought home after the father made an offering to God.

            Second, Jewish Law required women to undergo a ritual purification forty days after giving birth to a male child. The purification included the sacrifice of a lamb in the Temple. Or, if the family was poor, they had the less expensive option of offering a pair of doves or pigeons.

            Notice that Luke tells us that Jesus’ parents could only afford to sacrifice two birds.

            Mary and Joseph are poor.

            Yet, they are pious and faithful people who do the right thing. They obey the religious Law.

            So, imagine the scene for a moment.

            The Temple was the religious, cultural and political center of Israel. It would have been teeming with people from Jerusalem and far beyond. Jews came great distances to offer ritual sacrifices.

            Others came just to marvel at the magnificent architecture and observe the spectacle.

            There were big crowds – lots of people, lots of noise, lots of smells.

            And in the midst of all of this activity, here come Mary and Joseph, two poor peasants from Nazareth carrying their son, just forty days old.

            They have come all this way to present Jesus.

            They would have been unremarkable in every way. Mary and Joseph were a couple of nobodies in a city – in a world - filled with people just like them.

            Maybe some people would have mocked their little offering, ridiculed them for only being able to afford the two birds.

            But, Mary and Joseph do the best they can, offer the most, the best, they could to God.

            Mary and Joseph have come to Jerusalem to present Jesus.

            Now, of course, we know that this isn’t any ordinary couple. And we know that the child they present is no ordinary child.

            And we know that Mary and Joseph know that their child is no ordinary child.

            And, it turns out, thanks to the Holy Spirit, there were others in the Jerusalem Temple that day who saw beyond and behind the ordinariness and the poverty of Mary and Joseph – there are others able to recognize Jesus when he is presented.

            Luke tells us that one of those people is a “righteous and devout” man named Simeon. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

            And, sure enough, when Mary and Joseph present Jesus, Simeon recognizes him. Simeon recognizes the forty-day old infant Jesus as the Messiah – the Savior not only of the Jews but of the whole world. In his great song, Simeon sings that he can die because he has seen God’s salvation, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel.”

            Mary and Joseph present Jesus. And Simeon recognizes Jesus.

            But, it’s not just Simeon.

            Luke tells us there’s somebody else – there’s also a prophet – an elderly woman named Anna.

            Mary and Joseph present Jesus. And Anna recognizes Jesus.

            We’re told that Anna “began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

            Poor and ordinary as they were, Mary and Joseph present Jesus.

            And, guided by the Holy Spirit, at least some people, at least Simeon and Anna, recognize Jesus.

            Presenting Jesus. Recognizing Jesus.

            As you know, today is the day of our Annual Parish Meeting. It’s the day when we report and review statistics. It’s the day to celebrate that, for example, our average Sunday attendance jumped from 51 in 2012 to 69 in 2013, and, I’m happy to say, continues to climb as we become more regular in our church attendance and as more people discover and join our warm and loving community.

            It’s a day to review of financial situation, which I’m relieved to tell you is, thanks to all of you, much brighter than it was this time last year.

            It’s a day to talk about individual ministries – to celebrate what’s been done and to plan ahead for the exciting future that God has in store for us all.

            But, the annual meeting is also a time to reflect on the big picture – it’s a time to ask: Why does St. Paul’s exist?

            Why are we here?

            We aren’t here to keep me employed or to give us all a great place to be together and enjoy each other’s company. (Although, ahem, those are both good things that I wouldn’t want to be without!)

            No, at our very heart, the Church – this church – is here to present Jesus to the world.

            Poor and ordinary as we are, God has given us the awesome responsibility – the magnificent privilege – of presenting Jesus to the world – presenting Jesus to a world broken by sin, wounded by violence and haunted by despair.

            Poor and ordinary as we are, God has given St. Paul’s the awesome responsibility – the magnificent privilege  - of presenting Jesus to Jersey City – of presenting Jesus to a city broken by sin, wounded by violence and haunted by despair.

            Just like Mary and Joseph long ago, our job is to present Jesus.

            And when we present Jesus to the world – when we present Jesus to Jersey City – some, like Simeon and Anna, will recognize Jesus.

            Presenting Jesus. Recognizing Jesus.

            Here in church, here in our much-loved old building, we present and recognize Jesus in our music and prayers, and in our fellowship.

            Here in church we present and recognize Jesus when we take the Body and Blood of Christ into our bodies and into our hearts.

            And then we go out those doors into the world to present Jesus.

            Out there, we present Jesus when we actually work up the courage to talk to someone else about our faith. When we get the nerve to invite a friend or a neighbor to come to church, to come and see.

            We present Jesus when we partner with Garden State Episcopal to feed the hungry and to provide the basic human dignity that comes from, for example, having of clean teeth.

            We present Jesus when we offer a shoulder to cry on, when we work together with people in other churches to promise homeless families shelter and a better future.

            We present Jesus when we teach our children to reject violence, to respect the dignity of every human being, to live lives of love and generosity.

            We present Jesus when we give and give to those who can never pay us back and when we offer hospitality - when we help - even those who turn out to be dishonest and insincere.

            We present Jesus when we forgive those who hurt us – and forgive and forgive some more.

            First as a parishioner and now as your priest, I have seen Jesus presented here at St. Paul’s in so many life-changing ways.

            And, like many if not all of you, I have recognized Jesus – I have recognized Jesus who is presented right here – who is presented right here in and through us - in life-changing ways.

            Presenting Jesus. That’s the awesome responsibility – the magnificent privilege – the great truth – the great mission – behind all the facts and figures we will discuss today.

            God called Mary and Joseph, poor and ordinary as they were, to present Jesus to the world.

            And, today and in the year and years ahead, God calls us – calls St. Paul’s - poor and ordinary as we are – to present Jesus to the world.

            May it be so.

            Amen.