As Preached by Brother Marc

May 24, 2016
Holy Wisdom Church

Emily Dickenson famously wrote, "They say, that God is everywhere, and yet, we always think of Him, as somewhat of a recluse."

As we know, the Jewish people of God in today’s story were governed by harsh and ruthless authorities.

Hard words were needed if someone were to give voice to the ancient prophets. They had to be dramatic words: I bless and I accuse. I warn and I bring mercy.

If Jesus simply claimed he was new prophet speaking those very words of God—the powers that be would have laughed. They did so in fact, by saying no prophet comes from Galilee. Who does he think he is?

As we know, Moses predicted God will raise up a prophet “as he raised me up.” Isaiah 700 years before Christ said, “Know that your ways are not my ways. My Word goes forth until it brings reconciliation. The chastisement of our world was upon Him, and by His wounds we were healed.” John the Forerunner said, “He will baptize with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.” (Matt. 3:11)

But even so, in fact, Jesus said much more, “I and the Father are one.”

That woke everyone up: How could it be possible, even to suggest this? Who could prove Jesus' teaching was from God and not merely from himself? Those in charge were not just skeptical—they were threatened on many levels from another dimension.

Recalling “My ways are not your ways,” Jesus continued: The world does not recognize me. You seek glory from one another instead of from God. You do not know God—Not the presence, nor the miracle of grace in the midst of destruction; not the pearl of great price or hidden treasure in the middle of a field.

Our desires and natural egotism are deeply, often unknowingly, antagonistic and resistant toward God. Jesus said “Those who are by some grace aligned with God’s ways recognize I do the will of God. They know whether my words are from God or whether I am setting up my own doctrine. You know in your heart of hearts, existentially, in your gut feeling, e.g. ‘My spirit leaps for joy.’”

This is truth as satisfying, liberating, creative, life-giving, real, reality, from the perspective of the highest things. Here it is a matter of the survival of the human spirit. He says, “To glory in my own glory and power would be a lie; being willing to die for my teaching gives witness to the truth.”

This was not mere political maneuvering. These words broke through the boundaries of mere religion. Neither was this the fickle messianic projection of the multitudes! He says, “It is not about me. I am not in control of Life’s ways, the ways of the one who sent me.” Here religiosity and spirituality are confronted by authentic religion, by the profound call and guidance of the spirit.

He was known by works of compassion and healing. His message was, “Take up your cross: I came to suffer and die: it is for this purpose I come to this hour.” Everyone must die; he accepts to die even before his time, if it must be so.

After the resurrection event it took until Nicaea to begin to gain the clarity to have agreement on the event and the teaching, and how to talk about it. What about us, who know the story and the history?

It is not enough to be a completely sincere and genuine person who wants to do what is right. Many have missed heaven by 18 inches, the distance between the head and the heart. We need to have both of them healed and blest with interior harmony.

“No one ever spoke like this, ‘I am meek and humble of heart.’” Is he more than a friend of God, a prophet? “You have words of life. Who else can we turn to?” To possess the virtue of faith is to experience authentic knowing, to use a special quality of words, and to develop character.

Trust is not a simply the decision to believe apparent facts. Instead, it is a coming to the Lord—as a feast, a banquet, and a spring in the desert when we are dying of thirst. Believing is receiving the Lord as water, food, and life for the soul.

Paralytic

MAY 22 16 1JN 3:16-24, AC 3:1-16, JN 5:1-15 Christ is Risen!

As Preached by Sister Cecelia, Holy Wisdom Church


This morning’s gospel is a simple story that probably had more fact than symbolism concerning the poor man for whom Jesus felt such compassion. Instead of the joy one might expect to see from this invalid regaining his health, much disapproval and anger takes place. It was the Sabbath and no work is to be done on the Sabbath. The original law only stated the Sabbath was to be different than the other days and that neither a man nor his servants nor his animals were to work on that day. Through the years this simple rule was made into thousands of minute rules and regulations, many carrying a punishment of being stoned to death if broken. That sort of explains why the paralytic excused his carrying his bed and then later went to the leaders naming Jesus as the man who told him to carry his bed. After regaining his health he did not relish the idea of being stoned.

Some of us appreciate symbolic meanings in writing and art works more than others but all of us can derive some meaning from symbolism. It is doubtful that St. John wrote about the paralytic with any allegorical meaning in mind but that has not prevented many from seeing even deeper meaning into the story.

Some scholars have interpreted the paralyzed man as standing for the people of Israel. The 5 porches are interpreted as the 5 books of the law. In those same porches the people lay ill. The law could lay bare a person’s weaknesses but could not mend or cure them. The law, like the porches, could shelter the sick but could never heal them. The 38 yrs stand for the centuries the people had been waiting for the Messiah. The stirring of the waters stands for baptism. There are in some early Christian art depictions of a man rising from the baptismal waters carrying a bed upon his back.

Aside from seeing the allegorical meaning that could be attached to this gospel, compassion stemming from love is the theme of all three readings today. Jesus is telling us that God did not stop working on the Sabbath and neither did he. God rested from the work of creation but the work of compassion, love, mercy and judgement continues. Jesus teaches that human need must be helped. Other work may be laid aside but the work of compassion - no. The Christian’s compassion must become like God’s, unceasing.

What brings about our ability to love and be compassionate as God is? There are two things that seem necessary . It is the realization that those who suffer are simply the other side of ourselves.

They remind us of our own vulnerability. Compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all living beings. We are all part of one another, and all involved with one another. Sympathy understands the feelings of the one who suffers; empathy feels the feelings of those who suffer and are moved to help relieve the suffering.

The other realization is that we have no power of our own. We can be only channels of the power of our Risen Lord. If I only think of what I can do and be, it is most likely that I will experience great frustration and fear. If I think rather, not I, but Christ in me, there will be peace and power.

Knowing our own shortcomings and weaknesses, we all depend on the compassion of God.

Are there others depending on me for the same thing?

Christ is in our midst!

Beyond Expectations

As preached by Brother Luke, Holy Wisdom Church

Sermon 136: Col 1:13b-20; Ac2:22-36; Jn 20:19-31

Back in 1949, when I was born, Harry S. Truman was President. He was from Missouri and we all know Missouri is the “show me” state. Their motto is: “we have to see it to believe it.” Isn’t this the usual human response. We want tangible proof, preferably something we can touch, grab on to and know concretely that it is real. Doubting Thomas is a common expression even for those who have no idea about its origin. Today the church places before us the event that spawned the phrase “doubting Thomas.”

Isn’t it amazing that last week we celebrated the most important event in our Christian understanding of salvation history, the resurrection of Christ. And yet, just one week later the church introduces doubt. We aren’t allowed to get comfortable with any of these teachings. One week we have Jesus riding triumphantly into Jerusalem and yet before the week is out he is nailed to a cross and dies. His followers flee the crucifixion and now some fear the resurrection while others doubt it. And yet, this sequence of events, far from being beyond our comprehension, in fact mirrors our very natural human experience.

We are in the middle of a presidential election season. In January a new president will take office and at that time he or she will be accorded the usual honeymoon, often lasting 100 days. It is during that period that the president begins to get the new administration’s staff in place, starts to articulate the administration’s goals, and craft the programs that are intended to achieve those goals. But it won’t be long before doubt arises. Personnel choices will be questioned; program initiatives will go to congress to go under sometimes hostile scrutiny. Public opinion polls may begin to reveal that voters now have second thoughts. In other words, the honeymoon will be over.

Of course the expression honeymoon originates with marriage. We might think of it as the special trip which immediately follows the wedding. It may be more than a trip; it may last much longer. But at some point the cute little things you overlooked aren’t so cute any more. Those small things you thought you could live with now seem unbearable. And some things you never knew about come to light. And looking at the sad statistics about divorce, it seems that seeing beyond the problems and keeping in mind the joy behind the original decision get crushed in the new reality.

This is why our gospel lesson today is so important. It intends to remind us of the larger issue. Note what Jesus said to Thomas. He is happy that Thomas, who has seen the risen Lord, now believes, but even more: Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. And I believe happy is the important word here. How can we live, In the Spirit of Happiness, as we wrote about it many years ago? What is the happiness to which Jesus refers?

Christ says his kingdom is not of this world. What world is he referring to? The world that wants to deny the reality of the pain, sorrow and death that await us all. The world that closes its eyes to the poor and the marginalized. The world that wants only to see life as endless opportunities for pleasure and fulfillment. For Christ, his kingdom embraces all the joys and sorrows of this world and Christ accompanies us through it all for he has experienced it all. But he also calls us to a reality beyond our expectations.

So for all of us, who were not present when Thomas met the risen Lord, Christ is calling us to live beyond our expectations. To live in faith, confident that beyond all of this is the place prepared for us to which Jesus accompanies us. It is in living in that place, that kingdom of God, that place beyond expectations, that we experience true happiness. And that place includes the here and now.

Thomas expected Jesus to be dead and buried. The unexpected happened. Thomas’ life was changed forever and he worked to spread the Good News far into Asia and beyond. The church continues to present this story to us so that we too may know the happiness of faith in the unexpected. Faith that affirms: Christ is Risen!