June 23 2024 Pentecost Joel 2:23-3:5, AC 2:1-11, Jn 7:37-52, 8:12

 As preached by Sister Cecelia

Holy Wisdom Church

Jesus cried out on the last day of the festival of Booths, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me ...and drink. Out of believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water. Now Jesus said this about the Spirit which believers were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit. That seems an odd thing to say, so what could it mean, there was no Spirit? We know the Spirit is spoken of quite often in the Hebrew scriptures. To mention just a few times, The Spirit of God hovers over the waters during creation. Genesis 1:2:  And the spirit of the LORD gripped David from that day on"1 Samuel 16:13. The Spirit of God is also mentioned in other places in the Pentateuch, including Genesis 6:3, Exodus 31:3, and Numbers 11:17. In many of these references, the Spirit of God "came upon" an individual and enabled them to speak or act on behalf of YHVH

Perhaps “no spirit” can be understood by thinking about nuclear power.  It has existed for eons but has only recently been aware of to be able to tap into for our use.

So the Holy Spirit has always existed but humankind never experienced the Spirit quite this way until Pentecost. We see now that the Spirit brings us the presence of the Risen Christ –who is always with us. The early church had a sense that Jesus was the hinge of all history: that with his coming, eternity had entered time. Therefore, life and the world would never be the same. In Jesus alone is salvation and the ones who believed would receive the Holy Spirit who was the dominant reality in the life of the early church.

From our second reading from Acts we heard that this mob was hearing the word of God in way that struck straight home to their hearts and that they could understand in whatever language it was spoken. The power of the Spirit had given these simple disciples a message that could reach every heart. The church was born on that day of Pentecost: the church was born universal! In all languages she proclaims the “marvels of God”.

The Good news needs to be translated, that is: the Word needs to be transmitted and explained. Are we translators of the Word of God to our brothers and sisters? The primary translation is faithfulness to the Gospel. The Gospel is the book for Christians. But the life of Christians is the book for unbelievers. Do our own hearts need to be converted to understand more fully the Covenant we made?

Just as the people of the Exodus, fifty days after coming out of Egypt, received the law of Sinai and entered into the Covenant, in the same way the community of Jesus, fifty days after the Lord’s Resurrection - his exodus from the world - received his law, which is the Spirit of Jesus, and entered into the new Covenant.

In our Covenant with God, God understands that we are human. As a result, our acceptance, our understanding, and our implementation of divine precepts will be stamped with the particularities of who we are and in what situation we find ourselves. The precepts of God are in the context of a loving relationship. They are gifts of love, even though we do not always understand them immediately. Mostly divine precepts are given to us to hold onto so that they begin to have a formative effect on our beliefs and values. It is only when they have been successful in bringing a change of heart that they begin to influence our choices and actions.

Is my personal relationship with Jesus a relationship between servant to master or an authentic relationship of love, of the Covenant of love?  May the grace of Pentecost enable the Spirit of love, love for everyone, all races, nationalities, genders and ourselves, be the law of our hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sermon 198 June 16, 2024 Jn 11:47-52; Acts 12:1-7; 1 Cor 15:12-21 [Council Fathers] Father's Day, Tikhon of Amathus + Gregory of Narek - Divisions

 As preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Church

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Today is Fathers' Day. Blessings to all our fathers. And by coincidence, our church also celebrates today the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council [325]. This was the Council that formulated the Nicean Creed: The symbol of faith that codified our understanding that Jesus Christ was both human and divine. The Creed emerged from this Council at Nicaea because it was tasked with dealing with the divisive views of Arius who held that Jesus was a prophet but not God.

       The creed also states that Christ died and rose from the dead. And as we heard in this morning's gospel reading, Christ's crucifixion flowed from the insistence of the High Priest Caiaphas that Jesus should die. The High Priest and Pharisees met to deal with Jesus who was seen as dividing the people by drawing them to himself and away from the established religious leaders and threatening the survival of Israel.

       Jesus understood this line of thinking because when he was accused of being in league with the devil [Beelzebub], Jesus replied that a house divided among itself cannot stand. Dealing with divisive impulses in the church and society have not disappeared from the human condition.

       Just look at where we are today in our Christian Church. Divided among ourselves not only between denominations but also within particular jurisdictions. And if we don't want to look too closely at our faith community, we can look at our country to see what being divided among ourselves is doing to our nation. It is the problem Richard Rohr is constantly warning us about: dualistic thinking. The dangers of thinking in terms of us vs them. It's a dead end, literally.

       Creating a creed for the church to bring uniformity to basic beliefs did not heal the divisions, it solidified them. This doesn't mean that the creed was a mistake, but it does point to a reality that goes beyond creeds. Christ told us that the most important commandments are to love God and to love one's neighbor. Notice, these commandments are not in the creed. However, for the creed to be effective, these commandments need to be in our hearts.

       The creed also speaks of Christ being born of a virgin which flows from prophecy in the Hebrew Bible. However, I suspect that Christ wasn't particularly concerned that his followers believe that he was born of a virgin, at least we have nothing in scripture to indicate that. But the image of virginity can be useful in helping us understand that purity of heart and humility, two essential qualities of the Virgin Mary, are worth striving for in our lives. And Christ said of himself, I am humble of heart. And we also profess that Christ was human in every way except sin, a level of purity truly in line with his divinity.

       We can take the creed and make it a litmus test for membership in the church but we can also take it as a teaching tool for helping us spread the message that Jesus Christ through his church brings hope to the hopeless, help to those in need, support for those striving to lead a life of virtue and salvation to all who believe.

       Resurrection is about new life. The fact that Christ's message of new life was gaining adherents upset the High Priest and the Pharisees, and so they concluded that he had to be stopped. His message was too good and too powerful. His death was their solution. But it backfired. His death didn't kill his message, it gave it new impetus following his resurrection.

       There may be many practical plans laboriously arrived at for overcoming divisions in our churches, in society, and between nations. But laws and agreements can be easily torn up and disregarded. This is why the Christian message of the Good News is never obsolete. Living a life that Christ calls us to live which recognizes a power and authority beyond human frailty and opens avenues for reconciliation, understanding and mutual respect is the soil in which concord rather than division can flourish.

As St Gregory of Narek, whom we recall today, wrote:

       You for our sake alone became flesh with us,

       So that you may make us for your sake like yourself.

       Light for all, in all things merciful, almighty, heavenly.

 

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

By the Pool of Bethsaida

 As preached by Sister Cecelia

Holy Wisdom Church

1 Peter 1:1-13, Acts 8:26-40, John 5:1-15

Have you ever wondered what occupied the mind of the man who had been lying in one of the 5 porticoes of the pool of Bethzatha? During all that time—nearly 40 years—he still kept the hope of being cured of whatever illness he had. Perhaps he had memorized some psalms and prayed them over and over while he lay there.  When Jesus approached him and asked him if he wanted to be healed, his answer, immediately, was YES. When Jesus spoke to him, he did not hesitate to pick up his mat and start walking. When Jesus later revealed his name, we might wonder why the man went immediately to the authorities. The stringent Sabbath rules indicated that a person breaking them by carrying a burden was to be stoned. The poor man evidently felt he had to explain his behavior to the authorities to avoid death.   

Whether this man was praying the psalms or not, in our daily praying the psalms, I notice how often we plead for help.  At times, it can seem that really sincere prayer comes only when we are dealing with really dire conditions. When things go awry, we remember God and call for help. When all is well, we are inclined to manage on our own and not even think about God. Often, though, we do ask for God’s help when nothing extraordinary is threatening, and we also offer praise and thanksgiving to God.  

We abandon the illusion of total self-sufficiency when we call for help and remember to pray. The relationship between helper and helped is strengthened among us mere mortals when we call for help. How much more is this true with our God.   

The help given by God comes in different forms. Sometimes it seems by chance, sometimes by the good will of others. Sometimes God seems to inspire us to draw what is needed from within ourselves. It may be by triggering memories that motivate us to apply ourselves with greater determination. Sometimes it is sincere encouragement and approval from others that boost our flagging energies. God can help us in many ways to do what seems impossible. The effectiveness of such interventions is our willingness to accept help, and this willingness is best indicated by asking for help.

In this morning’s second reading, Peter is telling the crowd that they are to love as God loves. To the extent that we realize that living in accordance with this directive is a challenge, we often find ourselves asking God for assistance in following this path. This endeavor is inspired and prompted by God’s word, but it is beyond our meager resources. So we pray—pray that God will enlighten and strengthen us to do what God has commanded.

To have caught sight of the reality of the spiritual world, even if only for a moment, makes what happens in this world of space and time no longer the most absolute value. A profound desire that has its object in something beyond the world of space and time is not uncommon. All reality has an aura of mystery. We can perceive a portion of reality that impinges on our senses, but not what is beyond our sight and hearing.

If our notion of religion or spirituality is limited to its organizational aspect—beliefs, values, rituals, and social structures—something is missing. Expressions of faith are important and essential, but they are not everything. Desire to be more fully in the transcendent reality of God is at the heart of all spirituality. We benefit by seeking a more explicit awareness of the desire for God.  Louder and more mundane ambitions can block out this desire. The patient long-suffering hope shown by the sick man by the pool of Bethzatha is a lesson for us to not give up.

 In our own experience, what started us on the road of spiritual searching? We can bring that initial experience into line with our present circumstances and give it a voice in our choices. Let this psalm be not only on our lips, but also of our  hearts.

 “Lord let your hand be my help, for I have chosen your precepts” (Psalm 119:173).

This endeavor is not only a source of comfort; it contains also a note of challenge, demanding that we abandon narrow fixed perspectives and routines and venture into new territory. We praise God best by growing beyond narrow confines and allowing ourselves to be constantly reformed by the ever-creative word of divine self-revelation.

Christ is Risen!

Sermon 197 May 19, 2024 Mk 15:42-16:8; Acts 5:12-20; 1 Jn 4:16-21 Myrrhbearing Women

As preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Church

Christ is Risen [Truly Risen][3 times]

 
    When I am absolutely certain of something, convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt, and then run into the reality that I am wrong. What do I do? Run away? Try to make the new conditions fit into my old understanding? Shut my eyes and hope that when I open them again all will be as it should be? Doesn't work, does it? And even more frustrating is when the new reality is so much better than what I was expecting, and I still can't accept it!

    Welcome to the post burial and resurrection world of the friends of Christ; his disciples, apostles, and yes, the myrrhbearing women. But it's not just their world, it's our world too. We, maybe even more than our first century forebears, are conditioned mentally, physically, intellectually and spiritually, to have all the pieces of the puzzle fit together as expected. When they don't: it's trouble! We want to know that what we can touch and see and recognize is all there is to reality. Even our yearning for deeper meaning is too easily crushed by our environmental conditioning.

    The myrrhbearing women prepared for the wrong event. They thought they were preparing for the right event, but they found the unexpected. An empty tomb. But what did that mean? They didn't know and couldn't process it so they fled. There could have been a theft. That was one theory. What was the reality?

    After the empty tomb, Jesus then proceeds to appear to many of his friends in various places and over an extended period of time. If they won't believe the empty tomb, then personal appearances were necessary. Why? Because his physical presence on earth had to end, but his work had to continue. And that work was for those he left behind. He needed to energize them for the work still to be done. So they had to see and believe that the Good News was for real, that he did indeed rise from the dead. As St Paul says elsewhere: If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, then we Christians are the most pitiable of people. But he did rise! And many people saw him after his resurrection. The myrrhbearers' fear was turned to joy. And those witnesses were so certain of what they saw and experienced that they were willing to proclaim the Good News, even to the point of dying for it.

    As the angel said: "Why seek the living among the dead? Why weep for one beyond corruption? Go! Proclaim the news to all who love him!"

    The work those first bearers of the Good News undertook is an on-going process. And that includes us. Just like them we have to overcome the skepticism of our minds and be open to the reality that is beyond the boundaries of our physical senses. And once that new "reality" sinks in, then, like the myrrhbearers, the joy they experienced and spread, also opens up for us a new life in Christ. And living that life with fidelity can be the opening to others.

    To do this is to live out the admonition we just heard in the reading from the first letter of St. John. If you don't love the neighbor you can see how can you say you love the God you cannot see. So as we often say, and can never say too often, the God of love, who is love, not only wants our love but wants us to share that love with others.

    Christ rose from the dead to bring us that joy of knowing that God's love for us is so great that it is both why were were created but also why God wants us to be with him forever. It begins here, and never ends.

Christ is Risen!

3rd Sunday of Lent, April 7, 2024

 As preached by Sister Cecelia
Holy Wisdom Church

Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Peter 2:21b-25, Luke 9:18-27

The last sentence in this morning’s gospel was: “There are some standing here who will not taste death before seeing the kingdom of God”. What did Jesus mean by those words? And how should we understand them? Several different interpretations have been offered. The next words in Scripture are those describing Jesus taking Peter, James, and John up the mountain, where he was transfigured before them.  That is one way of interpreting His words. Those three men certainly viewed a bit of heaven when they saw Jesus transfigured.

Another thought is that many of Jesus’ disciples would themselves be transformed and would also see others transformed when they believed the teaching of Jesus. Before dying, their transformation IS the kingdom of God on earth. For the apostles became convinced Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, but He was not the Messiah they had been taught to expect. He even indicated he was to suffer and die—another hurdle for them in their transformation.

What is our response to the unexpected that comes into our lives? Have we learned to turn to God in prayer? Asking help from God is a sign that dependence on God has become a part of our approach to life. In some mysterious way, we know that God will come to our assistance. It is the kingdom of God affecting our lives. Help will come, whether by removing or reducing the causes of our trouble, or by increasing our inward resources, making us better able to cope with the situation. The petition in Psalm 70, “O God, come to my aid, O Lord hasten to help me,” can come to mind in many situations we face every day, as well as in the emergencies that confront us.

When life delivers experiences which are contrary to our preferences and expectations, we can become upset. Sometimes the degree of our disturbance is greater than the situation calls for. We are not reacting to the triggering event but to a more deep-seated source of resentment.

  A misspoken word or momentary delay can occasion anger that is out of proportion to its supposed cause. Remembering God and our prayer, “O God, come to my aid, O Lord make haste to help me,” serves as a counter-balance for the many irritants that undermine life. Bad things do happen, and sometimes others are blameworthy, but we must take charge of our own perspective on life.

Even if we do not face overt persecution on a daily basis, there can be many occasions when we face negative reactions from someone. While these sometimes grow into open hostility, at other times they can take subtler forms: distance, indifference, non-responsiveness, and rudeness. Whether we know the reason or not, we can just regard the difficulty as a reminder of our human condition, and use it as a springboard to strengthen our relationship with God. We can simply determine not to allow these everyday strains to grow into a major fracture. Rather than praying for vengeance, let our prayer be that our own hearts be expanded to make room for a wider acceptance of others who are different. When we learn to enter the sphere of divine compassion, we become a little less ready to hand down harsh judgements on others. We learn to look upon their obnoxious behavior more in pity than in blame.   Instead of despairing of repairing a broken relationship, we may be inspired to add a few grains of sand to the hourglass to bring about a balance so a measure of harmony is eventually restored.

For centuries the church has used the prayer of Saint Ephrem to remind us of one way of being in charge of our perspective on life:  

“Dispel from me the spirit of discouragement and slothfulness, of ambition and vain talk. Instead, give me the spirit of prudence and humility, of patience and charity.

Yes, my king and Lord, let me look at my own sins and refrain from judging others:
 For you are blest for ages of ages, amen.”

Christ is in our midst!

 

Some ideas from Michael Casey “the Longest Psalm”

 

Good Samaritan Sunday 4/14/24 Isaiah 49:1-7, Romans 13:8b-25, Luke 10:25-37

 As preached by Sister Cecelia

Holy Wisdom Church

In this morning’s gospel, Jesus’ answer to the lawyer is clear: Anyone in need of help is a neighbor to be loved in whatever way we can. It takes a real Metanoia, a real change in our minds and hearts, to be able to love fully. Just as St Paul made very clear in this morning’s epistle.

The eclipse this past Monday that brought so many all across the United States to view this wonder of creation gave evidence that we can unite as one people. People from other countries, even, were here to view the sun’s eclipse and were welcomed. While many welcomed the eclipse as a boon to the economy, there was a great deal of actual relating with others.

We must be converted to the consciousness that makes us one with the universe and with each other. To be dominated by love, we must be able to become aware of God’s presence within. We become aware of the sacred in every single element of life. We must be healers in a harsh society. No matter what division and violence we see in our world, we are assured that Christ’s victory will be the final victory. How can we be in the world differently to help bring it about?  We want to live in a society where we don’t “pass by on the other side” as the priest and Levite did on the way to Jericho. People and communities are providing support by helping in homeless shelters, supplying foodbanks, and aiding refugees.

St John’s Chapel near the twin towers in New York City was used as a place for the responders to rest and treat the wounded after the towers were attacked. All the interior furniture—including the pews and altar—was emptied out and placed on the street which eventually basically destroyed them for further use. In time the chapel needed to be refurbished, and a special architect was put in charge to make the chapel a reminder of the destruction of the twin towers. One of the commissions for the chapel was a two-foot-high sculpture of the crucified Christ’s head and chest without arms. The artist’s intent was to remind us that we are Christ’s arms and hands. We are members of Christ’s body, and we can and must love.

The world is full of surprises, and by responding creatively to the unexpected, we can allow the full power of our latent potential to emerge. We would be wise to consider whether God is speaking to us in those moments when reality is different from what we expect. We are being asked to look in a different direction, open to the possibility that we are being asked to change.

It takes a special act of grace to accommodate ourselves to every condition of life, to carry an equal temper of mind through every circumstance. On one hand, only in Christ can we face poverty, pain, and sickness contentedly—that is, without losing our comfort in God. On the other hand, only in Christ can we face having plenty and not be filled with pride rather than gratitude. In the end, we will be judged by the life we live: not by the beliefs we hold, but by the way we have loved others.

May we continue forward, not as rigid keepers of the law, but with our minds and hearts open to all that comes our way, knowing that God is with us!

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sermon 196 April 7, 2024 Lk 9:18-27-14, 1 Pt 2:21b-25 Is 49:1-7 Cross

 As preached by Brother Luke

Holy Wisdom Church



In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit!



Does the cross mean anything in our world today? In our popular culture, Easter, seems to be primarily, a day for family gatherings, easter egg hunts and bunnies. Easter has reverted back to the ancient spring festival from which the name is derived. And preparing for Easter with prayer and fasting and good works has devolved into an opportunity for fun in the sun in such warmer climes as Florida, the Caribbean and out West. But wrestling with our darkness and bringing it into the light of Christ may be unfathomable for most people.

In the Orthodox tradition, as we arrive at the middle of our Lenten journey, we are reminded of the passion of Christ by focusing on the Cross and its meaning in our lives and the life of our world. I happen to be reading through a rather large [over 3000 pages] medieval meditation on the Life of Christ written by a Carthusian monk. He draws upon every patristic source available to him at the time. And what I find fascinating is how, through meditation, the writer is drawing the reader into participating in Christ's life, and especially during his passion, into his suffering. How? By using contemplation to transform the events into a spiritual experience. Drawing on the approach of the fathers, he emphasizes that what we do today inflicts additional suffering on Christ. So, when I sin it is like spitting on Christ, slapping him, scourging him, indeed even nailing him to the cross again!

Curiously, this medieval approach connects to something much closer to our time. I recently, listened to a contemporary setting of the Saint John Passion by Bob Chilcott, an English composer of choral and vocal music, who for a few years sang with the King's Singers before breaking out on his own as a composer. The program notes began with a story from Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, who was a chaplain to the British armed forces. He wrote of an experience in WWI where he recalled 'running to our lines half mad with fright' during the Battle of Messines in June 1917. He stumbled over the corpse of a young German soldier. 'I remember muttering, "You poor little devil, what had you got to do with it? Not much of the great blonde Prussian about you." Then there came light. [...] It seemed to me that the boy disappeared and in his place there lay the Christ upon his cross. ... From that moment on I never saw a battle as anything but a crucifix. From that moment on I have never seen the world as anything but a crucifix. I see the cross set up in every slum, in every filthy overcrowded quarter... I see [Christ] staring up at me from the pages of the newspaper that tells of a tortured, lost, bewildered world.'

As I read that story I thought about how much these words fit with the medieval monk's meditation on Christ's passion and how much they still apply to our world today. It is not a stretch to think about how we humans crucify Christ over and over again. Whether it is something we notice in our own behavior or the behavior prompted by societal passions, not to mention played out on the world's stage.

But the Cross is not just a reminder of the depths to which we humans can descend, it is also a powerful symbol of hope. It points to the offering Christ willingly gave to the world by his death. By his willingness to take on the world's sins and transform them into building blocks of new relationships and new life. Every moment in history, including the one we are living now, can become the turning point toward individual and communal resurrection. If it points to where we have failed, it also points to where we can begin to change. No matter how evil and egregious the behavior, the opportunity to acknowledge error and initiate movement down new pathways is always available. It begins in each human heart and then spreads. This is our Lenten work. This is why we bring the cross to the center of the church to venerate and to meditate on its implications for each of us.

Christ is in our midst!