Luke 9:51-62
On July 4th our country will celebrate the 231st anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Did you know that this celebration of our nation also offers us an opportunity to reflect on the Episcopal Church and its role in American history?
Many of those who created and signed the Declaration of Independence were members of the Church of England. (Of course the operative word is “were,” past tense). Because they became founders not only of this nation, but of the new Episcopal Church. Both the church and our nation were born of similar principles regarding freedom, respect, dignity, and a democratic process.
Several churches along the east coast will celebrate their rich history over these next few days. Bruton parish in Williamsburg, VA retains vestry records from April 18, 1674. Noted parishioners, include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. Members of this church spoke out in church and protested The Stamp Act of 1765. The closing of the port of Boston in 1774 caused a protest march that processed to the church for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer.
Old North Church in Boston was built in 1723. It was here, during the evening of April 18, 1775 that the church sexton, Robert Newman, climbed the steeple and held two lanterns as a signal to Paul Revere that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by sea and not by land.
Christ Church in Philadelphia has a rich history as well. It was here that the Declaration of Independence was signed. It was at this church that The Episcopal Church and its General Convention were formally organized. Parishioners who worshipped here include John Penn, George and Martha Washington, and Benjamin Franklin, - who is buried in the church yard.
In our Gospel reading this morning Jesus admonishes the disciples for being distracted. He reminds them that the journey of faith can be difficult and filled with challenges. His parable about foxes and birds and leaving the dead behind sounds harsh. But it is a reminder that we are not to get so caught up with the details and distractions of our lives that we lose sight of the Gospel.
The Gospel calls us to follow Jesus and in so doing to keep God at the center of our lives. The Gospel reminds us that our focus is to love God, love our selves, and love neighbors.
What is important is the balance of those three aspects of love: God, self, and others.
We are not to get so carried away with self that we forget God and ignore others. Nor are we to get so caught up with God that we begin to think that we are God, pumping ourselves up as superior. Nor are we to get so caught up with others that we live a life of guilt and fail to care for self.
Our rich tradition, as a nation, and as Church, reminds us that we are called to live balanced lives focused on freedom, dignity, and respect for all people. It’s in our Declaration of Independence and it’s in the Episcopal baptismal covenant.
As a parish St. Hilary’s has a very short 45 year history. Almost 300 years passed from the first vestry meeting in Jamestown and the first vestry meeting of St. Hilary’s. Compared to the long and rich history of our sister churches founded at the formation of this country, we are just a blip in time.
Sometime I wonder, if St. Hilary’s disappeared, would anyone even remember we were here? What have we done to leave a lasting mark in history?
The history of the Episcopal Church, and its founding principles, call us to be a community focused on making a difference in the world. And our Gospel reading this morning reminds us that in making this difference we are not to get distracted by the various details of our lives.
This is one reason why I love our ministry with refugees, it will keep us focused in a Gospel kind of way so we can’t be distracted by our fears or worries. Working to resettle refugees gives us a purpose and points in the foot steps of Christ. Working with refugees will enable us to put our hand to the plow and look forward into a new history.
Lives will be changed, made new and whole again. And perhaps it will be through this ministry that we will leave our mark in history.
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