An Heirloom of Love

A short reflection on the Gospel for Proper 9C 2007
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

When I was little I remember a certain chair that belonged to my great-grandmother. It was a desk chair with a curved wood back, arms, and seat; a swivel chair on wheels. My brothers and I loved to twirl in that chair, round and round we’d spin. But, because it was old it wasn’t the hydraulic lift and swivel like desk chairs are today. No. This one was like a nut and bolt: the seat was a big nut that screwed onto the threaded bolt-like base. So, if we twirled enough in one direction the seat would screw right off the base and we’d end up on the floor.

My mother ended up with this chair and moved it with her everywhere, for decades. Over the years it was painted every color of every generation including, as I remember it, yellow – and then – olive green.

A few years ago, after my mother died, I found that old chair stuffed into my mother’s storage locker, broken in several pieces. She couldn’t bear to throw it out. But, now it was neither a cherished antique, not an heirloom nor a legacy, just a broken chair. So, I threw it out.

In our Gospel this morning Jesus sends the “appointed” out in pairs, seventy some people. Their task is to continue the ministry of Jesus, to go where he had intended to go and do what he had intended to do. They are to offer a way of passing down from one generation to the next an experience of Jesus. They are to offer folks, long after Jesus has gone, a precious heirloom of God’s love poured out in Christ, given for us.

What they are offering is the gift of relationship.

And, so, these appointed ones are to travel light. No need to carry any baggage. Just go and be present for the people they meet. Visit with them. Share stories. If they are welcomed, wonderful. A legacy will begin; a family history of God’s people will be shared and lived into in a new way. But if they are not welcomed, don’t worry. Move on. Don’t carry that baggage either, the baggage of being rejected or ignored. It’s ok. God’s
work will happen somehow, someway. Just move on and try again.

Of, course it will be difficult work at times. Not only will people reject the appointed ones but some might become hostile: “scorpions, snakes, and wolves” will come out to “attack” and “bite.”

Jesus’ advice to such threats: just keep going. The kingdom of God is near.

By their presence and with the intent of their hearts, these appointed ones bring with them the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is like a precious heirloom; it grows richer over time. The kingdom of God is like a priceless well aged piece of furniture, growing in value the longer the kingdom of God resonates around us. And like antiques which carry the stories of those who have used it, the kingdom of God becomes a part of our very being. And we become a part of the kingdom.

We, Christians today, are the appointed ones. We are charged to go out and share this heirloom with others. This heirloom, our Christian faith, is like a rich antique table. Around this table we invite all to join us, to come and share in the feast. We bring nourishment to the hungry, those who are starving, spiritually, or physically.

Today’s Gospel cautions us; We bring God’s love - we don’t need to bring everything. It reminds us that some of the things we might cling too are really not needed. They may feel like part of our history and our tradition, but being old doesn’t necessarily make them valuable. Some things, like that old broken chair, don’t need to be saved, stored, and moved around just for the sake of saving them. Some things just need to be discarded.

Religion is like that too. Sometimes we need to discard particular ways of understanding our faith. Often the way we understand God and what God is doing in the life death and resurrection of Jesus is bound by the culture and society we live in. Many of the ways we understand God are human constructs, they can be helpful but not always “necessary” – God is mystery.

So, this gospel helps us in our housecleaning. What’s important is to bring only the most valuable and necessary pieces – ourselves, and God’s love. Our Collect for the Day sums this up: O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Putting Our Hand to the Plow and Looking Forward to the Future

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.