Visions- Easter 6, 5/9/10

This Sunday marks a few things- it is Rogation Day, Mother’s Day and the one year anniversary of my beginning ministry with you.

We remember Mothers today. Our own, and those that acted as mothers for us on so many occasions. Those that are mothers and those that hope to be and those that had hoped to be but have had to let go of that dream. Sometimes our mother’s live up to our hopes and expectations, and sometimes they disappoint. We remember that life does not always go how we had wanted it to, but that through it all God, our eternal parent, is with us. Comforting us, guiding us and wanting the best for all people.

Rogation Sunday; when the church has traditionally offered prayer for God’s blessing on the fruits of the earth and the labors of humankind. The word “rogation” is from the Latin rogare, “to ask.” Historically, the Rogation Days are a period of fasting and abstinence, asking God’s blessing on the crops, for a bountiful harvest. Ancient pagan observances of robigalia included processions through the cornfields to pray for the preservation of the crops from mildew. And Christian honoring of Rogation Days has varied over the centuries: from observance on the fixed date of April 25 to great outdoor processions on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day. Elizabeth I of England ordered the “perambulation of the parish” at Rogationtide, a custom still observed in many places.

In older days, the clergy had the responsibility of the “cure of souls” within the parochial boundaries. That is, everyone within these lines was technically a member of the parish. Every institution was a chaplaincy concern. Not just every Episcopalian, every single person. And Rogation Sunday was a time to “beat the bounds” – to walk around the boundary of a parish – to be certain you knew just where those boundaries were and who was inside them. To get a clear vision of the responsibilities of this parish.

It gets me wondering- what are the boundaries of this parish? I knew folks in Texas that drove almost an hour each direction to participate in the life of the parish. If I were to drive the boundaries if this parish, what would it look like? Forget walking them- I would be gone for ages! What should it look like? How far should we be concerned about? What are the boundaries of our influence in this day of cars and planes and the internet? How far do we and can we reach into the world around us?

In our reading from Acts, Paul and Timothy head to Philippi, in Macedonia- modern Greece. Because of a vision. A man from Macedonia is pleading with Paul to come. And so we find them in today’s lesson. They are now in Europe for the first time and here we have our first converts in Europe- Lydia and her family. A woman who was head of her own household, use to dealing with the wealthy- since only they would be allowed to and able to afford her purple cloth- an extravagant textile. She was willing to listen to these strangers from far away who appeared one day. Willing to be led by her open heart.

All of this comes about because Paul has a dream, a vision. He imagines he can go to Macedonia. He goes expecting to find a man there, but surprise: he finds Lydia. He speaks to those he normally would not- a woman, who while she worships the Jewish God she had not taken the step to convert. But Paul and Timothy see her as in their boundaries, as one in their care. And as a result, the world is changed.
In our Gospel lesson for today a man has been lying there for 38 years, thinking that the only way to health is by getting in the pool first. The water in this pool would occasionally be stirred up, move. And the first person to touch the water would be healed. For 38 years he believed getting in that water first was the only answer. Then Jesus came along and gave him a new vision, a new way to be healed. A new path. Stop focusing on getting in the water first. Do you want to be made well? Stand up, take your mat and walk. Forget about the pool, see a new way, a way that Jesus shows to you.

With God, all things are possible. It is even possible that we, too, can be changed. We too can lay aside long held assumptions, preconceptions and prejudices. Like Paul, we too can lay aside old understandings of the Bible. Like Paul we too can have the vision to go to people beyond the four walls of our church, beyond the boundaries of our community, beyond state lines, beyond the United States of America, and let God’s ways be known upon the earth, God’s saving health among all nations. We do this when we contribute to the UTO offering, to community meals and our pantry, to supporting the youth mission trip to Pennsylvania this summer, to Episcopal Relief and development. When we encourage ourselves and others to remember other parts of the world, to explore them and value them as we do this our corner of the world.

It has been a year since I began ministry with you here at St. Andrew’s. A year of getting to know and hear your visions for yourself and this congregation. That listening to visions will never stop. A year of listening to God’s desires and hopes for this congregation. Together we will continue always to discern what God is calling us to do and be for the people of Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio and the broader world. We are a place with a reputation for feeding the hungry, for good liturgy, for warm and caring people. We will continue to build on that, offering engaging worship that hopefully touches people’s hearts as Paul’s words touched Lydia’s. That reaches out to the world around us, offering hospitality both to those within our community and others. We are hosting the riders of the Bishop’s Bike Ride this year- a common meal together and places for the riders to stay that night. We are taking leadership in gathering together youth in this area for activities and congregations from farther away to join in a mission trip. A group of committed leaders is looking at the results from our Natural Church Development Survey and seeing where growth will make the most difference in our life together.
And know that I dream. I try to listen to the voices that God sends my way, as Paul was sent to Lydia. Where should our energy and attention be. How are we to show God’s love to this hurting world today.

As I told you in my first sermon with you- I will not always get it right. You won’t always get it right. None of us are perfect people and we won’t always be happy with each other. I began this sermon reminding you that even our mothers don’t always fulfill our hopes. That life does not always go how we had wanted it to, but that through it all God, our eternal parent, is with us. Comforting us, guiding us and wanting the best for all people. I will love you, and I will listen and together we can and are making a difference- in the lives of the members of this congregation and this community. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Can’t contain it. Year C, Easter 5, May 2, 2010

Rev. Catherine Wright
St. Andrew’s, Elyria, Ohio

(RCL) Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

There is a song I learned when I was growing up. Perhaps some of you have heard it also. The words go like this:
Love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away;
You end up having more.
It's just like a magic penny;
Hold it tight, and you won't have any;
Lend and spend it, and you'll have so many
They'll roll all over the floor.

Pennies, rolling all over the floor. So many that we can’t hold them, can’t contain them. Love, so much that it can’t be contained, but spills over. Spills into our world in the form of Jesus. Spills into his love and care for each one of us. Spills into us. And then what? What do we do with it once it spills into us? Do we hold it tight, hoard it, hide it? Or put it on a lamp stand, share it, hand it out to everyone we meet.

It is a crucial scene in John’s Gospel, his telling of this Good News for us. The betrayer has left the room. The plan is in action. The end is coming and soon. There is no time left and Jesus chooses his words to these people carefully. Love. “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” For one another. But who is this one another? Is it the other disciples? That is one answer that Christianity has come up with over and over. Communities of Christians have closed themselves off from the rest of the world, taking care of and loving only those already in their midst. Think of the Gnostics living out in the desert in the early days of the church. Think of the Amish. Think of those who won’t associate with anyone who is not a part of their group. Think of congregations that won’t great the visitor in their midst, or tell their friends or coworkers where they are on Sunday morning, or what sustains them in this life. Is that sharing the love of God? Or hoarding it. Is that operating from Hope? Or fear?

Look at our first lesson for today- this reading from Acts, from the stories about the first days of the Christian community.
The dream Peter has is about what is clean and unclean. It is another way of saying…who is in and who is out…in the community of faith.

Peter’s vivid dream pits the “old purity ways” with God’s new “clean ways”. Again who is “in” as seen by the eyes of God verses who in “in” in the Jewish Christians eyes.

We have our own purity codes today. We see that played out in
-racial tension
-interfaith tension
-gender and marriage tension
-economic tension
-immigration tension

Our purity codes are no less strong than those during Peter’s time.
What does “there is no distinction” look like in 2010…in contemporary issues of our time.


Blue and red…there is no distinction
Conservative and liberal…there is no distinction
Legal and illegal…there is no distinction
and a host of other distinctions that we like to make, but that just get in the way.

Walter Bruggemann says it this way: Imagine that we are all invited to “the same gift”…the same Spirit is given to all…no privilege, no advanced notice, and no advantage in better faith or better future…all are clean.
Two items of interest to note from this reading in Acts:

It was Peter’s experience with something “new” that changed his mind.
-not reading about it or hearing about it. He dreamed the dream, then was faced with men from Caesarea. These Gentiles, non-Jews, ones distinct from himself. But he gave them a chance and while he was speaking the Holy Spirit fell on them just as it had fallen upon the first disciples at the beginning. Peter’s mind was changed.

And it was Peter’s experience of God that he was sharing with the Jerusalem Council -and the way that experience changed him. He was not arguing with them- he was telling them about his experience, what he had heard, and seen and believed.

How often do we share our God experiences with one another?

The second item of interest….the Jerusalem Council…asked questions. They did not keep silent. They had called Peter there to bring him back in line, to stop him from doing these things that they felt were wrong. But they gathered together, they asked questions, they talked, and apparently they listened to Peter.

And in the end…God won…God always wins.
The council, after hearing Peter’s experience, silenced their criticism.

And then one of the best verses in the NT:
Verse 17: If God gave them the same gift as to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then what power did I have to stand in the way of God.

Who are we to hinder God?
Who are we to stop the creative power of God…Who are we to halt the work God began in the Old Testament. From beginnings we can hardly define or imagine. Who are we to hinder God, to hold onto our pennies. We are to praise God, as the Psalmist does in our Psalm for today. We are to give thanks, as the United Thank Offering invites us to do, remembering the many things in our lives that are overflowing, that we are grateful for. God is making all things new and it is not our job to decide that some people are not included in that. Our job is to keep giving that love away, to let the love that is overflowing continue to overflow. Who am I to hinder God?
“Faith, when it comes down to it, is our often breathless attempt to keep up with the redemptive activity of God, to keep asking ourselves,
“What is God doing…where on Earth is God going now?”
Spread those pennies around. Share that love. Be strengthened at the table today, be strengthened by the community that surrounds you. Watch for where God is going now and join in. Continue to be a disciples that can be know by the love you have for one another.

Resurrection: Ask for it. Help bring it about.

Rev. Catherine Wright
St. Andrew’s, Elyria, Ohio
Easter 4, Year C; 4 25 2010

(RCL) Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30

It is the fourth week of Easter. My bells are still on, we are ringing bells during the Eucharistic prayers at the 10:30 service, our corporate confession of sins in on hold for a few more weeks. 50 days of Easter, 50 days to emphasis the new reality that the resurrection ushers in. Instead of a first reading from the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament, we have a reading from Acts, the story of the early days of the church. But it is not disconnected from the past stories, from the Hebrew scriptures, as our reading today alludes to.

Peter, the son of Jonah, is in Joppa, where the prophet Jonah started his mission to others, to outsiders. You remember Jonah from the Old Testament- Jonah who is told to go to Nineva, the enemy, and convince them to listen to God. Jonah, who heads in the opposite direction and gets thrown overboard and swallowed by the whale or big fish. Jonah who gets spewed out, resurrected, onto dry land and does deliver the message and the people listen, even these people who Jonah doesn’t think should be saved- the enemy, the outsider. They turn and listen to the voice of God and do what is right. They hear the voice of the shepherd, come to lead them beside still waters. Peter, the son of a different Jonah, is staying with Simon, a tanner, one who works with dead animals, an unclean trade, creating an unclean person. Simon is an outsider by the old standards. But the old standards do not apply anymore. There are no more insiders or outsiders. It is Easter, and we are a resurrection people.

We see signs of this resurrection all around us. Some are more concrete signs, like our glorious Resurrection stained glass window above the altar. The kneelers have been resurrected in a way, given new life hanging on the wall in the gathering space once the weekly use of them at the communion rail became too much. Many of us could tell stories of resurrection, of feeling dead or useless and finding new life and meaning.

And each week, our healing ministers stand at the side altar during communion, prepared by prayer and fasting to pray with you and for you. To pray with you for resurrection in some form. They are there, recognizing our need for prayer and healing. But standing there by themselves their power is limited, entombed. We have to overcome our intense privacy and individualism, and recognize that power and strength that comes from admitting our needs and asking for help. We have to approach them, ask them. They don’t need to know all the details, only that you want prayer. They will keep confidences if you want to share more with them. And they will pray, asking God for healing, for resurrection, for new life. Come now, the friends of Dorcas tell Peter. They approach him, tell them what they need from him. The women weeping openly, showing their clothing, clothing that they are wearing, to let Peter know what Tabitha, Dorcas, meant to them, means to them. She is one of us, she took care of us, she clothed us. Do what you can Peter.

Now, I want to make a distinction here between praying for a cure, which seems to tell God what to do, and praying for healing, which can come in many different forms. When we pray there may be a cure, or a slowing of the progression of the disease, or something that the doctors or experts can’t explain or didn’t expect. The woman with only a few months to live may live for years. The cancer that they saw before, they can’t find anymore. The person who is damaged by so much pain and harm in their early years finds a way to love and trust again. This happens. We can’t make it happen. We don’t understand why it happens sometimes and not others.

But healing, healing can take many forms. It can be a quick progression of a disease that is in many ways more merciful than a protracted progression would be. It can be peace with others, or with God, when it is needed most. It can be the touch of another to remind us that we are loved and valued by God. It can be the voice of God, the voice of our shepherd, deep into our souls encouraging us to be God’s voice and hands in the world around us and to the people around us, reminding us that we are loved beyond our wildest imaginations and powerful beyond all hope.

People who spend much time with those who are ill or bereaved begin to know what kind of help brings true comfort. Comfort does not come from assurances that everything will be all right or from platitudes that try to explain why everything that happens is God’s will. Comfort comes from the simple presence of companions who are willing to sit alongside us in our darkest hours, to walk through the darkness with us, to help us make the darkness holy, and to rejoice with us when small glimmers of light finally begin to shine, when the resurrection in whatever form it is going to take, makes itself known.

And we all have stories of Tabithas coming back to life, of those who had given up on doing what they had been about rising and coming back to us. Of those who were far away, literally or spiritually, coming back into our midst. We can all use others praying for us, as we do each week when we pray for all people in this congregation and community and when people choose to utilize the healing ministers and to pray at the side chapel.

We are a resurrection people. We worship Jesus who is not dead but alive. We count on resurrections in our lives, in our communities and in our world. We hear it in our Psalm for today, probably the most well known of all the Psalms. God restores our souls, comforts us, and we are all welcome at God’s table and in God’s house. We hear it in Revelation- we will be sheltered, fed, comfortable. We hear it in the Gospel for today- we will not be snatched from Jesus’ hand- we will have eternal life and not perish.

And at the heart of it, that is what our Christian faith can tell us. It tells us that our Lord and Savior, the great hero who liberates us, is not the God of light alone. Jesus is sovereign over the darkness too, because he too has been enfolded by darkness. Like us, he has grieved over the senseless waste and tragedy of life. Like us, he has agonized over those who suffer. As all of us will eventually, he has entered into the darkness of death. And with all of us, he promises to walk that road so that we do not have to walk it alone. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.”

Dorcas will not live on this earth forever. But this is not her day to die. Peter will not return over and over to bring her back from death. Even Peter will not live forever. But today is not her day to die- there is life where others thought it was gone. Even as the funeral arrangements are being made, there is power in the gathered community to restore the missing person.

In what part of your life are you hoping for resurrection? Who could you call on, as the community called on Peter, to help you to bring it about? Who is calling you to come and help them to restore life to another, as Peter did? Where can we encourage resurrection in our own lives and the lives of others around us? The works are there- they testify to Jesus and the power of the resurrection. We must only tune our lives to hear and know the voice of the Good shepherd and follow. Follow to green pastures, and right paths and resurrection.