The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch
Isaiah 5:1-7 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56
I wasn’t caught in the deluge on Friday afternoon, but my friend was. We were just finishing lunch in a downtown restaurant when someone mentioned that it had begun to thunder. My friend left immediately hoping to reach her parked car and close the windows before it started to rain. I stayed behind to finish a conversation. No one was really prepared for the cascade of wind and water as the storm hit. Although there had been warning signs, it seemed to come out of nowhere. The force with which it hit, even hail in some places, was certainly out of the norm for an August day in Pennsylvania. I certainly wasn’t expecting it. I had checked the weather report earlier because we were planning a picnic that night and even after that first onslaught I kept insisting it would clear in time for dinner.
Perhaps we had been lulled into the comfort zone that is late summer. Isolated thunder storm are expected, but not like this. Or perhaps it is because we are city dwellers that we don’t really expect a storm to catch us unawares and without shelter. A change in the weather can be an inconvenience. My friend was soaked, but unharmed. Yet there are times and places when being unprepared for a storm is a matter of life and death. Outdoor enthusiasts know this. Hikers, kayakers, and bikers know to read the signs. They respect weather and approach it with caution and wisdom. Now we all know how to read the signs: a change in wind, dark clouds overhead, a drop in air pressure. These could be significant. And the wise among you also know that despite all these signs, the weather is completely unpredictable as well. Storms come. If we are lulled by the summer sun, by our comfort zones, we will not be ready. Don’t underestimate the power of creation.
What about the rest of our lives? How well do we navigate the weather in our everyday lives? In our relationships? In our interactions with the world at large? In our faith? Do we read the signs? Do we remember not to underestimate the powers around us? Do we know what kind of a God we are dealing with? Jesus wondered--his strong words in the Gospel shock us, “I came to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!” Where is the good news in this? In today’s collect we honor Jesus as an example of godly life and we pray that God will help us follow in his blessed steps. But what kind of example is this? Calling down fire on the earth, bringing division rather than peace. What blessing is there in households divided? But what he speaks about is a matter of life and death.
Jesus has already set his face toward Jerusalem and has already turned the corner to the cross. He knows, even if his followers do not, that the heat is on. The crowds gathering around him now numbered in the thousands. He has been teaching about judgment and greed and the imperative to be rich toward God. He has told them not to be anxious about daily life, but to trust in God. He has said that where your treasure is there will your heart be also. He has counseled them to strive first for the Kingdom. These are comfortable words. But then it escalates. He warns them all to be prepared for the master coming at the unexpected hour. And then this—I came to bring fire to the earth!
Lest we get lulled by a quiet summer afternoon and a lovely lunch with friends, Jesus warns that there is a storm coming. Lest his followers believe that a few wise sayings about real treasure encompass the Gospel and Jesus’ work on earth, Jesus speaks of the fire to come and of his baptism to come. This is not the baptism performed by John in the River Jordan that began Jesus’ ministry, but the one that will complete the work that Jesus has begun. Do you remember John’s words when he baptized all who came to him, “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming after me and he will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire!” Jesus is that one and is ready to kindle the fire—a fire that will consume him. He will raise a storm that leads to his death on the cross. Because nothing less will save the world.
There are many storms that rage around us. We only need to read the headlines in the local paper to see the evidence of their wrath. As the prophet Isaiah cries out, “The Lord of hosts expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” Sometimes it feels as if the evils of the world are creeping closer and closer to our front door. It seems that storm clouds of despair are looming. We can get lulled into the comfort zone and not act, hoping to stay protected. But it doesn’t work that way. We will not stay protected. For what happens in the world, happens to us. That is what it means to be part of the Body of Christ. We cannot simply divorce ourselves from the other members. No wonder Jesus spoke strong words! No wonder he cried to people to look around them and see the redemption that the world cried for, “Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” Even if others didn’t, Jesus knew his work was matter of life and death for the entire world. He knew that even his closest followers had no idea about the power he would unleash: the power of the Holy Spirit, the power that began by dying on the cross.
I came to bring fire! We know something about fire and its power. We know that it burns, is destructive, dangerous, out of our control, hungry and devouring. But there is more. Do you know the story of the lodge pole pine? This evergreen is prolific out west. Like most evergreens, its seeds are contained in pine cones. But no matter how many of these cones fall to the ground, the seeds will not sprout. The cones are shut tight, glued together by resin. Certain seeds from the cone are only released when the resin is melted by intense heat: the heat of a forest fire. Do you recall the forest fires that destroyed much of Yellowstone Park 20 years ago? For most of the 20th century, the caretakers and national park managers fought all forest fires believing that fire suppression was good stewardship. They thought of any blaze only as a destructive force—one they could tame or at least temper. But in not allowing any blazes to burn, they created forests that were unhealthy, full of dead wood that became ready tinder for a huge and devastating fire. And then it turns out that forests have all sorts of adaptations for fires—like the lodge pole pine. In the midst of destruction, the seeds are preserved. New life comes forth. We have learned much about forest fires and how to fight them over the last 20 years. It turns out that in the economy of the forest, fires are necessary to ensure that healthy life continues.
This is what God’s fire can do in our lives. We cannot tame Jesus any more than we can avoid storms or control fires; nor would we want to. A tame, soft-spoken Jesus couldn’t save the world, wouldn’t bring us new life. What new life is there in you that has yet to be unleashed? What seeds lay hidden, lulled in a comfort zone that need to be awakened by God’s holy fire?
Copyright © 2007 by Anne E. Kitch
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
11th Sunday after Pentecost:Right Now
The Rev. Canon Cliff Carr
George went to the doctor for his annual checkup. When he returned home, his wife noticed that he seemed troubled and anxious. “What’s the matter dear,” she asked. “The doctor told me that I would have to take a pill every day for the rest of my life.”
“That’s not so bad,” she said – “there are a lot of people who have to do that…….” “Yes dear, I know that,” said George, “but the doctor only gave me 10 pills.”
It’s surprising how many people are afraid and worry about all kinds of things: fear of illness, fear of losing a job or friends, fear of the past or the future. In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock…… do not give up hope - - have faith.”
The scripture scholars tell us that Luke was most likely writing for early believers living under the threat of persecution – Jesus speaks to their fears like a mother or father speaking to a frightened child in the middle of the night. “Don’t be afraid, little one……..” Christ encourages us to put our trust only in God, rather than in wealth or possessions - - or in anything else that does not have “foundations whose architect and builder is God.” He also calls his disciples to “roll up their sleeves,” – to be “dressed for action and have their lamps lit,” for there is work to be done. We who are the Church are called to be a people of service and action – those whose work is to bring light to the world and society where we are. The New Hope Campaign of the Diocese, which begins this fall, is clearly a response to this call of Jesus to be ready and willing to live God’s love in our time and place.
Lest we be worn out along the way, we are encouraged by the witness of the Abrahams and Sarahs of the past, as well as Christ’s own promise that He will surely return and seat His faithful ones at the heavenly banquet table and wait on them. Here at this Eucharist we have a foretaste of what that will be like. And as usual when dealing with Jesus, things are turned upside-down. For here at this table, we can “take a breather” – we can rest a minute from our labors and gather our strength. Here we can “recline at the table” in the mid-eastern fashion and be waited on and served by the Master. Jesus offers us Himself in His Holy Word and Spiritual Food. And we are fed and nourished as we look around at the other servants who have also come in from the fields of their own labors to join us in voicing praise and thanks to God.
With them we reach out with hungry hearts for the food that sustains us as we work for the Lord and try to be vigilant during our long wait for His return. In the Gospels the various “meal images” always point us to that final Banquet we will share when this period of work and diligence and temptation is finally over. What we do here week-by-week is only a partial sign of that Heavenly Banquet, making visible in faith what the Gospel promises. For at this table we gather, we “recline” in faith and receive what Jesus offers us - - His very self as our food and our forgiveness - - nourishment given to strengthen us to do the work given us to do.
Today’s readings may sound like those we might hear during Advent - - with talk of perseverance in trials, faithfulness in waiting, and hope in Christ’s return. But watchfulness isn’t just a part-time virtue, or a one-season practice. We should always be on the watch for the Lord in our daily lives. It could be that Christ will come into my life TODAY. That Christ constantly comes into my life, steadily inhabiting every moment and every chance – being there always to fill the random things of my life with meaning. It could be that Christ is in my life and I haven’t noticed, that I am so busy preparing for an unknown future event that I can’t see what’s happening right in front of my eyes. That’s certainly true about a lot of other things. Barbara Crafton, meditating on this passage suggests that most of us “try to borrow the future every day, to live either in it’s happiness or its horrors, when the only joys and sorrows we really have are the ones we have right now. Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid little flock.” Look at what fills your life right now – maybe there are nuggets of gold embedded in the homeliest of them.”
At the most unexpected times, and yes, even in surprising people and circumstances, Jesus knocks at the door of our lives and asks to be let in. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in this celebration and in the coming days, and give him an entrance through the Word we have heard and the Holy Food we are about to receive. AMEN.
George went to the doctor for his annual checkup. When he returned home, his wife noticed that he seemed troubled and anxious. “What’s the matter dear,” she asked. “The doctor told me that I would have to take a pill every day for the rest of my life.”
“That’s not so bad,” she said – “there are a lot of people who have to do that…….” “Yes dear, I know that,” said George, “but the doctor only gave me 10 pills.”
It’s surprising how many people are afraid and worry about all kinds of things: fear of illness, fear of losing a job or friends, fear of the past or the future. In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock…… do not give up hope - - have faith.”
The scripture scholars tell us that Luke was most likely writing for early believers living under the threat of persecution – Jesus speaks to their fears like a mother or father speaking to a frightened child in the middle of the night. “Don’t be afraid, little one……..” Christ encourages us to put our trust only in God, rather than in wealth or possessions - - or in anything else that does not have “foundations whose architect and builder is God.” He also calls his disciples to “roll up their sleeves,” – to be “dressed for action and have their lamps lit,” for there is work to be done. We who are the Church are called to be a people of service and action – those whose work is to bring light to the world and society where we are. The New Hope Campaign of the Diocese, which begins this fall, is clearly a response to this call of Jesus to be ready and willing to live God’s love in our time and place.
Lest we be worn out along the way, we are encouraged by the witness of the Abrahams and Sarahs of the past, as well as Christ’s own promise that He will surely return and seat His faithful ones at the heavenly banquet table and wait on them. Here at this Eucharist we have a foretaste of what that will be like. And as usual when dealing with Jesus, things are turned upside-down. For here at this table, we can “take a breather” – we can rest a minute from our labors and gather our strength. Here we can “recline at the table” in the mid-eastern fashion and be waited on and served by the Master. Jesus offers us Himself in His Holy Word and Spiritual Food. And we are fed and nourished as we look around at the other servants who have also come in from the fields of their own labors to join us in voicing praise and thanks to God.
With them we reach out with hungry hearts for the food that sustains us as we work for the Lord and try to be vigilant during our long wait for His return. In the Gospels the various “meal images” always point us to that final Banquet we will share when this period of work and diligence and temptation is finally over. What we do here week-by-week is only a partial sign of that Heavenly Banquet, making visible in faith what the Gospel promises. For at this table we gather, we “recline” in faith and receive what Jesus offers us - - His very self as our food and our forgiveness - - nourishment given to strengthen us to do the work given us to do.
Today’s readings may sound like those we might hear during Advent - - with talk of perseverance in trials, faithfulness in waiting, and hope in Christ’s return. But watchfulness isn’t just a part-time virtue, or a one-season practice. We should always be on the watch for the Lord in our daily lives. It could be that Christ will come into my life TODAY. That Christ constantly comes into my life, steadily inhabiting every moment and every chance – being there always to fill the random things of my life with meaning. It could be that Christ is in my life and I haven’t noticed, that I am so busy preparing for an unknown future event that I can’t see what’s happening right in front of my eyes. That’s certainly true about a lot of other things. Barbara Crafton, meditating on this passage suggests that most of us “try to borrow the future every day, to live either in it’s happiness or its horrors, when the only joys and sorrows we really have are the ones we have right now. Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid little flock.” Look at what fills your life right now – maybe there are nuggets of gold embedded in the homeliest of them.”
At the most unexpected times, and yes, even in surprising people and circumstances, Jesus knocks at the door of our lives and asks to be let in. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in this celebration and in the coming days, and give him an entrance through the Word we have heard and the Holy Food we are about to receive. AMEN.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
10th Sunday after Pentecost: Be Rich Toward God
The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21
Once upon a time, there were three princesses. They lived in a marvelous castle in a country of plenty and they had an abundance of everything: food, clothes, toys and games, friends, and parties. But they weren’t particularly happy. One morning they woke up and said, “We’re bored.” They decided there was only one thing to do—what any princess who has everything must do. They needed to go on a quest.
The first princess decided to go on a quest for justice. She thought, “I like it when things are fair. If I bring justice to the world, the world will be a better place.” So she went out and became a fine arbitrator. She sat on many councils and people sought her out to make difficult decisions. With her everything was always fair and square. She dispensed justice with strict adherence to the rules, never letting her feelings get in the way. But she was not happy.
The second princess decided to go on a quest for wisdom. She thought, “Wisdom is a worthy pursuit. If I become really wise, I can teach people how to make the world a better place.” So went out and found the wise sages of the world and learned from them. She visited the famous libraries of the world. She studied hard and became widely known for her wisdom. Students sought her out and she filled their heads with all the knowledge she had gained. And she was constantly filling her own head with more. But she worried continually about what she did not know. She had no joy in her teaching, nor did her students enjoy learning.
The third princess couldn’t make up her mind about what would be the best kind of quest, so she decided to set out and see what she might discover along the way. But before she even left the palace grounds, she was distracted by the sound of crying. She found a small child who had no shoes because a bully had taken them. She knew there was an abundance of shoes in the palace, so she went back and got some for the child. But before she could get back to her quest, she wanted to make sure the child was cared for. One thing led to another as she tried to ensure that he had food to eat, a safe place to live, and kind people to care for him. Along the way she played with him, and listened to him, and together they wondered about many things, until one day she realized that she had forgotten all about her quest. But it didn’t matter anymore because in caring for the child she discovered her heart was full of love. They didn’t always have what they wanted, things in their lives were not always just, and they didn’t always make the wisest choices. But they loved each other. They were often, if not always, content and happy.
A man comes to Jesus and demands that Jesus arbitrate for him with the family inheritance. Jesus warns him and those within hearing to watch out for all kinds of greed. He tells them his own “once upon a time”: the parable of the rich man who endeavored to store up all his abundance. He spent time tearing down old barns and building new ones so he could keep all that extra. Once he was done he was pleased, because he had so much he would never have to work again. But he never got to enjoy it, because that was the night he died. God called him a fool. Not because he had so much and not because he wanted to enjoy life. But because he assumed that having and holding into such abundance was what life was all about. Jesus warns we will also be foolish if we are not rich toward God.
What does it mean to be rich toward God? Think of rich as an adjective meaning full, sumptuous, deep, and lush. Rich food, rich fabric, rich soil. Be rich toward God. Rich visions, rich life, rich story. Be rich toward God. Rich laughter, rich longing, rich relationship. Be rich toward God. To be rich toward God necessarily means to be in relationship with God—to be in love with God. Life with God is life with love. If we are not rich toward God, we are only going through the motions. This is what the Teacher of Ecclesiastes means by saying all is vanity. One of the headlines from the front page of today’s New York Times reads, “The Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich” and continues, “a few million doesn’t get as far as it used to.” The article goes on to describe the lives of folks in their late forties and early fifties who are worth 1.3, to 5 to 10 million dollars. But they are not content. They continue to strive for more, because there is at least someone who has more than they do. They do not believe they have enough. They work long hours to get ahead.
All is vanity, says the Teacher. Whether it is work, or wisdom, or justice we seek, if it is without love, without God as its center, it is meaningless and we are left empty.
I wonder what our quest would be like if God were our vision—both the vision we see with and the vision we see, the life we seek. I wonder what our lives would look like, if God were our wisdom, if we were abundant not in possessions, but in love. I wonder.
Copyright © 2007 Anne E. Kitch
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21
Once upon a time, there were three princesses. They lived in a marvelous castle in a country of plenty and they had an abundance of everything: food, clothes, toys and games, friends, and parties. But they weren’t particularly happy. One morning they woke up and said, “We’re bored.” They decided there was only one thing to do—what any princess who has everything must do. They needed to go on a quest.
The first princess decided to go on a quest for justice. She thought, “I like it when things are fair. If I bring justice to the world, the world will be a better place.” So she went out and became a fine arbitrator. She sat on many councils and people sought her out to make difficult decisions. With her everything was always fair and square. She dispensed justice with strict adherence to the rules, never letting her feelings get in the way. But she was not happy.
The second princess decided to go on a quest for wisdom. She thought, “Wisdom is a worthy pursuit. If I become really wise, I can teach people how to make the world a better place.” So went out and found the wise sages of the world and learned from them. She visited the famous libraries of the world. She studied hard and became widely known for her wisdom. Students sought her out and she filled their heads with all the knowledge she had gained. And she was constantly filling her own head with more. But she worried continually about what she did not know. She had no joy in her teaching, nor did her students enjoy learning.
The third princess couldn’t make up her mind about what would be the best kind of quest, so she decided to set out and see what she might discover along the way. But before she even left the palace grounds, she was distracted by the sound of crying. She found a small child who had no shoes because a bully had taken them. She knew there was an abundance of shoes in the palace, so she went back and got some for the child. But before she could get back to her quest, she wanted to make sure the child was cared for. One thing led to another as she tried to ensure that he had food to eat, a safe place to live, and kind people to care for him. Along the way she played with him, and listened to him, and together they wondered about many things, until one day she realized that she had forgotten all about her quest. But it didn’t matter anymore because in caring for the child she discovered her heart was full of love. They didn’t always have what they wanted, things in their lives were not always just, and they didn’t always make the wisest choices. But they loved each other. They were often, if not always, content and happy.
A man comes to Jesus and demands that Jesus arbitrate for him with the family inheritance. Jesus warns him and those within hearing to watch out for all kinds of greed. He tells them his own “once upon a time”: the parable of the rich man who endeavored to store up all his abundance. He spent time tearing down old barns and building new ones so he could keep all that extra. Once he was done he was pleased, because he had so much he would never have to work again. But he never got to enjoy it, because that was the night he died. God called him a fool. Not because he had so much and not because he wanted to enjoy life. But because he assumed that having and holding into such abundance was what life was all about. Jesus warns we will also be foolish if we are not rich toward God.
What does it mean to be rich toward God? Think of rich as an adjective meaning full, sumptuous, deep, and lush. Rich food, rich fabric, rich soil. Be rich toward God. Rich visions, rich life, rich story. Be rich toward God. Rich laughter, rich longing, rich relationship. Be rich toward God. To be rich toward God necessarily means to be in relationship with God—to be in love with God. Life with God is life with love. If we are not rich toward God, we are only going through the motions. This is what the Teacher of Ecclesiastes means by saying all is vanity. One of the headlines from the front page of today’s New York Times reads, “The Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich” and continues, “a few million doesn’t get as far as it used to.” The article goes on to describe the lives of folks in their late forties and early fifties who are worth 1.3, to 5 to 10 million dollars. But they are not content. They continue to strive for more, because there is at least someone who has more than they do. They do not believe they have enough. They work long hours to get ahead.
All is vanity, says the Teacher. Whether it is work, or wisdom, or justice we seek, if it is without love, without God as its center, it is meaningless and we are left empty.
I wonder what our quest would be like if God were our vision—both the vision we see with and the vision we see, the life we seek. I wonder what our lives would look like, if God were our wisdom, if we were abundant not in possessions, but in love. I wonder.
Copyright © 2007 Anne E. Kitch
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