Archdeacon Rick Cluett - December 6, 2015 - Advent 2

Advent 2 C     Nativity Cathedral    December 6, 2015

By Archdeacon Rick Cluett

Today is St Nicholas’ Day. He has a reputation as a bringer of gifts. What would you like him to bring to you today? Cookies, bling, a toy, a sweater? Or what would you like him to bring to the world today? Something like peace, security, freedom from worry or fear? Maybe something along those lines if you are reading or watching the news.

We are living in a time of fear and anxiety. An airliner brought down in Russia, Beirut, Paris, San Bernardino, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado, a community college in Oregon.

From the NY Times this week, the headline: “How Often Do Mass Shootings Occur? On Average, Every Day, Records Show. More than one a day. 

We are living in a time of great conflict. The powers of chaos seem to rule. The powers of nations and armies contend around us. People are being murdered by 10’s, by 100’s, by the thousands. More than a million people have fled their homes and home countries to save their lives. Chaos reigns. We expect the worst. We expect the end of life, as we have known it. 

People are working harder and harder to make a living, to make a life, while the corporate world seems to work harder and harder to make a killing. Refugee companies fleeing the country to escape a tax burden.

We have a hymn that begins, Look around you, can you see? Times are troubled, people grieve. See the violence, feel the hardness, All my people – weep with me. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy!

We live in Biblical Times. Baruch was writing to people whose parents and grandparents had returned from exile in Babylon. They had come home to new futures for themselves and their families ... to find jobs, to build homes, to build new lives, new farms, new villages, a new Temple, a New Jerusalem.

But it had all turned sour. They were continually at war. The land was not giving forth her increase. Life was full of pain, unmet expectations, unfulfilled dreams, and hopes not realized. Life was full, but not the fulfillment they had dreamed for, hoped for, worked for, and prayed for. People were just trying to "hang in, hang on."

They were leaving the Promised Land in droves; refugees seeking work and security elsewhere. (Sound familiar?) All was not right with their world, and God seemed far distant from his people.

Into this setting came the words of Baruch. “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem ... For God will lead Israel with joy, ...with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.”

The question back then in those dangerous times was and is still today, “Where is the messiah? Whose voice do we listen to? Which call do we follow? Who do we follow? Where do we seek our salvation? Do we have any reason at all to hope?”

Did you ever wonder why the Bible has all those stories, the kind that inspired the Left Behind Series? All the apocalyptic stories of the fall of the Temple and Armageddon and the end of time? 

These apocalyptic stories have stood the test of time because they point to the worst circumstances of life. The authors were reading the signs of their times. They were writing from the context of their lives. The stories were created out of their experience. And they resonate today. 

When have you known anguish or agony? When have you been truly afraid? When were you terrorized by demons, or powers, or forces that you could not control? When were you lost, not knowing which way to turn, not knowing who or what to follow to get to safety? When did you suffer a loss and been left feeling bereft, totally alone?

That’s what these stories are about. They are about the all too familiar perils and pitfalls of life, real life, all human life, our lives. Forever, people have been searching; searching everywhere and anywhere for some way through their time, this time, seeking some reason to hope.

So today I join with Baruch and John in proclaiming the Word of God, the Promise of God. There will come a time when wars and rumors of wars will cease. There will be a time when swords are turned into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when anguish will end. There will come a time when God will reign. And so we live in hope, even in the worst of times.

Today’s scripture readings are a call, a reminder, a warning to stay close to the one who is the source of strength, the one whose way is true, the one in whose image we have been created, and redeemed and saved, and who is always present in every circumstance of life, even beyond this life, beyond the grave, the one in whom we can trust and in whom we will ultimately rest from all our labors, all our strivings, all our fears, all our wanderings, all our pain – and know peace.

People, you and I, need someone to be John for us, to point to our God, to teach us about our God, to minister to us in the name of God, to comfort us with the promise of God, to remind us of the Hope of a life lived with God – we need some person who will bring God close, very close, as close as possible, even close enough to touch.

We need people who know the truth of Jesus Christ and speak it to bring the Life of Jesus Christ into our lives, into all the corners of our lives, all the dark places of our lives, into the hurt and confusion, fear, and isolation of our lives. 

We need people to keep God alive and present for us in our lives through liturgy and music and preaching and prayers – and with bread and wine offered and received – all in the midst of the community of God’s people.

We need a community of people where we are known and loved, because of – and in spite of – who we are. We need to know that we are welcome in God’s place, in God’s house – there’s room for us here. We need to be shown that even if there is no other place for us, this is our home place. We need God’s people to do that for us.

We need God’s people to give God some flesh and blood – a face, some warmth, a caring presence with us. We need God’s people so that God can physically stand up with us and stand up for us and stand by us, in all the circumstances of our lives, especially in these dark and dangerous times in which we live.

In Jesus Christ, God calls each of us and sends us to one another and to the people of God’s world to physically be there when God is needed to be there. You see, WE are to be the gift this St. Nicholas Day.

November 1, 2015 - All Saints' Day

Lucy Kitch-Peck & Bella Pompa

From my house, you can’t see the stars. When I was young, a few of the brightest, bravest ones shined through a cloudy sky. But now, there are none. Most nights, I don’t even notice their absence. But this past summer Lucy and I were reminded of them. While Bethlehem’s sky is clouded with pollution and street lights, the sky at Camp Lackawanna is much clearer. For those of you who have not been to Nativity Youth Camp, Camp Lackawanna is basically in the middle of nowhere. The tranquility and beauty of the nature surrounding us at camp gives us a sense that we are truly in another world, isolated from the bustle of society.  After a long day of the exciting activities of camp, Bella and I, along with a few of our closest friends, chose to take a break from the clamor of the day, and wallow in the stillness of the night. In an open field to gaze at the stars, we laid side by side on sleeping bags and warm blankets.  For the first time in a long time, we laid down, relaxed, and looked up. The sky was overflowing with billions and billions of bright, twinkling stars. It was breathtaking. To be in a place where you can’t even see your own hand in front of you, but can still be enamored with the brilliance radiating above you. To be surrounded by people who accept and love you for who you are.  It is awesome. It is glorious.

In today’s Gospel, Martha and Mary are devastated by the loss of their brother, Lazarus. As they grieve, Jesus comes to grieve with them. But some ask “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Even Martha is distraught, convinced that Lazarus is too far gone for saving. But Jesus says to her “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” And Jesus brings Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus unabashedly demonstrates the glory of God. Even more than that, Jesus is the glory of god, the love of God revealed in the world. The life Jesus gives to Lazarus is temporary; the light, life, and love Jesus gives to all of us is eternal. It is awesome. It is glorious.

Throughout all of our lives, there are times that we will be devastated. We will grieve, we will hurt, we will see nothing but darkness. We will struggle to notice any hope or beauty in this world. But Jesus reminds us: the Glory of God is ubiquitous and perpetual, if we only care to search for it. Gazing up at the stars, surrounded by people I love and who love me, my search was easy. How could I doubt God’s glory in a place of such majesty and a time of such joy? But belief is not always so simple. How can one trust in God’s glory when a loved one is taken away from them? How can one believe God’s glory is awesome when one is homeless and struggling for their next meal? When we are destitute, when we are alone, when our view is clouded by chaos and evil, we can look for the light that will always be around us. Look at the joy and community of Camp Lackawanna. Look at the gratitude and compassion here each wintry Thursday night. Look at the prayer shawls, knitted by Yarns of Love. Look at the people sitting here, in this holy space. The Sunday schoolers, the mentors, the choir, the acolytes, the ushers, the out-of-town relatives, even the strangers. They are stars, radiating in the night. They are awesome. They are glorious.

Even on the nights when we can’t see the stars, we believe that they are still there. They are still shining on the rest of the world, and they will shine on us once more. Billions of stars will always be there, filling up the immense sky that seems to stretch forever. Billions of stars reminding us of God’s immenseness. His majesty, stretching forever. His power, which is even greater than death itself. When darkness threatens to swallow all the good in this world, go outside, relax, and look up. God’s splendor is there. It is awesome. It is glorious.

AMEN.

August 30, 2015 - Put God in Your Heart

The Rev. Charles Barebo

August 30, 2015 - Pentecost 14

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Put God in Your Heart

Today’s gospel switches from John and metaphors about bread to Mark. Mark’s story of Jesus is powerful and to the point. His gospel is believed to be the first gospel written down. This fall we’ll be hearing about the ongoing conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees from Mark. And how the disciples do not comprehend Christ’s methods or mission. To get the most out of Mark it is important to understand what makes the Pharisees tick, the group that Paul calls the strictest of the strict.

The ancient Israelites believed that God lived in the temple in Jerusalem. In Isaiah it tells us that when God was in the temple so much smoke filled the building that humans could not enter. The temple was where earth and heaven interlocked and one would go to be in God’s presence. Ancient Judaism was about the temple. At least until the second Exile when the Babylonians took Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.  Seventy years later the Persians took Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return home and rebuild the temple. Then in the second century the Syrians took Jerusalem and desecrated the temple. The desecrated temple and living under the pagan rule began to change the way that the Israelites looked at their faith.

By Christ’s time Jewish theology began to change. If you kept the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, it was as if you were in the Temple itself – that is the place where heaven and earth met. Regardless of whether pagans or corrupt Jews ruled and what when on in the temple, practicing the laws set forth in the Torah became where first century Israelites found God. The Pharisees were sticklers for the Torah.  Never numbering more than 6,000 in Palestine’s population of 2,500,000 they were nevertheless a force to be reckoned with. Knowing what makes the Pharisees tick is important in understanding Mark’s Gospel and the traps they set for Jesus.

Jesus’ message would have been seen as very subversive or revolutionary by the Pharisees.  When challenged about the Levitical cleanliness laws Jesus tells the Pharisees that these laws were never important, that the Pharisees gave God lip service but never accepted God in their hearts.  They had “abandoned the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”  Jesus, never one for political correctness, points out their sin for ignoring God while focusing on human traditions.

The disciples are not understanding Christ’s message.  After the exchange with the Pharisees they ask Jesus what the parable meant.  Jesus is clear, the real evil was not what we eat or how we wash or the things that come from the outside but rather things that come out of the heart like theft, murder, immorality, greed, wickedness, envy, slander and pride, these are the things that make us unclean. Then Jesus goes on to strike down the kosher food laws. Jesus is challenging the very rubrics of Jewish life. Jesus is always brutally honest. And this honesty will cost him his human life.

The Pharisees are still with us today. It seems so much easier to accept our politically correct rules of man-made tradition as opposed to accepting Jesus in our hearts. It’s not easy to be a disciple; in fact it seems almost impossible at times.  We can see the Pharisees in action everyday if we have our eyes open. In our leadership at local, state and national levels; where politicians tell us about change that is needed and then play party politics, ignoring the call to work together and compromise to fix our many ills. And both parties do it, all the time. When our mayors, congress men and women, state officials and candidates prattle on about state building or helping what we call the poor, while being investigated or charged with crimes we see the Pharisees at work. This is happening in Allentown, in Harrisburg and in DC at this very moment.

In our schools where we are more concerned with avoiding lawsuits than teaching wisdom, justice and mercy; Where we are more interested in correctness and a common core as opposed to teaching each and every child to the best of their abilities-the Pharisees are at work. Even in the church, we sometimes become so caught up that we forget that we are charged to love God and our neighbor. The farther we stray from the Great Command, Christ’s mission for His disciples, the closer we edge into the Pharisees camp. In fact, this can become our litmus test for our actions in the church. Does this further Christ’s mission? Does it love God, does it love our neighbor, and does it build the Kingdom? If it does we’ve let God into our heart.

I catch myself wandering into the Pharisees camp too often. Sometimes I hesitate before praying aloud in a restaurant – Correctness or Jesus? Or to express the core values we are taught in the church.  I push Jesus out of my heart and buy something I don’t need or worry about a market downturn becoming fearful and greedy. If I have faith market turndowns are a lot less scary. Too often my pride keeps me from turning the other cheek. Too often I buy a meal for a homeless person and then do not invite them to eat at my table or look the other way. It’s so easy to look down on the Pharisees when in fact I am acting like one myself. No it’s not easy living with Jesus in my heart. Too often, as St Paul remarks, I do exactly what I didn’t want to do – I get frustrated and angry with someone who really just needs a helping hand. Too often like the disciples I don’t really understand what it is Jesus is calling me to do. All this bubbles up from within. And later in the quiet moments, like Peter after denying Christ, I regret it.

In Mark’s Gospel today, Jesus calls us into the true relationship with the Father and the Son. It is simple, pure and just. It opens the door to true peace, love and happiness. In our hearts lie the seeds of the Pharisees way – missing Christ’s invitation and focusing on man-made tradition, planted there by evil to lead us from the Way. Let Christ then be our guide to allow God into our hearts. And may all our actions meet Christ’s litmus test – Does this love God, our neighbors and build the Kingdom? For first century Jews, the temple was where heaven and earth meet and God’s presence was felt. For Christians when God is in our hearts, heaven and earth interlock and we are in His presence.

The Rev. Charlie Barebo - May 17, 2015

The Rev. Charlie Barebo May 17, 2015

John 17:6-19