that all your people may be gathered

In the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” Arthur King of the Britons goes around on his mock horse, clip-clop, clip-clop, announcing “I am Arthur King of the Britons” –  it’s blatant self-heralding.

What a way to build a kingdom. What a way to gather a people.

It doesn’t work of course. Most people respond something like

[jeering] “Oh yeah?”

And one group goes so far as to respond to his announcement in an even more subversive manner…

“I am Arthur, King of the Britons.”

“I don’t know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective.”

Jesus was not a self-heralding king. In fact, by some accounts, he shushed up all business about himself as much as he could.

But the word got out.

The kingdom, that is, the reign, of God, is at hand. It’s time to get ready.

That kingdom is shalom, the peace of God.

What would it be like to live in peace, God’s peace? How would you get there? What would it look like?

To reach God’s shalom,

         justice and righteousness must be established.

To live in safety,

         the fear of death must be removed.

As a shepherd,

         beholding lost sheep, scattered over distant hills, 

Jesus regards with compassion

         the people who have come out to seek him

         in a deserted place

Powered by faith alone.

Send them away, the disciples said,

         so they can buy for themselves

         something to eat.

No, you feed them.

How shall we feed so many?

He had them group themselves for the meal

         organized like Moses’ flock into hundreds and fifties

         into impromptu households

                  like the people fleeing Pharaoh on that first Passover

Giving thanks

         he broke the bread

         telling them

                  this is my own body

Giving thanks – but who has seen him?

When you fed me, gave me drink, clothed me, visited me,

         then you saw me

And so John can testify

         we proclaim to you

         what we have heard,

         what we have seen with our eyes,

         what we have looked at

         and touched with our hands,

(1 John 1:1)

So Jesus host of the sacred meal

         gives thanks

         as Israel always had

                  Blessed be thou O Lord our God,

                  king of the universe,

                  who brings forth bread from the earth

From the earth

         he feeds God’s people

Taking up the resources of creation

         what they had

         what they brought

         blessing it

         revealing its transformative power

When shared

         no longer victims

         they are God’s people once again set free

Like the first Passover

Like the bread in the wilderness, bread from heaven,

once again God feeds them

         with the food he provides

once again

         as with the binding of Isaac

         God himself provides the offering

Jesus

         like a shepherd

         comforts

         feeds his people

         calms their fears

and goes on

         teaching

         healing

         moving among the people

Our shepherd

         gathers us in

         transforms us with his word

                  and his self-gift of the meal

         sends us out again

                  as his messengers

                  his disciples

         to bear Jesus

                  his word

         into the world.

Jeremiah assures the people of Israel that their true shepherds are coming, sent by the Lord. The word to the unfaithful shepherds, leaders who have failed to look after the people and be their guides: you will be called to account.

To the people God’s assurance:

         I will gather, I will bring back, my people

         They will be well and increase

         I will give them shepherds

                  true leaders

         they shall be safe

                  and not afraid

The letter to the Ephesians proclaims that

         we will all become one flock under one shepherd.

         Hostility between peoples is broken down.

         All are gathered around God’s table.

         Nobody is left out, any more.

We are reconciled in Christ

         and through his cross

we are made one people

         in him.

We are all members of his household.

There is a banquet

         not like the dinner party Herod threw for his own birthday

         a heaven-sent banquet

                  not just for the prominent or the select

         all are at the table

                  this time

         the table that is the kingdom feast of God.

But can we do enough?

Are the resources we have enough for God to work with?

And who will come,

         if we extend the invitation? God knows!

When you open the doors,

         who knows who will come in,

         who God will send.

We find out, a bit, simply enough:

         God keeps sending us people,

         like the people of Edmonds,

                  Mountlake Terrace, North Seattle, …

God keeps sending us the

         familiar stranger

as well as the

         heroically Other.

Whoever God sends us,

         God calls us to be faithful

         in serving

                  as his messengers, his disciples, his friends.

We are no longer strangers – but remember (God says),

         you were a stranger once;

         know you who are a member of the household,

         a citizen numbered with the saints,

know to be prepared

         to become one great people of glory

         to be built into a dwelling place

         for – not ourselves –

         for God.

Risen Christ,

faithful shepherd of your Father’s sheep:

teach us to hear your voice

and to follow your command,

that all your people may be gathered into one flock,

to the glory of God the Father.

Closing prayer from Common Worship (http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts.aspx)
Notes for a sermon to be given Sunday 22 July 2012 at Saint Alban's Episcopal Church, Edmonds, Wash. (stalbansedmonds.org)
Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 23, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, Mark 6:53-56, BProper11, Shepherd, Shepherd King, JRL+

Christmas 2009

There in their little corner, there were
no angels, no kings, no sign—
as yet…

There was only—
a baby.

They had wrapped him in bands of cloth, as any baby would be, and then they did something unusual, something that would stand out in a crowd: they laid him in a manger, a feeding-trough.

There was no room for a woman with a newborn child up in the house where the guests gathered, so there they were in the quiet place, the hidden place.

Maybe the animals were gone, and it had been cleared out and cleaned. They were in the only space left – cave or stable – for this little family on this special night.

And so it was there that the shepherds found them.

Shepherds, men or women and children, crowded into the room,
not high society,
not fancy people,
ordinary folk,
who kept watch over a flock by night,
who came with an extraordinary story

of
what they had heard

that they would find in the City of David

a baby
wrapped in swaddling clothes
and
lying in a manger

what they had heard
they now saw

and so they believed
and told
what else they had heard

that this baby
born to this girl and her chosen husband
was to inherit the throne of David his ancestor

to become

all the things promised by the prophet Isaiah – wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace—

and more

to become Savior, Messiah, Lord.

he was born

and Caesar Augustus and Quirinius the governor of Syria
and Herod and all his children
…their day was passing, was spent, was gone…

a new—the real—power in the world
Son of God, Savior, Prince of Peace
anointed One, Lord and Father

was neither the emperor nor his servant,
not the king or his minion

but this

this
defenseless,
innocent,
little family

bore in its midst a power
greater than all the powers that the world knows

Among these people was born a king not like the ones the world knew but one who would bring God’s own kingdom into being

beginning here, in a manger,
in a little town,
among people unknown to the greater world

a man
his bride
their child

and
shepherds

Shepherds— who had brought them for the first time from outside their kin some confirmation of the promises, the extraordinary news, that they had been hearing – and cherishing in their hearts –

Zechariah in the Temple, struck dumb as he stammered out his momentary disbelief, –

Elizabeth greeting her cousin Mary: “Blessed are you!” –

Elizabeth’s son in the womb greeting Mary’s newly conceived child with a leap for joy, –

Mary receiving an angel’s visit: “Let it be to me according to your word”, –

Joseph in a dream, hearing God’s command and God’s assurance –

and so they believed
something else would be coming true—

the extraordinary series of promises sung in the Christmas Canticles,

the Song of Zechariah, the Benedictus,

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

the Song of Mary, the Magnificat,

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

the song of the Heavenly Host, the Gloria in excelsis,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(as when he was old enough to be presented in the Temple they would receive the greetings of Anna the prophetess, and Simeon, with his Song, the Nunc Dimittis, “... these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see: …”)

they began to know the light
that was coming into the world

they began to know the peace
that was coming into the world

announced in these songs
as sure
so sure
that it is reported as a done deal—

God has done these things; you can count on it.

Into this world has come its light, its salvation, its redeemer,
the one who will bring the creation to completion,
who will bring all travail to its close,
who will bear in himself, on the cross, the sins of the world,
the one whose resurrection and ascension is the vindication of the world,
the one who establishes righteousness, who brings peace,
who calls us
out of error into truth,
out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life,

who calls us into a new relationship with God,
who proclaims a new hope for the world,
borne with him on Christmas,
and renewed tonight, this Christmastide,
as together we sing his praise.

Alone among religions, in Christ God comes to us in this person, committed to this actuality, in this place at this time, incarnate, particular, involved – made real in a real place.

Here and here only, in this little one we welcome tonight, the fullness of God is pleased to dwell.

God is really present in Jesus, realized in this person at this time, and so committed to human salvation, that the word becomes flesh, and dwelling among us, redeems the time, and renews the creation.

The incarnation – the Nativity – is a fresh creative act of God himself.

So we are called into being in a new way, as new people,
refreshed, renewed, and ready
to embody
and to carry forth in ourselves,
the holy mission of Christ, the one who is alive and active,
creating, redeeming, making holy,
the son of God,
firstborn of Mary,
the source of our salvation,
the foundation of our righteousness,
the fount of all grace,
the home-source of our peace, and the future of our hope.

As Lesslie Newbigin writes,

This, then, the ‘flesh’ of Jesus, the concrete humanity of a man of a certain time and place, is the actual presence of the Word through whom all things were made, who was from the beginning with God, who was and is God.

this is the one

the one

we have seen and heard and touched and held in our arms, as John the evangelist says,

and so we have seen what could not be seen,
heard what could not be imagined, and
become acquainted with the secret beyond the skies –

the presence of God among us, Christ with us,
the hope of glory and the assurance of peace.

Come, Lord Jesus,
come to us as you came of old,
into this world bring your light,
into our future bring your hope,
into our lives bring your call –
that we may be your people and know you,
Our God.

Amen.


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The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.



The Song of Zechariah Benedictus Dominus Deus

Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.



The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis

Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.





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Lesslie Newbigin, The Light Has Come (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1982) 10.

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‘Summer Hours’

Have you ever visited an artist’s home? Have you seen the collection of their own work, the work of their friends, the work they admired - gathered together over a lifetime of aesthetic sensibility? Have you ever visited such a home - and seen it kept as a shrine, long after they’ve gone, by friends or family or fans? Robert Louis Stevenson inspired such devotion, both in Edinburgh, Scotland, and in Carmel, California, where he lived for a time - and doubtless in Tahiti too; his writing desk left intact, pen and pipe standing by. His honeymoon hideaway at Silverado is long gone, however, with only traces of the old mine-works scattered down the mountainside. Sometimes a surviving spouse or children keep intact the memories they’d shared, by Not Moving Anything. Sometimes they move on...

How do you honor the past without getting stuck in it? That is the challenge faced by the children of Hélène Marly née Berthier in ‘Summer Hours (L’heure d’été)’ a film by Olivier Assayas (2008). At her 75th birthday, they gather in her home to celebrate and to remember. The mother wants to speak about her death – in terms of the disposition of her beloved possessions.

“In general, you prefer objects not weighed down by the past,” she tells her daughter, ceramics designer Adrienne. True, the daughter replies. She prefers clean, elegant, contemporary values in her own pieces – “but beauty is beauty.”

And yet the older brother, Frédéric, wants to keep the family matrix intact – memories, artwork, house, and all. If they keep the house they can pass it on to their children, he argues – “if you have any” his childless sister wryly observes.

What about the younger brother, Jérémie? He lives in China. He is technical supervisor for factories that make running shoes. He needs to buy a residence in Peking, and wants to own a vacation home in Bali. He will not be coming back.

They, the three of them, are not ready yet to face the dissolution of the old establishment. So it is the mother who says to the elder brother, you are the one who wants to hang on to it all, you are the one who has to organize my legacy – and let it go. And soon – not many months later – she is dead. What remains?

What we see develop is the siblings’ ability to deal with the legacy of their forebears – alone and together. (I have not told you all. There is utility – and humility – in how a loyal old soul receives a parting gift.)

Then at last we see how the next generation begins to deal with the past. “It is from another era” one boy says, early on, of a family art treasure. Finally we see, as at the end of “Doctor Zhivago,” the future’s heirs moving forward together.

As members of families, we may feel we face similar questions: What do we inherit? What do we pass on? What do we value? An aesthetic sensibility? An appreciation for beauty? A wistful sense of love? Of loyalty?

As Christians, in fellowship in the body of Christ, we are called to something more than maintaining a family system. We are called to unity in Christ, and we are called to a common mission. We are commissioned to carry out and carry forward the Kingdom of God. We are called to inherit, to realize, and to transmit the Good News of the Word of Life.

As the apostle wrote, “We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:1-3)

May we, as we gather in the name of Christ, as we hear the Word proclaimed and as we respond to it, as we pray together and celebrate together the supper of the Lord, as we are sent into the world rejoicing in the name of Christ—

May we indeed embody and bear forward into the future what is truly lasting – not treasures that on earth would rot or rust or pass away, but what will never pass away, secure as we are in the knowledge of the love of Christ: his own grace and peace and joy. –Fr. John


For St Alban’s Grapevine August 2009

L'heure d'été (2008) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0836700/


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