Thursday, July 21, 2016

Words are Necessary


          This week’s Article for the Week which appears in your weekly E-pistle is entitled “The Missing Theologians.”  A simple question is posed, “Society knows what politicians think, and what columnists, movie stars, bloggers and dinner party guests think.  So why don’t they know what theologians think?” 
            You might say that society is distracted by many things.  Like Martha in today’s gospel lesson, we as a society aren’t sitting at the feet of Jesus hanging on his every word.  Instead, we are consumed by many things that distract us from the eternal truth of God’s Word.  Like St. Paul warns in his letter to the Ephesians, we are like children who get tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine.
            We get distracted by a cacophony of sound bites from politicians and movie stars and athletes and journalists and experts on social media who seem to be speaking with some kind of authority on the subject of truth.  And things start to get really interesting when the people making these truth claims start talking about God.
            It seems that our country is experiencing a deep spiritual poverty.  Not only has society tuned out the voices of theologians but society is hearing claims about God and Christianity from people who really have no business making these claims - especially not in the public eye.
            And let me be clear - this isn’t simply of problem of fewer people attending church.  In fact, the staggering statistics of fewer people in church is due in large part because the church in the United States is, in many ways, responsible for this spiritual poverty.  Like society, the church in the United States, is distracted by many tasks and has neglected to sit at the feet of Jesus.
            I can’t speak for other churches, but I feel that Episcopalians have become a little too cozy with a quotation attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “preach the gospel at all times and use words when necessary.”  I am certainly one of those Episcopalians, but I realized pretty quickly in seminary that I needed to spend some time at the feet of Jesus if I really wanted to be a preacher and a pastor. 
            In essence, this popular posture in the Episcopal Church has left the door open for others to talk about the good news of Jesus.  Think about that.  A faith tradition that is rich with words about life with God (just look at our prayer book alone), a faith tradition that is built on the work of theological giants, a faith tradition that has the capacity to synthesize a wide variety of theological doctrine and philosophical thought has, in large part, remained silent in an increasingly pluralistic society.
            I went to a church planters conference a few years back in Minnesota and listened mostly to stories about how groups planted churches with little or no denominational loyalty.  And you know what I learned?  A lot of the stuff they were using came straight from the Episcopal/Anglican playbook - our prayers, our polity, our theology.
            Of course, a part of me is thankful that others have found our faith tradition to provide valuable tools to start news churches that proclaim the good news of Jesus.  But another part of me wonders, are we going to use the gifts that God has given the Episcopal Church?  As one theologian suggested (paraphrase), “This is the Episcopal hour, but will they ever stop getting distracted by many things and return to the feet of Jesus?”
            I know I am a bit biased but it is becoming more and more obvious to me that society needs our voice.  Even more, I believe God is itching to use our voice if we would just open our mouths.  As I am sure I have said before, the when necessary is upon us.  It is time to use our words again.  It is time to sit at the feet of Jesus again.
            I will share some good news now.  There is a movement in the Episcopal Church and other mainline denominations to come back to the table and sit with Jesus.  Like Presiding-Bishop Curry often says, this is the Jesus Movement and we are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement. 
            I hear more and more voices coming out of the Episcopal Church and the Church in general that are shaping our national conversations.  And if you haven’t noticed, we desperately need to shape many of our national conversations in a different direction.  On a local level, this is a lot of thinking that led to the decision of One Selma: Unity and Faith hosting a Mayoral Debate later this month.   
            And the really cool thing about Jesus is that his words speak to people in all times and places.  I posted an article recently on social media that spoke to the core of the gospel.  Guess what?  The people who liked the article came from every political and social camp I know.
            In recent days, it is becoming abundantly clear that Jesus is the answer.  It is becoming abundantly clear that the core truths of the gospel - repentance, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, redemption, and justice for all - offer the only way forward in a polarized society that is accentuated and even exaggerated by national media.
            In the fall, the congregation is invited to sit at the feet of Jesus using a resource called The Story.  The Story takes the 31 most important stories in scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, and ties a string that shows how the narrative of scripture is pointing to the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
            I know this might sound like a novel idea but it is one that is a part of our Anglican tradition.  In fact, it is an idea that is a part of one of our core doctrine’s that says, “scripture contains all things necessary to salvation.”  In other words, scripture tells a story about how God is saving humanity from evil and death. 
            And once The Story comes alive in our lives and in our communities, the conversations begin to change, lives begin to change, communities are restored.  I’ve seen it happen.  I see it happening in the Episcopal Church.  I see it happening in Selma.  I see it happening at St. Paul’s. 
            Friends, join Mary and do the better part.  Move all those distractions to the background and sit at the feet of Jesus and be fed by his every word.  And may God’s eternal truth quiet all the background noise so we can focus on one thing: loving and serving the Lord with our actions and through our speech.  Amen.          

            

No comments:

Post a Comment