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Services: Sunday (AM) First Wednesday (PM) 8:00 Holy Eucharist with the laying on of hands for healing. |
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Pentecost #12...Series C The Roman Emperor DOMITIAN made two indictments against Christians…indictments which justified his persecution of the Church during the 1st Century. The first indictment was that Christians participated in cannibalism. The second indictment was that loyalty to Jesus Christ caused division which disrupted the integrity and the sanctity…the peace and harmony of family life.. Domitian was, of course, totally wrong about cannibalism. This indictment was based upon a misunderstanding…a misinterpretation of Jesus' words recorded in the 6th chapter of John's Gospel (the so-called Bread of Life Discourse) when Jesus said, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you…whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink". The Romans took these words literally, but Jesus was speaking metaphorically…symbolically….sacramentally. The Romans were wrong; Christians were not practicing cannibalism…they were participating in the central and most sacred act of Christian worship and devotion…the Holy Eucharist! Domitian was wrong about the first indictment, but the second indictment was right on target. Loyalty to Jesus did cause division and that division often undermined the peace and harmony of family life. And Jesus' words, recorded in our Gospel reading for this 12th Sunday after the great feast of Pentecost, confirm that fact. Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you but rather DIVISION. From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three…. My friends, the presence of Jesus and his fiery Word in this world always… ALWAYS brings along with it DIVISION. This was true in the first century when Jesus and His disciples walked the dusty roads of Palestine…it is still true today…Jesus' presence causes DIVISION!. Whenever and where ever Jesus the Christ is taken seriously…whenever and where ever Jesus' Word and his presence makes a difference, there will be division and this division can and often does reach into the most intimate and personal of all human institutions…the family. I doubt…I would be very surprised if there were anyone sitting here this morning who has not experienced in the life of their family the profound truth of Jesus' Word: From now on (because of me) five in one household will be divided…3 against two and two against three… The presence of Jesus and his fiery Word in this world always… ALWAYS brings along with it DIVISION because Jesus insists that everyone make a decision about him. The simple truth is that we can not be neutral about Jesus and the Gospel he came into this world to proclaim…neutrality is not an option…he insists that we are either for him or we are against him…he demands a decision! And every decision (even the most routine and ordinary decisions that we make hundreds of times each and everyday) cause some division…when I decided to make oatmeal this morning for breakfast it caused some division (Susan expected Cheerios)…when the Philadelphia Eagles decoded to sign Michael Vick to a contract after he was released from prison, that decision caused some division in Eagles Nation…and when the Diocese of NH to cause division in the worldwide Anglican Communion…Jesus always causes Division…and the more important the decision, the more acute and potentially painful the resulting division! My friends, here is the simple truth: Jesus never promised his disciples and easy life…he never promised domestic tranquility… peace and harmony on the surface of life…Chicken Soup For the SOUL…Jesus didn't come into the world…he didn't endure the suffering and humiliation of the cross just to "spruce things up"…to make our wretched lives a bit more pleasant. The truth is that Jesus came to perform radical surgery…to wage intense spiritual warfare against the forces of death and destruction that surround and threaten us in this life…he came to spread the fire of His Word which cleanses and purifies and calls each of us to make a decision…What Are We Going to Do About JESUS???…are we for him or against him…will we be His disciples or His executioners…is he Lord of our lives or are other things (like family loyalty and peace) more important. The presence of Jesus and his fiery Word in this world always… ALWAYS brings along with it DIVISION …it was true in the first century…it is still true today… BUT the great Good News that we celebrate this morning is that this decision…this fundamental decision to say yes to Jesus the Christ…this decision to give Jesus and his Word priority in your life, is a decision which, ultimately, (maybe not immediately, but ultimately) promises PEACE…real…sturdy…substantial PEACE … Not a superficial kind of peace…peace which is simply the absence of conflict…but PEACE which repairs the terrible brokenness of our sinful humanity and restores us to a right relationship with God and with our neighbor. PEACE in the midst of the frightening storms of life…in the middle of the pain, suffering, sorrow and disappointment which is part of the very fabric of our human existence….PEACE which makes it possible to stand firm in the middle of the worst that life can send in our direction…PEACE which the world can not duplicate or deliver…PEACE which is greater than anything our human minds can even begin to comprehend…PEACE…at the core and center of your life and of mine…PEACE! AMEN!
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