The Rev. Kristin Miles Sermon Nov. 6, 2011

Transcription

1 The Rev. Kristin Miles Sermon Nov. 6, 2011 Our earth is degenerate in these later days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; the end of the world is evidently approaching. This, from a translation of an inscription of an Assyrian clay tablet circa 2900 BC. Does this sound like a familiar lament? The feeling of being a part of a whirlwind societal, familial, personal- and moved by forces we cannot control is certainly as old as the human condition. There is nothing new in this sentiment. A huge difference between the perspective that we as Christians have and that of the Assyrian author is Jesus. A voice from the first centuries of the church, Bishop and theologian Irenaeus of Lyons names this gift of Jesus: Because of God s infinite love, he became what we are in order to make us what he himself is. We can understand that in the tumult of our lives there is a molding process, a becoming like Christ. These nine statements known as the beatitudes give us insight into how God is molding 1

2 us. The beatitudes tell us about God s faithfulness to us and that the process of a life becoming Christ-like is not only operative in happiness but at all times. That spiritual practice is facing all of life. In the beatitudes there is a naming, not a sugar coating, of the hardships of life that are current or to come. Jesus insists there is always in God consolation. There is no place we can go where we are not blessed by God. In the definition of Voltaire, God is a circle whose center is everywhere, whose circumference is nowhere. The beatitudes take what is life and bless it. This is not about options. And, I must admit that at various times I have found the lack of options, and the beatitudes themselves annoying. I have sometimes had a bad attitude about beatitude. Personally, I would like to rewrite the beatitudes so that, for instance, we could be blessed and rich in spirit at all times. I would like not to mourn. I would like to see the people we love in this community not mourn. But there is a very important awareness that Jesus offers to us in the beatitudes- a recognition that God did not give us the things that make us mourn to teach us things. That being poor in spirit 2

3 is not a sign of something fundamentally wrong with us, it is not a moral failing. No. The beatitudes, the reading from 1 John, and that of Revelations, let us know that our lives, even in the midst of mourning, are always connected to God s purposes. That is the blessing. Blessing is not limited by happiness or feeling good. Irenaeus of Lyons instructs us that the glory of God is the human fully alive. To be connected with God s purposes gives fullness of life. God works with the desolation, consolation, sacrifice and joy in our lives to shape us into that which God calls us to be. What are God s purposes for us? Jesus teachings let us know that they are about attending to the social and ethical issues of justice and mercy. There is not a big reveal to come regarding what we are called to do with our lives. My favorite armchair philosopher, Annie Lamott in her book Travelling Mercies, says that God has extremely low standards. Pray, take care of people, be actively grateful for your blessings, give away your money- you re cool. We might notice that the word Love, that often overused word, does not appear once in the beatitudes. Rather what appears is 3

4 what love looks like- peacemaking and refuge, mercy, gentleness not coercion, righteousness facing corruption, courage in persecution. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, says that the great theologians of the Anglican tradition ask the question: What does a life look like when it is being transformed by the participation in the life of Christ? What does it look like to be fully alive? On All Saints day it is a good time to reflect upon this question. What does a life look like when it is being transformed by the participation in the life of Christ? Let s be aware. Look around. Notice the saints in our midst, those whose lives are different because they are being molded by God. How might we let this happen to us? What will we let go of? What will we receive? There is a modern interpretation of the beatitudes written by Philip Newell, the former warden of the Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland. I think of this version of the beatitudes as a description of what saints might look like, of how we might be molded and blessed. These address the anxieties of the Assyrian thousands of years ago, our own anxieties, and give both consolation and challenge: Blessed are those who know their need for theirs is the grace of heaven 4

5 Blessed are the humble for they are close to the sacred earth. Blessed are those who weep for their tears will be wiped away. Blessed are the forgiving for they are free. Blessed are those who hunger for earth s oneness for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the clear in heart for they see the Living Presence. Blessed are those who suffer for what is right for theirs is the strength of heaven. Blessed are the peacemakers for they are born of God. Amen. 5