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Trinity Episcopal Church Hattiesburg, Mississippi Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 15) August 19, 2007 Go To Trinity's Home Page

Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Luke 12:49-56
Collect of the Day
From the Revised Common Lectionary as Adapted for Use by the Episcopal Church
and Authorized by the 75 th General Convention of the ECUSA

 

Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 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; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (Luke 12:49-56)

Renewal, not Schism
The Rev. Dr. Bill Stroop

     It has been really, really HOT in Mississippi! Do you have one of those windshield sunscreens for your car to block out the sun? Using them can keep the temperature in your car down to a comfortable 160 °F. Hey that’s better than 200 °F! But did you ever notice the warning label on your sunscreen? It says “Warning: Do not drive with sunshade in place. Remove from windshield before starting ignition.” No kidding!

     Companies are responding by putting common-sense warnings on products, like the label on the sun shield for your car.[1] Crazywarnings.com lists many of these on its web site.[2] On a mattresslabel: Do not attempt to swallow; on a can of pepper spray: Never aim spray at your own eyes; on a Dremel™ electric rotary tool: This product not intended for use as a dental drill; on a contained of hair coloring: Do not use as an ice cream topping; on a toilet bowl cleaning brush: Do not use orally; and, on a c hildren’s superman costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.

     The fifth chapter of Isaiah begins with a warning label of sorts. In this passage, Isaiah described God as a vine grower who dug the soil, cleared the land of stones, built a watchtower, and planted it with choice vines. God did everything to prepare the vineyard for a crop of good grapes, but it produced only bad fruit. God was unhappy with the outcome, and brought a legal case against the people of Judah claiming that because all of the proper procedures and methods had been followed, the bad fruit must be the fault of the vineyard and not the fault of God. In other words, does the fault lie with the manufacturer or with the consumer.

     If a man drives a car with the sun screen in place and runs into a parked car, the man is to blame, not the maker of the sunscreen. If a person gets sick from eating ice cream flavored with hair coloring, it is the person’s fault, not the hair color company.

     In the story from Isaiah God becomes fed up with the wild grapes that took over the vineyard, and so God issues a warning that producing bad fruit will result in serious consequences. The warning label is a warning against the obvious: Do not practice dishonesty, injustice, violence, and discrimination. The prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea all cried out when the rich and powerful took advantage of the poor and powerless. And looking back on the annihilation of the northern kingdom of Israel and the deportation of the leadership of the southern kingdom of Judah, the prophets interpreted the events of history as God’s retribution for their inequities and failures to do the right things.

     Jesus was a prophet too, and said some very hard and harsh things. Like in today’s gospel Luke’s Jesus says, “ 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; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” This is tough language; it is also a warning label.

     By this point in Luke’s gospel, we have a pretty clear picture of Luke’s interpretation of Jesus’ ministry and vision of the kingdom of God. Jesus has preached that people are to love their enemies and to be merciful just as God is merciful (Lk 6:35-36). He has brought good news to the poor, and he has cured many blind, lame, leprous, and deaf people; he has raised the dead. And about this, Jesus says, “blessed [are they] who take no offense at me” (Lk 7:23). He has broken social barriers by eating with Gentiles, allowing sinners to touch him (Lk 7:39), and as an unmarried man, wandered the countryside accompanied by women who provided for Jesus and the disciples out of their resources (Lk 8:1-3). And he redefined what family meant by saying “my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Lk 8:21).

     In this hard saying in today’s gospel, Jesus warns that houses will be divided and traditional family members will be set against one another because of him and his message. While hard sounding words to be sure, what Jesus is saying is really quite obvious: Those who hear his message and embrace the vision of an inclusive, broad kingdom will be viewed with suspicion and perhaps hatred by those who prefer the status quo. Jesus understood very well the very basic human tendency to hold onto what is familiar, and rebel against that which threatens it.

     Ever since the consecration of Bishop Robinson and General Convention of 2003, the Episcopal Church has been embroiled in controversy. At the heart of the dispute is the belief that The Episcopal Church has departed from the standard of teaching on human sexuality by consenting to the episcopal election of a man living in a committed same-sex relationship, and by permitting rites of blessing for same-sex unions in some dioceses of the church.

     One result of this controversy has been the formation of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes (NACDP) – also known as the Anglican Communion Network (ACN).[3] Whole congregations and individual members have disassociated themselves from the Episcopal Church and aligned themselves with the Anglican Communion, seeking alternative Episcopal oversight from Bishops outside the Episcopal Church. Trinity itself has lost members of its congregation to other denominations and to other Anglican churches, and I suspect we will lose a few more, and I could not be more sad about that. Indeed, it has been “father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law.”

     Recently the leader of the Network, Pittsburg Bp. Robert Duncan said that “God, in His wisdom, has not used us to reform the Episcopal Church [into] ... a Church that is truly evangelical, truly catholic, and truly pentecostal.” As a result, he said, the ACN has turned to the task “of gathering ‘other orthodox fragments – virtually all of whom were once, like ourselves, mainstream Episcopalians’ – into a ‘new ecclesiastical structure.’”[4]

     In a dramatic response, the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner, formerly rector of Church of the Ascension in Pueblo, CO and one of the founders of the ACN resigned from the Network, saying that the move to establish a new denomination, “so contradict[s] my sense of calling within this part of Christ’s Body, the Anglican Communion, that I have no choice but to disassociate myself from this group…” Addressing himself to Bp. Duncan, Fr. Radner added, “In founding his new church [Bp. Duncan is] I fear not working for the healing of our broken Body, but repeating the mistakes of Christians in the past, whose zeal has not only brought suffering to themselves, but has wounded the Church of Christ ... Enough of this. I cannot follow him in this way.”

     Jesus warned us that those of us who follow in his footsteps and work for God’s kingdom would eventually find ourselves at odds with one another over issues of dogma or doctrine. He knew that there is deep down, a judgmental Pharisee in all of us. He knew that we would hold tightly onto our understandings of truth and develop an institutional myopia that would limit our vision and our ability to embrace one another.

     Splitting our church into bits and pieces is not the answer. All we accomplish by that is a furthering of our personal agendas, and a greater distancing of ourselves from the God who Luke says wants to give all of God’s children the kingdom (Lk 12:32).

     I recommend that we take Jesus' warning to heart. We can all complain about something, and put ourselves at odds with one another over all kinds of issues. It is good when such disagreement leads to dialog and growth and renewal and repentance. Let’s not let it go the other way and estrange one another and weaken the Body of Christ.

     We’ve had enough of that all ready.

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Isaiah 5:1-7

Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 Qui regis Israel

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; *
you cast out the nations and planted it.

9 You prepared the ground for it; *
it took root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered by its shadow *
and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.

11 You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea *
and its branches to the River.

12 Why have you broken down its wall, *
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?

13 The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it, *
and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.

14 Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;
behold and tend this vine; *
preserve what your right hand has planted.

15 They burn it with fire like rubbish; *
at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish.

16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.

17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.

18 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace. And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-- who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Luke 12:49-56

Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 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; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

Collect of the Day

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

[1] Timothy F. Merrill (Exec. Ed.). “Warning Labels.” Homiletics 19(4):62-66, 2007. The section of this sermon dealing with warning labels and the passage from Isaiah were adapted from this source.
[2] http://www.crazywarnings.com/
[3] The Network claims 200,000 laity and 2,200 clergy in more than 900 congregations, although its official online listing of 846 includes dioceses, seminaries, religious orders, and “continuing Anglican” congregations that have never been historically affiliated with the Episcopal Church.. Data from Jan Nunley. “Network delegates seek to end property litigation.” Episcopallife online. August 16, 2007. Accessed 16 August 2007 at http://www.episcopalchurch.org:80/79901_88734_ENG_HTM.htm.
[4] Nunley, Op. cit.

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Copyright © 2007, William G. Stroop - All Rights Reserved.
16 August 2007

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