Do Something
A Sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi
October 1, 2023
The Rev. Robin Teasley
He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.
He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.
He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.
He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers. Psalm 78:13-16
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32
Take a moment to look around – what do we see? A beautiful church with a rich history in the community. A graveyard reminding us of the communion of saints that always surround us. A playground for children, a pavilion for oyster shucking and picnics, and a preschool that serves this community. A family of faith – all who gather here to seek and serve Christ as you care for each other. This is Immanuel’s little corner of creation, an invaluable gift from God.
We are called to be caretakers of creation – our planet, our resources, every living creature, called to be in relationship with God and one another. Today we have the joy of worshiping God outside, with some of God’s most loving creatures beside us. Some of you have pets here today, others have them at home waiting for you to return, and those of us without pets are happy to see the love between pets and their people. Our animal companions are a tangible reminder to us of God’s unconditional love.
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th century follower of Jesus. Francis saw the interconnectedness of all creation; he saw all creatures as sisters and brothers. He had a vision of nonviolence, knowing that Christianity began as a nonviolent peace movement, a community known for love, a community gathered around a table of fellowship and reconciliation, a people armed not with weapons but with a basin of water, and a towel, modeling a life of service.
St. Francis, Treviso, Italy, photograph by The Rev. Ginny Wilder
Francis experienced the mystery of God and the mystery of God’s humility. He did not study theology. He did not try to define God through reason. He simply spent long hours in prayer, and in nature, connecting with God in creation. As he followed the example of Christ, and emptied himself, humbling himself to serve others, he allowed God to work through him.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus shared a parable that helps us understand that our relationship with God is about more than how much scripture we know or the promises we make. It’s about more than what we say we believe, it’s about what we do with our faith.
In one of the early accounts of his life, Francis tells the friars in the monastery, “You only know as much as you do.” He emphasized a life of action and practice as the way to follow Jesus, and to see and know Jesus in our neighbors. This is the lesson from the Gospel parable, as Jesus is clear that the son who actually did what the father asked of him was the son in closer relationship.
For Francis, the Incarnation meant that Jesus is with us always; Christ is experienced and made visible not only inside of the church building on Sunday mornings, but throughout creation, in every humble, caring action we take.
God split open the sea to give the Israelites safe passage to freedom. God led them with cloud and fire through the wilderness. God brought streams of water out of the cliff and rained down manna from the heavens. God sent prophets to reveal his love. And then, God came in the person of Jesus to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to himself.
Saint Francis Icon, written by Anne Piland
Title Image: Francis and the Birds, Giotto,
from a fresco in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy
Comments
Post a Comment