SERMON FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2012 SAINT ANNE’S

ADVENT 3C

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Canticle 9
Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

Reflecting on the gospel, in light of the horrific events of Friday, December 13, in Newtown, Connecticut

A terrible thing happened in Connecticut this past Friday, 

and we grieve with those who lost family members, 

those whose innocence was lost when they witnessed horrific violence, 

and for those whose young lives were taken.  

Since Friday there have been extra hugs for children, 

and unbidden tears rising to our eyes and spilling down our cheeks.  

Yet again we ask Why? and cry out in unbelief, “Not again!”

Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, 

sent this urgent request for prayer:

We know that God’s heart is broken over this tragedy, and the tragedies that unfold each and every day across this nation.  And we pray that this latest concentration of shooting deaths in one event will awaken us to the unnoticed number of children and young people who die senselessly across this land every day.  More than 2000 children and youth die from guns each year, more than the soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Will you pray and work toward a different future, the one the Bible’s prophets dreamed of, where city streets are filled with children playing in safety (Zechariah 8:5)?

This different future is the one 

that the prophets hold up for us to see and hope for.  

It is a vision of the whole world healed and at peace, 

and everything is in a state of shalom  -- wholeness -- 

as God has intended it from the beginning. 

Events like the one this week remind us how very far away we are, 

as a whole human family, from that ideal.

And yet…  

Let us not be so consumed by the tragedy that we let despair overcome hope, 

or that we think the dark of evil is more powerful than the light of good.

If you have two rooms, one completely dark and the other bright with light,

with a door between them,

when you open the door, the dark does not expand and make the bright room dark.

No, the light shines into the dark room.

Light is more powerful than dark, and cannot be extinguished by darkness.

Let us not begin to think that terrible event, and others like it, are what defines the world.  

For the good that happens every day far outweighs the evil.  

And I still believe, and our hope always is, that good will triumph. 

Good is winning, even now.

There was a man sent by God whose name was John.  

He came into the world to tell us about the Light. 

He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to -- 

to tell the world about -- the Light. 

The true Light, which was coming into the world.

As Luke tells the story, 

this man, John, doesn’t beat around the bush. 

He speaks directly and clearly, even harshly, 

to the crowds that have followed him out into the desert.  

He tells them -- repent! change your lives! 

rededicate yourselves to being part of the better future.  

He speaks about fruit.  

Bear fruit worthy of repentance, he says.  

Bear fruit …  

Just as plants have flowers and fruits and vegetables and seeds that grow from them, 

our lives also produce something that people can see, 

that makes a difference -- for good or ill -- in the world.  

You see, it’s not enough to just believe certain things. 

In fact, John isn’t even trying to get his listeners to believe any doctrine or dogma. He is talking about core values, that influence the way they live their lives.  

His harsh words are for those who say they believe in God, 

and who think that being a member of a faith group is enough. 

John actually calls them a brood of vipers!  

He says, true faith is seen in the way you live your life. 

The fruit that your life bears. 

And the people ask him, “What should we do?” 

What does repentance -- turning our lives around toward God -- look like?

John is incredibly practical.  Very clear.  

If you have 2 coats, share with someone who doesn’t have a coat. 

If you have food, share. 

If you are a tax collector, or a soldier -- a person in power -- 

don’t use your position to cheat people, or to harm others in any way.  

It’s incredibly practical, and small-scale.  

You don’t have to solve all the world’s problems, 

just take care of the part that’s right in front of you.

Another thing about John’s practical directions, 

is that they are not simply personal. 

They are about interactions with others.  

Repentance is not about confessing your sins, 

as much as it is about changing your life -- 

noticing and responding to the people who are around you. 

The cold, the hungry, the powerless, whom you have the means to help.  

And when we turn outward, and realize it’s not all about us, 

an amazing thing happens. 

Our hearts become softer, more loving.  

As we reach out in love to others, we ourselves are transformed.  

Poverty of spirit gives way to abundant spiritual blessings and brilliant fruit.

Because repentance -- the kind of repentance that John is talking about -- 

(even though it’s practical, and has to do with how we behave in the world, 

interacting with others) -- 

it’s not about problem solving.  

John isn’t telling us to get out and solve the world’s problems, 

but to begin with ourselves, 

to line up our lives with God’s priorities,

to tend to our own hearts, to let our reaching out to others 

to be the fruit that grows from a humble, grace-filled heart.

As we look at the world, with its huge problems and far-reaching issues, 

how can we have hope, and not get weighed down by the hurt and horror of events beyond our control?

We must begin with the practical, the small, the personal.

Our response must include noticing the evil, and grieving over it, 

but it must also include noticing the good, 

the enormous good that people are doing every day.

That is where we see the light that overcomes the darkness.

It begins with each one, ourselves, and then those close to us. 

We can’t prevent every tragedy, and we can’t heal every hurt, 

but we can prevent some and we can heal some.

And we can look around us to see that we are not alone. 

Words of hope and healing, deeds of compassion and courage, 

are being done every day, and the impact of that good, in small, practical ways, 

adds up to much much much more than the evil that dominates the headlines.

Some examples:

Following Hurricane Sandy, Dr. Dave Ores opened his clinic to any who needed free medical care, for any reason.

A whole lot of people who still had electricity put extension cords and power strips out, so others could charge their cell phones.

In Libya, following the raid on the U.S. Embassy and the death of our diplomats, a young child was photographed holding up a sign that read “Sorry people of America, this is not the behavior of our Islam and Prophet.”

There’s a soccer team in Michigan who gave their team manager with Down Syndrome a chance to start in a game.

In Texas, college students formed a human wall to block anti-gay protesters at a military funeral. 

And on the other side of the wall, there was a young boy bravely holding up a sign saying “God hates no-one.”

Young parents eating lunch in a restaurant received this note:

“I wanted to offer to hold your sweet baby while you both ate lunch, but my husband said I’d look like a stalker. So, I’m buying your lunch instead. Enjoy that sweet baby -- we have teenagers. I know what’s ahead for you, so snuggle your wee one while you can!”

Those parents will never forget that kindness, and will possibly be moved in the future to “pay it forward.”

And we… What should we do? the little things that add up --

Hug your children.  

Hug your friend’s children.

Be part of the net of this faithful community that holds all children, 

of every age, in a place where they are noticed and known.

Reach out to and include another child, 

maybe the one who doesn’t seem to have friends.

Offer help without expecting anything in return.

Give toys and food this Christmas.

The need is always, of course, 

but the holidays are especially times when lack is felt.

Smile…  Rejoice always… Be patient… Bear fruit worthy of repentance… 

Let the fruit of your life be rich, beautiful, nourishing.

Good fruit grows from doing the things that are right in front of us to do. 

Small and big… individual acts of kindness, and things we do together with others -- all of them add up to a tsunami of light and love and goodness 

that will -- that DOES -- overcome and outweigh the terrible.  

It’s all we can do.  

And it’s enough.

Dear Saint Annians,

The 14^th century Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, said “If the only prayer you ever said in your whole life was ‘Thank you’, that would suffice.”

On this beautiful Thanksgiving morning, I pause with you to offer thanks to God, for a world of blessings.  And I want to let you know that one thing I am very grateful for is the privilege of serving with you at St. Anne’s.  Being your rector is a blessing every day.  You are an amazing congregation of gifted and giving people. I am awed and inspired by your sincere love for God and all God’s children. Serving with you is good work, and I am thankful to be among you.

Last night Episcopalians, Methodists, and New Catholics gathered at St. Anne’s for our annual neighborhood Thanksgiving Eve service.  We heard poetry and essays and scripture and wise sayings about gratitude. We sang hymns about God’s goodness and the bounty of the harvest -- not just the harvest of the fields, but of knowledge and commerce and generosity -- all the things that bind the human family together. We remembered that we are dependent on the work and resources of others, just as our work and resources are needed for the world to thrive.  We heard a large combined-church choir sing a beautiful Bach chorale. We heard an inspiring sermon from Fr. Marty Shanahan, pastor of Spirit of Hope. Afterward, we gathered in the parish hall for conversation and dessert, enjoying fellowship in God, from whom all blessings flow.

My hope last night, and today, is that the attention we give to Giving Thanks will not just be something we do on this special occasion. May the attitude of gratitude we embrace today be part of a habit of thankfulness, lasting beyond this day, shaping and influencing our lives each and every day. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Collect for Thanksgiving Day, Book of Common Prayer, page 246)

Blessings,

Lydia +

A Prayer for Election Day

Almighty God, 

to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: 

Guide the people of the United States 

in the election of officials and representatives; 

that, by faithful administration and wise laws, 

the rights of all may be protected 

and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; 

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, page 822

Dear Ones,

As we held Morning Prayer and Bible study this morning, and as I sit in my study at Saint Anne’s right now, the voter traffic has been constant.  People have been streaming in all morning, into the parish hall, carrying out their most basic right and duty as citizens.

I voted on my way in to church this morning. I hope you are planning to vote too. We are blessed to have this right, this freedom, this responsibility, and to join together to choose the leaders for our country.

Saint Annians hold diverse opinions and support differing ideologies.  Our votes today will not all be for the same candidates, or for the same position on constitutional amendments.  But I hope we can say with confidence that each of us is doing our best, with our votes and our engagement in political discourse, to live out what we believe to be our best faithfulness to the gospel.  We share a love of God and of our country, and a desire for good to prevail.  We are united in Christ, and in our hope for the future of our country and the world.  I hope our love for one another will allow us to respect each other as thinking, conscientious, faithful people, even as we may disagree.

A friend posted the following on her Facebook page. I think it’s a good pledge, for all citizens, of every faith.

I pledge allegiance to my country. After the election I will maintain my friendships with everyone. I won't lord it over you if my side wins and we will be friends if your side wins. I will also root for the new president to be the best president ever, to make wise decisions for the people of this country, regardless of whether I voted for him or not. The truth is, by far the majority of this country is made up of kind, hardworking wonderful people who want the best for their country, for their friends, family and want peace in the world. Let us be good winners and good sports and model good behavior for our children and grand children.

Yours in Christ,  

Lydia +

This beautiful prayer speaks for all people of faith, regardless of party or political views. In this election season, may we pray this from our hearts. May God help us to respect each other as we seek the best for our country.

Benediction offered by Jena Nardella on September 4, 2012, at the close of the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

God, I stand before You and ask that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing unto You.

I pray for our President, Barack Obama. May he know Your presence, oh God, as he continues to serve as a leader of this nation, as a husband to Michelle, and as father to his daughters. Help him to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you.

I pray as well for Governor Mitt Romney. May he know Your presence, oh God, as he continues to serve as a leader, as a husband to Ann, and as a father to his sons and their families. Help him to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you.

I pray for our country in the next nine weeks leading up to this election – for those of us meeting here and for our fellow citizens who met last week. May we make our children proud of how we conduct ourselves. We know our human tendencies toward finger-pointing and frivolousness. Our better selves want this race to be honest and edifying rather than fabricated and self-serving.

Give us, oh Lord, humility to listen to our sisters and brothers across the political spectrum, because your kingdom is not divided into Red States and Blue States. Equip us with moral imagination to have real discourse. Knit us, oh God, as one country even as we wrestle over the complexity of how we ought to live and govern. Give us gratitude for our right to dissent and disagree. For we know that we are bound up in one another and have been given the tremendous opportunity to extend humanity and grace when others voice their deeply held convictions even when they differ from our own.

And give us wisdom, God, to discover honest solutions for we know it will take all of us to care for the widow and the orphan, the sick and the lonely, the downtrodden and the unemployed, the prisoner and the homeless, the stranger and the enemy, the thirsty and the powerless. In rural Africa, I am witness to thousands of HIV positive mothers, fathers and children who are alive today because Democrats and Republicans put justice and mercy above partisanship. Help us keep that perspective even as we debate one another.

God, I thank you for the saving grace of Jesus and for the saints who have humbly gone before us. I thank you for the words of St. Francis of Assisi whose prayer I carry with me both in my home in East Nashville and in my work across rural Africa.

As we enter this election season, I pray St. Francis’ words for us all.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Hunger is not on Summer Vacation

Below is an email sent out last week by the Rev. John Kemp, executive director of Neighbors, Inc. in South St. Paul.  St. Anne's is one of the partner churches of Neighbors.

Dear Friends,

I’m very sensitive to being perceived as the boy who cries wolf, so I try to not ask our faith community partners for additional help too often.  We know all of you are stretched to the ends of your own capacity, and you already do so much for your community through Neighbors that we feel guilty asking for more.

In January, when we took inventory, we had 82,500 5-oz. bags of laundry detergent.  Each bag was sufficient for two loads of wash.  At our July staff meeting, I was told we were out of laundry detergent.  I didn’t believe it.  I had counted that detergent myself and I knew where it had been stored, so I assumed it had just been overlooked.  I went looking for it, and guess what?  We don’t have any laundry detergent.

This isn’t really about laundry detergent; it’s about the food shelf.  After looking for the laundry detergent I made a loop through the food shelf.  I don’t ever remember seeing so many empty shelves.  Shelf after shelf, and box after box, are empty.  For example, at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 13, we had 12 jars of jelly, all of which would be given out that morning.  And we wouldn’t have had those 12 jars of jelly had it not been for the 12 bags of food we received from Knowlans that morning, all with a jar of jelly included.

The problem isn’t just that the summer months are always a time of lowered donations, although that’s part of it.  It’s also that the number of people seeking help from the food shelf continues to increase at an alarming rate.  In May of 2011 we served 254 families.  In June of 2012 we served 382 families.  That’s a 50% increase in just 13 months, and the number keeps going up every month.

We are buying as much as we can from Second Harvest, but as you know, we can only buy what they have.  So, for example, while we were able to buy 77 cases of stew, and a skid load of shampoo and conditioner, we aren’t able to get many of the items that are most needed.  The list of those items is posted on our website and it changes frequently, but right now we badly need pancake mix, syrup, jelly, canned meats, chili, cereal, toothpaste and tooth brushes. 

If there is anything you and your parishioners can do in the next couple of months to help it will be greatly appreciated.  If we can help with collection barrels or signs or flyers, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  Just give Daniel Zhu a call at 651-306-2154 or send him an email at Daniel@neighborsmn.org and he’ll be happy to help.

Thank you for all you do, and all you have done, for the people of our community.  May God continue to bless you in your work.

John Kemp

Executive Director

Neighbors, Inc.

SERMON FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2012, LENT 4, YEAR B

PREACHED AT SAINT ANNE'S

Gospel Passage from the Lectionary: John 3:14-21

Karl Barth was one of the great theologians of the 20^th century.  

A giant among Christian thinkers. 

His writings and teachings have influenced thousands of pastors, scholars, 

and lay people who think deeply about the great questions of faith.  

In 1962, while Barth was visiting America for the first and only time, 

a reporter asked him how he would summarize his work --

-- 12 thick volumes of theology that had influenced millions.  

The great scholar thought for a moment, and replied in English:

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Sometimes the Bible can seem confusing, contradictory, 

full of ancient stories that need to be explained before they can make sense… 

if they ever make sense. 

But in some ways, the whole Bible is like the volumes and volumes of theological work written by Karl Barth, and others who think deeply about God and life and the meaning of it all.  

Words.  

Millions upon millions of words.  

Stories of people experiencing miracles… 

or deep grief and confusion when miracles don’t come…  

Stories of struggle, and hope for God’s justice… 

Recorded memories of the teachings of great, faithful leaders.  

Poems and proverbs… laws and statutes, 

and historical records of battles and wars and dynasties… 

of victory and defeat… of hopes and dreams and betrayal… 

of revenge and forgiveness…  It’s all there, and much more.

But if you want to summarize it all, I think the best thing to say would be:

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

The Bible is a love story. 

It’s the story of God’s great love for the world -- the WHOLE world.  

God is crazy in love, head-over-heels in love, with you… and you… and you…  with all of us, and the whole world and everything in it.

When you read any one little part of the Bible, 

it’s easy to find sections that are about judgment, and exclusion. 

Violence and condemnation are definitely in the pages of the Bible.  

Because it is a collection of writings gathered from thousands of years, 

telling of many diverse experiences and understandings of God, 

in many times and places.

And even with all that, the far greater number of words in the Bible are about God’s steadfast love, which endures for ever… 

About God’s grace and mercy to the people in distress… 

About God’s compassion and forgiveness, and God’s promise of blessing.  

God’s continuing, unfolding plan for the salvation -- 

the health and wholeness and life -- of the whole world.

My Old Testament professor at United Seminary, Carolyn Pressler, 

used to say that too often, people use the Bible as a weapon. 

They look in the Bible for those relatively few passages that are about condemnation and judgment and damnation, 

and they get out their exacto knife, 

and they cut out those passages away from their greater context, 

and they wad them into spit balls -- or even bullets --  

that they launch at the people they think are “other.”

For example, the famous verse that is part of our gospel passage this morning.  John 3:16. 

So famous that at sports events, or on hand-painted highway signs, 

you’ll see just that reference: John 3:16.  

I guess if you don’t know what it means, you’re “out” already.  

People of a certain age, and a particular Christian culture, 

memorized that verse in Sunday School.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, 

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

When it’s held up at ball games, I always read it as a word of judgment.  

You better believe, or you will perish.  

Quick, right over the “God so loved the world” part, 

on to the “believe in Jesus or else” part.

What about John 3:17?  

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The faithful people who wrote the Bible, 

with the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 

were constantly grappling with the great mystery of God’s unconditional love.   

A love so great that somehow, some way, 

God was going to make it possible for everyone to have life.  

God wants to save the world.

I think Christians spend too much time and energy trying to draw dividing lines, 

and dwelling on the “judgment and exclusion of others” parts of the Bible, 

and not enough time and energy living into the mystery of God’s love.

What if we read:  

For God so loved YOU that he sent his Son… 

not to condemn YOU, but that YOU may be saved.  

That YOU may be whole, and healed, and know that you are loved…  

So that YOU may be an agent of salvation -- 

an agent of health, wholeness, healing -- for others, 

in this world that God loves so much..

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

It’s a children’s song, 

simple, unencumbered by judgment about anyone else’s salvation.  

And it says pretty much all we need to know.

Lenten Soul Food

For this post I have borrowed from a column that appeared in St. Anne's monthly newsletter, The Announcer, in Lent 2011.  The Church Lady used to write about all sorts of things that people had questions about -- red doors, or children in church, or "Who Is Saint Anne Anyway?", to name a few.


If you have questions you would like answered by the Church Lady, please send them to saintannesmn@gmail.com, and they will be forwarded to the Church Lady. She may allow me to post them here on my blog.


                                                                    Blessings, Lydia +

Dear Church Lady,

I know Lent is supposed to be about self-denial and fasting.  Is it OK to enjoy good food, even during Lent?

Signed, Foodie

The Church Lady replies:

First of all, dear Foodie, Lent is not “about” self-denial and fasting. It’s about forming habits of humility, generosity, and love. Self-denial and fasting are two spiritual disciplines that people have found helpful for thousands of years. Other disciplines include prayer, study, giving, and acts of kindness.  These and other disciplines are tools for us, to help us become better disciples.

If you want to know more about fasting, check out the book Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life  by Marjorie J. Thompson, or the mid-20th century classic, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster. Both have wonderful short chapters on the spiritual benefits of fasting.

But your question was really about food. And YES! It’s OK to enjoy food during Lent. There are even traditional foods associated with Lent.  

• Pretzels are a non-fat bread, first created by monks, who shaped the dough to resemble arms crossed over the chest in a traditional prayer posture. 
• Hot Cross Buns are sold around the world during Holy Week.  
• Simnel Cake (recipe below) is traditional for the 4^th Sunday in Lent, called “Refreshment Sunday” or “Mothering Sunday.” Coming approximately halfway through the 40 days, it is a small break from the rigors of Lenten discipline, including fasting. In medieval England, it was a day to honor Mother Church, Jesus’ mother, and all mothers. Servants were given the day off to visit their mothers, and the story goes they took this sweet treat with them.  

And let’s not forget time-honored tradition of church suppers during Lent!  St. Annians enjoy wonderful food on the Wednesdays of Lent, when we gather for supper, classes, and Holden Evening Prayer. The meals are simple -- soup, bread, fruit -- but hearty and delicious.  At a recent Wednesday, Mitzi Addis’ Turkey Chili (recipe below) disappeared in a hurry.

You can find lots of good “Lent-approved” recipes in the St. Anne’s 25^th Anniversary Cookbook, now discounted to $10. 

SIMNEL CAKE

For the 4^th Sunday in Lent

¾ c butter

2 c sugar

4 eggs

2 c flour

½ t salt

grated peel of 1 orange

½ c raisins

1 can (12 oz) almond filling (may use almond paste instead)

Preheat oven to 300.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beating well.

Combine flour, salt, orange peel, and raisins.

Add to butter mixture and beat lightly to combine.

Spread ½ of batter into prepared pan.  Spread almond filling over, then spread with remaining batter.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour.  Dust with powdered sugar, or make a thin icing of powdered sugar, vanilla or almond flavoring, and milk or water.  Drizzle icing over when cool.  Cut into small bars or squares (it’s very rich).

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY CHILI

from Mitzi Addis

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup of chopped red pepper

3 cloves minced garlic

2  16 oz cans diced tomatoes with chili spices

2  16 oz cans black beans

1  16 oz can kidney beans

1  16 oz corn with bell pepper  (Mexicorn)

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. Allspice

Cilantro as a garnish - optional

Sour Cream as a garnish

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese as a topper - optional

Place all the beans in a colander and rinse and drain.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat a little vegetable oil (1 tbsp).  Add onions and celery and lightly brown, stirring frequently.  Add the ground turkey.  Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces until no longer ping.  If brown bits form on the bottom of the pan add a little water (1 tbsp. at a time) and scrape up the browned parts.

Stir in the pepper an garlic and continue to cook about 10 minutes stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water to bottom of pan to keep the brown bits from burning.

Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, oregano, cumin, salt and allspice.  Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish or more as a side dish.

Faithful Anger

SERMON FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012 -- Third Sunday in Lent, Year B

Gospel Text: John 2:13-22

Steven Slater was a flight attendant with Jet Blue airlines.   Trained in every aspect of taking care of passengers’ needs, Slater knew how to respond politely even when under stress, even when dealing with rude, drunk, or unruly passengers.  

Until August 9, 2010, when Slater lost it.

Accounts differ, but Slater claims that a passenger’s rudeness and refusal to remain seated was just the last straw.  He responded with profanity, then ripped off his tie, grabbed two beers, activated the emergency exit chute, and slid down, shouting “I’ve been in this business 20 years, and that’s it, I’m done.”

The story touched a chord with working Americans, dealing with stress and job anxiety.  Many news outlets called Slater a “folk hero.”  Some admirers set up a Facebook page, and more than 11,000 people posted their support.  “Well done Steven.”  “You are brave!”  “You should have taken the whole beverage cart with you!”

One person posted: "Congrats on a job well done Steven. Probably just as well you're not a pilot, though."

In today’s gospel we have a story of Jesus getting angry.  Acting outrageously and destructively.  This is not “gentle Jesus, meek and mild.”  This is Jesus on a rampage -- insulting, shouting, overturning tables and driving people and animals out of the temple with a whip.

Imagine the headlines -- Son of God Snaps, Lashes Out in Anger.  Galilean Turns Folk-Hero.  And the Facebook postings:  Well done, Jesus! Those moneychangers had it coming.  You are brave!  

And this time, the admiration would be well-placed.  What makes Jesus’ anger different from Steven Slater’s? 

I guess people liked what Slater did because it was outrageous, and he acted out the anger and frustration that many people feel -- at their jobs, or in their families -- but don’t express.  But then it started coming out that maybe the original story wasn’t quite true. Passengers on the plane said they didn’t witness any other passenger being rude, just Slater’s crazy tantrum.  Several people remembered him being rude and unprofessional on other flights they had taken.  His family and medical history came under public scrutiny, as people chose up sides as to whether his anger was justified or inappropriate.

And then, when all was said and done, he had lost his job and faced criminal charges.  

Was it worth it?  He had made his point… but what point?  His tantrum was about perceived personal insults, and his actions may have made him feel better for a moment, but achieved no lasting change.  They were just part of a culture of rudeness and anger.

When Jesus was angry in the Temple, he was protesting a system of injustice and greed that corrupted even the worship in the temple.

In one sense, there was nothing wrong with animals being sold, and with money changers being present.  Animal sacrifice was a normal part of the religious practices of the time, going back to ancient traditions, set down in the laws of Moses.  People needed animals for sacrifices.  The people traveled from all over the realm, and needed to exchange currency for the coin of the region.  So far, so good.  But greed and lust for power had crept in, as it too often does, and corruption had become normal.  Animals that people brought themselves were inspected by the priests, and almost always found to be blemished -- unfit for sacrifice, so they had to buy “perfect” ones from the local vendors.  Price gouging was normal.  Exchanging money was expensive, with the money changers taking a large cut.  What should have been a service to those coming to worship was instead an opportunity for cheating and abusing.

It’s unlikely that Jesus one day just snapped.  More likely he had noticed a system of injustice and took the opportunity to make a public statement, in a fashion that could not be ignored.

His anger was not about personal insults.  It was not a stunt to make himself feel better by thumbing his nose at authority or by drawing attention to his own cleverness.

John gives us this story at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, to make it clear that Jesus has divine authority, and that he speaks for God.  Jesus is powerful and assertive.  He follows courageously in the tradition of the great prophets, who expressed God’s righteous anger -- and he asserts his divine identity, as God’s Beloved, calling the people to worship in Spirit and in truth.

* * * *

What makes us angry?  Do we waste our anger on petty, personal affronts, or do we aim it toward systems and situations that reduce the dignity of our fellow human beings? 

Do we get agitated over our own wounded pride, or are we passionate about justice for all?

Joy Mead, of the Iona Community, writes:

People who are angry at injustice are compassionate people: they are filled with passion and they do not make docile citizens: angry people (slaves and free people) forced the end of slavery in the British empire; angry people (men and women) won the vote for women; angry people (black and white) brought an end to apartheid in South Africa. Angry people can change the rules … Compassion enlivens and empowers the heart and mind so that with an informed anger we ask questions.*

Listen to this hymn text by John Bell and Graham Maule, also of the Iona Community:

Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
Informed of God's own bias we ask God once again:
"How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self interest turn prayer and pity blind?"

…
"Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?"

…
"When will the wronged be righted? When will the kingdom come?
When will the world be generous to all instead of some?"

God asks, "Who will go for me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?"*

The scripture today is not a license to act outrageously in public, or to lash out in anger whenever we want to make a point.  But it is a reminder that part of our divine imprint is God’s compassion -- God’s “passion with”-- God’s deep desire for justice.

The Jesus we see today in the gospel is not “gentle Jesus meek and mild.”  He shows us the face of God who is not tame … Who cannot be contained in convenient categories we construct… Who is not just our God, but the God of all …  Who cares deeply about justice and righteousness --and seems, throughout the scriptures, to have a strong bias toward helping those who are downtrodden and oppressed.  Who spoke through prophets of old and who still speaks through those who dare to challenge injustice, or advocate for the disadvantaged, or risk everything to say clearly: this is not fair, this is not right, this is not good.

May we who follow him learn from his example how to be humble about our own place in the world, and constructively angry about the world’s injustice.

Amen.

*The quote and excerpts from the hymn text were found in This is the Day: Readings and meditations from the Iona Community, edited by Neil Paynter.  2002, Wild Goose Publications.