May 26, 2013 Christ Church Quaker Farms
Before today’s gospel, we recited the words to a song called, “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” which is one of my favorites. Years ago my family and I hiked up the Irish mountain, Croah Patrick, and there on the summit we sang this song. I so admire St. Patrick, that I named my son after him. At great personal danger to himself, he brought Christianity to the Celts of Ireland.
Looking at the cover of your bulletin, Patrick was passionate about our one God, who has expressed himself in a trinity of manifestations: Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Patrick taught then, as I teach you now—that the trinity is the heart of Christianity, revealing the life, the loyalty, and the light of God .
To the ignorant and uneducated, the Christian church may appear to be like other educational & charitable institutions. From all the sexual scandals , conflicts, and tribulations, the Church may appear to be an immoral, decaying, and irrelevant dinosaur, sinking into the sands of time. But the truth is that the Church can be the outward expression of the three greatest superheroes of all time: the Trinity.
Ad Patrick expressed so well in his song, God the Father is the creator of life—all life and the universe in which He placed it. In our creeds, we declare that God the Father is the maker of heaven and earth. However life in the universe began, we declare that life is of divine origin.
· As some of you may know, I am preparing to become a grandfather.
How much more do I know about life, than I did when my daughter, Anna, the new mother in waiting, was born. I learned that life is truly a mystery, yet it can be gloriously surprising, and horribly sad. I learned that life needs to be protected, and loved, and nurtured. I learned how souls can be connected, even in the midst of adolescent rebellion.
A late president of Yale , Arthur Whitney Griswold, once wrote, quote, The divine spark leaps from the finger of God to the finger of Adam, whether it takes ultimate shape in a law of physics or a law of the land, a poem or a policy, a sonata or a mechanical computer.
So God the Father is life—and the church ought to be where we can come to experience that life as share it, together, with one another:
We see God’s life manifest here at CCQF, in so many ways—
· in the sincerity of prayer , alone, or with our Healing Ministry
· in compassion reaching out to those in need
· by listening to children tell their stories in Sunday School & Youth Group
· and by telling our stories in small groups;
· Brining refreshments to share
· By greeting old friends and visitors
· By offering a spiritual refuge in a crazy world
· By welcoming someone back to church, who has been lost, and then who finds home.
Just as my daughter is not just a human body, nor is the church just a building, because they both have life from God.
God the Son’s love is expressed through loyalty and fidelity. Jesus was loyal and faithful to us, even when it meant death on the cross. And now as the Risen Lord, He has bequeathed to us the power to be faithful and loyal. Even during hard times. Next Sunday, at least 7 couples will renew their martial vows here. It will be a lovely occasion. But these couples have learned what my daughter is now learning in her 2 year old marriage: Marriages are built and sustained by the bonds of mutual fidelity and loyalty—through the challenges and hardships that arise, and during the trials which may go on year after year after year. It is a privilege to know so many of you who show us the truth of that lesson through your loyalty and fidelity in your families.
Likewise, the Christian church needs to be a place of loyalty and fidelity. Over many years, there have been many former parishioners from this Church, who chose to leave this fellowship: Somebody hurt them; somebody insulted them; they didn’t like the clergy; they didn’t like the music; they didn’t like the Episcopal Church, and on and on, and on. BUT, there is a far larger group of people who chose to stay, who chose to work through the problems, who chose forgiveness over resentment, who chose loyalty and fidelity in this church, because this is their family and you do not give up on family. And because of them, many old wounds here are being healed; reconciliation is happening, and commitments and recommitments are being renewed.
So God the Father brings life, God the Son bring loyalty, and God the Spirit shine the Light of love into a dark world. Jesus calls his disciples the light of the world, not because they were the brightest bulbs in the pack, which they were not. But they are light because they had God’s love in their hearts—and He sent them to share that love , through the power of the Holy Spirit, in their homes, neighborhoods, places of employment, in their nation, and in the world.
· This weekend, we remember soldiers of light. Soldiers offered themselves to die for us, and in doing so they brought the light of hope to a war torn earth. Now, many of those soldiers were not Christian, but because they all had the divine spark within them, they acted like Jesus did. ..Jesus, who said, “No greater love do you have than this, that a man or a woman would lay down their lives for their friends.” And this weekend, we honor that love.
· Here at Christ church, we are dedicated to sharing that light of love, as we express in our Vision statement. Please repeat after me: CCQF—shining the light of Christ’s love through our church and into the world.
· Last Sunday, 100 men/women/ children committed and recommitted to love you by volunteering to serve this church. Kids and grandparents, and everyone in between. And I bet more of you will sign up today, because you do not just want to be served by these people, you want to serve them, too.
· By serving each other, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we shine the light of love within this community, and in the world.
So, God is life, loyalty, and light---the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Our God is an awesome God, who gives you all this, because you are important to God. And now, let us all tell God that He is important to us.
---The Rev. John Donnelly
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