First Sunday Sermon at St. Anne's Reston

What an interesting day at my field education site. I was scheduled to preach 3 sermons on October 5th. That wouldn't be an issue on any other day except for this past Sunday. Partly because we celebrated the Blessing of the Animals in honor of the Feast of Saint Francis (October 4 is the feast day). Anyway, this is the sermon that I intended to preach at all three services. But that didn't come to fruition - the second was different (and what I can remember is posted later). But this is what got preached more or less twice on Sunday. The focus text was Philippians 3:4b-11.

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston
Proper 22A (RCL)
Leslie C. Ferguson
October 5, 2008
Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-14; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46

Around the world today, many churches have or will include a blessing of animals in their worship. In some traditions there would be a more obvious connection to a celebration of the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Because of the peace that Saint Francis exuded after his life was changed by Christ, the tradition within the church holds the Sunday following the feast of Saint Francis as the Sunday of the Blessing of the Animals. But I think there is something more important about St Francis for us today.

A history of Saint Francis of Assisi: He was born to a rich fabric merchant in Northeast Italy and when he was young he wanted to be a religious person but his father objected so he became a troubadour. Later, he joined the military and had a less than illustrious career but continued to serve. While he was en route to a new posting in the Army he had a vision that changed his life. That vision led him to renounce his position and become a mendicant - a beggar monk. In rebellion with his past he sold his horse and some of his father’s fabric and gave the proceeds to a poor person. In a later vision, he heard Jesus tell him to sell what he had to rebuild the church. His life has been held up as an example of helping the poor and those without a voice in society.

Although I think it’s a gross simplification of Francis’ life as a faithful follower of Christ this past summary tells us about Francis’ life, conversion, mission, and ministry. Francis probably had a lot to brag about in his society - much that set him apart from the “common” citizen of Assisi. He had wealth and education; he was free to do things that satisfied his interests; and he was free to pursue his “dreams” wherever they may take him. The excerpt sounded familiar to me - one of searching for the “right” thing to do with his life - the thing that would fulfill him.

However, midway through the story we see a shift, one that would lead Francis to a new life and ministry - that of a mendicant monastic. His life was changed so dramatically that he gave away everything he had and devoted the rest of his life to begging and sharing what meager things he got with people who were less fortunate than he was. A little on the extreme side for my tastes but definitely an example of what can happen when a person has a real and personal encounter with God. Their life is changed and they find fulfillment in unexpected places. Now, I’d like you to put your finger there as we look at today’s Epistle reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

“Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of
Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have
suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I
may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness of God based on faith.”
Philippians 3:7-9, NRSV

Paul predates Francis by more than 1,100 years so it would be easy to believe that Francis was influenced by Paul’s story and transformation after meeting Christ on the road to Damascus. Like Francis, Paul experienced a radical change of heart and profession after his encounter with Christ. After he met Christ he found that his “successful” life didn’t make him feel whole and fulfilled while the ministry he was called to by Christ was something that made his toils worthwhile.

Paul has been held up by others and seems to hold himself up because of his changed life and the steadfast message he gives about a new life in Christ. But what are we to make of today’s reading? Paul offers us something that really doesn’t make sense to us - not as confusing as Francis but confusing none the less. Somehow, it seems clear that Paul is proud of what he was and asserts that there is plenty that he has, by human standards that put him a notch above the “common Joe/Josephine.” Then Paul muddles the story a little by telling the Philippians, and us, that the things he did and who he was helped define him; yet somehow during his transformation Paul came to realize that in the grand scheme of things, his accomplishment were pale in comparison to what he experienced in meeting Christ. It is Paul’s past that shaped him but it is no longer who he is. He is changed and there is no doubt in my mind that a meeting with the Savior of the World would be a life changing situation.

It was by coming to a new understanding of a life with Christ, that Paul’s life was changed - just like Francis 11 centuries later. It is only because Paul has experienced Christ that he has a change of perspective about his own claims of importance. His self-image is radically changed as he compares himself to Christ - he becomes one of the fiercest proponents for God, a shock when others remember what he did in his past.

If I asked for a show of hands I believe there would be more than a few who would join me in defining themselves by their accomplishments. We all could probably mirror the opening lines of Paul in some manner at some time in our life. But there’s more to our individual stories. We are more than what we did. It is easy to define ourselves by what we’ve done, but I think there’s something more important about the past - it has helped shape who we are and how we interact with the society around us. I think that was the point that Paul was trying to make. He had a lot of credibility in what he was before, but based on his life-changing experience of Christ he realized that his past was of little import in comparison to living his true life of ministry in Christ.

So what in Paul’s reading today brings us good news? Where is the gospel for us today in the words of Paul? The Epistle to the Philippians gives us an understanding of Paul’s encounter with Christ and he gives us hope as we encounter Christ in our lives. Our hope for change is in the assurance given by Paul that Christ meets us where we are, and will continue to meet us where we are. Our past shaped us and prepared us to meet Christ in a real and personal manner. But our past is not what we are, especially after our meeting with Christ. Our past is our preparation for our ministry to and for Christ; it should not be a stumbling block but a channel leading us to fulfillment in Christ.

Should we expect a change of the magnitude of either Paul or Francis? My guess is those types of changes or conversions are rather rare, but in our process of figuring out what changes we “need” to make in our life we have to ask ourselves, “Where have I experienced God? Where have I been filled by the knowledge of the Eternal?” It is in accepting our past that we can move on to reach fulfillment and not be blocked from our true ministry in Christ. It is from the past that we move forward and get closer to where we are called by Christ to be.

To this I say… thanks be to God!