St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston Virginia
Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 103:8-14; 2 Corinthians 5:20 b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
“He remembers that we are but dust…” More years ago than I care to admit my wife and I were at an Ash Wednesday service in California. The service had started like most of the Ash Wednesday services I had been to before that; just like we are getting started on the service today. I vividly remember the scene as it came time to impose ashes; the Rector began the ritual, dipping his thumb in the container of ashes, citing the formula at the imposition of ashes, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Except that he mixed up the formula with the portion of the Psalter we recited that day, “Remember that you are but dust.” And to compound the misstatement he put a pause into the middle of the recitation as he looked down to dip his thumb, making the statement, “Remember that you are but dust…” and started again; “Remember that you are but dust…” My wife leaned over and asked me, “is but dust like belly button lint?” We spent the rest of the time trying not to smirk every time he said that phrase – with little luck I might add.
Looking back, I might think that people thought that we were being disrespectful of the moment (and we may have been). I know that it is hard to find anything humorous in the Ash Wednesday service or the season of Lent. Many also fail to find a humorous story like that worshipful, holy, or sacred. But there is something to be said about the touch of humor and how that impacts our relationship with God and our community. It is interesting how that experience has stuck with me all these years and how I’m compelled to remember that day quite frequently. Not specifically because it is humorous but because it is a reminder of the day and of what Lent is about; not just taking things on or giving things up but making the season holy and sacred; preparing ourselves to live our lives as faithful believers and followers of Christ.
In a few moments Mother Jackie will ask us to spend time in silence as we prepare ourselves for the observance of a Holy Lent. Whether this is the first time you’ve been to an Ash Wednesday service or, like some this is one of countless services, by stopping and preparing yourself for the observance of a holy Lent you will be joining countless Christians around the world and throughout eternity who have affirmed their belief in Christ’s resurrection as the event that pays for our sin and separation from God’s intended kingdom. This is and will be an awesome event yet it can be one that is a little overwhelming.
In fact, I know people who choose not to attend Ash Wednesday services, not because they don’t believe that Christ lived, was tempted, and died for our sins. Rather, they choose not to attend because the gravity of the admonition can be overwhelming and a bit damning - too many reminders of a Roman Catholic or Evangelical “you’re a worthless sinner” mentality. But there’s more to living a holy life and observing a holy Lent than berating yourself as a “worthless sinner.” That’s not the implication of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. The fact that we are of worth, even though we are sinners, is the true reason that Christ will suffer through the coming weeks of Lent.
Let’s unpack the phrase “a holy Lent” a little to shed some light on where we should focus our attention during the upcoming season. First, the object of the phrase is the word “Lent” which the church sees as a time of preparation for Holy Week, Easter, and Jesus’ Ascension - pretty clear. The modifier in the phrase, “holy,” is where I think the focus of our attention should be directed. What does it mean to be holy, especially when most of our lives are less than holy or pure? To be holy, something needs to be set aside; made sacred or directed towards God; or made worshipful. I see this as something that doesn’t happen all at once; rather we become holy through practice and in relationship with God our creator, redeemer, and sanctifier.
Today’s lessons should be helpful as we move into a holy place and a holy relationship with God. But I find a mixed message between today’s scripture and what many people do on Ash Wednesday. We are called in scripture to not do things that aren’t the practice of our lives; not do things in a special way to bring attention to ourselves. Yet, what are our practices today? We place the marks of the cross on our foreheads that signifies our relationship with God to the world - not just those we are in relationship with but everyone who we meet for the rest of the day. Some are participating in a fast, maybe something that won’t be seen by others but I know that when I actually fasted two years ago my stomach was making so much noise by the end of the day that everyone on campus knew I hadn’t eaten anything in a while. Probably most notable and noticed is the fact that we have come to church at a time we wouldn’t normally come to church. And for many of us, we will have taken time from our normal routine to come here for service.
I know that I’ve been led to get focused on a portion of the scripture today that makes me miss the point of Ash Wednesday. That scripture tells me to do the opposite of the things that I have done today that will be seen and noted by others. Many focus on the admonition to not do things so that others will know what you are doing so that God in heaven will reward you for your faithful actions. Our gospel starts with Jesus telling his followers to, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Now we may not practice our piety for others to see but it would be unreasonable to believe that that outward sign would not be seen by others. We are called to do things for God to see so that God will reward us at our final accounting; so that we can build our relationship with God.
In the mix today we miss the invitation from God related by Isaiah to, “remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.” Isaiah reminds us that we are supposed to fast, serve the Lord, and be humbled before God. But Isaiah also tells us to life the burden of our society, to return ourselves to a right relationship with God and our community. We’re supposed to restore ourselves and become the person that God calls us to be. We’re not called to be anything or live any other way than the way God made us to be.
We are supposed to proceed on our Lenten journey with an eye on God’s call; the way that we’ve been ordained to live in community with God, other Christians, and our world. That begins with being honest about who you are and what makes you who you are. It is through our honesty with God and our self that we begin to live a holy life; a life focused on being worshipful; on being set aside for God’s plan; and living in sacredness, always living life in search of God in the present moment.
Living our lives in an honest manner can and should encompass many different things. We are called to live our lives consistent with who we are. God wants us to be genuine with him and with others, both Christian and non-Christian. We should laugh, tell jokes, love, and share our joys with others and God. Likewise, we should cry, be emotion-filled, and push back when necessary. We should strive to be quiet in our soul, not so much without speaking or sounds but limiting the “noise” of our lives that gets in the way of our search for God’s true kingdom on earth. We will be expected to not carry extra or superfluous burdens, those things that are barriers to us living a life with God - this might be what it means to give up something during Lent. Likewise, we are expected to carry the load that God calls us to carry; to be intentionally burdened with the things that make God’s kingdom become present and recognized here on earth - this might be what it means to take something on during Lent.
This multi-faceted approach to our lives of faith is what we are called to do as we observe a holy Lent. Yet we are reminded that there is no specific (by rote) action that will get us “closer” to God with the exception of spending time with God. By spending time with God we become more attuned to the reality of God’s presence in our lives; in the mundane, in the ludicrous, and in the emotion. As we spend time with God we will naturally find ourselves begin to free ourselves from distractions - not all at once but as part of the process of maturing with God. We will begin to find our hearts and eyes being opened to the presence of God in our lives and in our communities. And we will find ourselves caring for all of God’s creation - not just others but ourselves. As we spend time with God we will find struggles, “road blocks,” challenges, laughter, and joy. This mix of emotions and reactions are the things that are sacred and holy in God’s kingdom.
May we be encouraged to live a holy Lent and begin our journey to a deeper relationship with God; with an eye towards the death and resurrection of Christ. My prayer is that this journey might be punctuated with silence, joy, self-reflection, challenge, and a sense of community and a communal journey. And may the sign of an ashen cross mark our soul with that holy cross and reminder of God’s presence in our lives and in our actions. May our journey be one that encourages us and others into a deeper relationship with God.
To God be the glory through his son Jesus. Amen!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Feast Day of Reverend Absalom Jones - Feb. 13, 2010
Diocese of Southern Virginia
Feast Day of Rev. Absalom Jones, February 13, 2010
Leslie C. Ferguson, Candidate for Holy Orders
Isaiah 61: 1-4; Psalm 137: 1-6; John 15: 12-15
Today we celebrate the feast day honoring the life and ministry of the Reverend Absalom Jones. The Episcopal Church recognizes Absalom Jones’ life as one that presents an image of profound healing for the community of believers. I think it is fitting that we honor Absalom as we celebrate and pray for healing; personal, denominational, and global.
One of the blessings I have attending Virginia Seminary is the interaction with international students. One of the things we do is meet these new students at the airport and bring them to the Seminary. This past year, as part of these duties, I had the opportunity to bring a young South African woman who had flown for the first time and landed at Dulles after leaving Johannesburg. During our travels we shared part of our stories and one thing that came out in our discussion was the fact that she was a vegetarian; not because meat upset her stomach but because her friends in South Africa did not have meat to eat, so in solidarity with her community she chose to not eat meat. Her example of community living exemplified Absalom Jones’ to me as I was reviewing his life and ministry to his community - standing up for those who had no voice or were on the margin.
As we prepared for this service we had discussions about the person of Absalom Jones and his story. We discussed our impressions of Absalom and what he stood for, and not just our own impressions but our cultural heritage; what his legacy had to offer to the Episcopal Church of the 21st century; and what his life and ministry challenged us to do.
We honor Absalom Jones as the first Black Episcopal priest, a man who served the church in the Diocese of Pennsylvania; first as a Deacon in 1795 and later a Priest in 1802. Lesser Feasts and Fasts tells us that Jones bought his wife’s freedom before his own; he chose to free her from slavery before himself: to break his legacy’s bond to slavery. He put the status of his family ahead of himself - he loved them as he believed that God loved him. Next Lesser Feasts and Fasts points out that Jones partnered with Richard Allen to create the Free African Society in 1787. This society was a social organization that was responsible for seeing to the needs of black society in the growing United States. Under Jones’ and Allen’s oversight, the society built a church that was admitted into the Diocese of Pennsylvania in July 1794 as St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. Ironically, Richard Allen is probably better known by our society for the role he played in the growth of the black Christian church in the United States, even though he and Jones stood shoulder-to-shoulder for human rights and religious freedom.
Absalom Jones was a man who stood as a prophetic example of God’s love and faithfully following God’s call. He was a renowned pastoral leader, a vibrant preacher, and a steadfast abolitionist. He began his lay ministry and his life of faith in the late 1780s at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. In response to the white congregation at St. George’s demand that the growing black membership in the congregation move to the balcony out of the main part of the sanctuary, he and Allen chose to walk out of church rather than be relegated to the balcony. Both Jones and Allen led a break from a faith tradition that followed the social norm of the day yet failed to honor the Christian commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Along with Allen, Jones earned his reputation as one who stood by his conviction against oppression and segregation. For these reasons Absalom Jones was chosen as a model leader in the Episcopal Church; a model who stood faithfully in God’s call; against long odds, in personal peril, and in violation of “accepted” behavior. Yet, Absalom Jones’ story is more involved than that; his life is not as neat as we might make it out to be; and often doesn’t receive the respect it deserves in the whole Episcopal church and universal Christianity. Absalom Jones had a hard life in turbulent and oppressive times; he faithfully listened for and followed God’s call; and yet his story isn’t always all that comforting.
From the surface we appreciate Jones’ story because it is a good news story - an oppressed person stands against the oppressive society and makes a difference in his community, his faith, and ultimately in his nation. His story is one that goes beyond the simple good news; it’s a story of steadfast conviction to faithfully live a call to love all others as he loved himself. Specifically he put his wife and children ahead of himself when he bought her freedom. He lived faithfully into his call to be a witness for and to God in the world above all else.
I also believe Jones’ story is challenging because of the distinction between Jones’ and Allen’s path with God as agents of change for God’s kingdom on earth. In Allen’s case he chose to live in a world separated by his design; one where race was important, where it was important to be black, a world that lived in parallel to the “white” world. It was here that Jones broke with Allen: he wanted to live a life in a community where distinctions made a difference but as a point of celebration of the diversity of God in creation. He advocated for a community that was integrated with white society, a faith community that worshiped God; not a black faith community worshiping a black God alongside a white faith community worshiping a white God; rather a community of the faithful worshiping the one God of creation. By his choice he put the future of the black Christian community ahead of his life and his family; he chose to live out his call with God from a place that was both isolated from the mainstream black community and un-embraced by the white community because he bucked “proper” society.
He was faithful to a call that flew against the social norm; he held fast to that call against long odds. He had to know by his choice to follow the one true God that he would set himself against the black society - one that wanted to be freed of the life and influence of the oppressive white society. Likewise, he had to know he wouldn’t be accepted by the majority white society; he wasn’t like them, he was someone who “should remember his place,” and he was bucking their impression of a God-ordained society. Jones affirmed something that we’ve come to stand by in the Episcopal Church; where two societies attempt to live in parallel neither one is a true image of God’s true kingdom. That kingdom where all are welcomed; where differences are acknowledged and celebrated; and where people of faith live in love and community with each other.
Imagine if you will Jones reading the passage from Isaiah. He’s so struck by it he hangs it on his wall as the guiding light for his life. Jones devoted his life to being the voice for God who proclaimed liberty to the captives, not just the enslaved blacks but the whites who were bound by in their own form of slavery - slavery to life in a parallel and unequal universe. He lived a life that provided release to the prisoners - he bought his wife and his family’s freedom from slavery; he paid for the release of the black Christians from slavery “in the balcony” and released them to the main sanctuary. Jones lived his life comforting those in need; being a steward of the Free African Society bringing positive change to his society. In the end, Jones stood for what was right; a life modeled after Christ. He stood firm in his call to show us the falsehood of life as we lived it: there is no place in God’s kingdom for parallel universes; we are all children of God, each with our own special talents and special place in God’s heart. And those differences should be celebrated and honored above all else.
Here is our challenge: to stand firm in our call by God. And as we stand firm we need to look at our understanding of that call through the lens of the reading from Isaiah. A true call from God is good news to the oppressed, it is freedom from captivity, it provides comfort to the brokenhearted, and proclaims a time of God’s favor.
Our call is complex but Absalom gives us a model to live by. We are called to live our lives in community; celebrating our differences and honoring those who we feel are different from ourselves. We honor the differences by being honest and open in our life in community, loving others as God loves us. We need to realize that the work of God is not complete on earth and that we are all important members of the body of Christ doing God’s work in the world. How do we do that work? We need to be present as we are and be open to hearing the “other” in our conversations and discussions in community. We need to look for those things that trouble us in society and learn (1) why we are troubled and (2) where God is in the troubling place. We do this through open discussion; sharing and honoring emotions on both parts; and remembering the “other” is made in the image of God and that God is present in this and every situation. Our conversation cannot be limited to those who are like us either. We need to be open to conversation with those we don’t agree with or who are different from us in: race, sexual orientation, country of origin, denomination, or faith tradition. By being open to and in conversation in community we will naturally become more attentive to God in us, in others, and in the troubling situation.
Today, we celebrate the life and ministry of Absalom Jones: priest, innovator, pastor, and human rights advocate. May we continue forward in our call with our eyes on God’s commission to share God’s love, not as we want to but as God would want us to.
Amen!
Feast Day of Rev. Absalom Jones, February 13, 2010
Leslie C. Ferguson, Candidate for Holy Orders
Isaiah 61: 1-4; Psalm 137: 1-6; John 15: 12-15
Today we celebrate the feast day honoring the life and ministry of the Reverend Absalom Jones. The Episcopal Church recognizes Absalom Jones’ life as one that presents an image of profound healing for the community of believers. I think it is fitting that we honor Absalom as we celebrate and pray for healing; personal, denominational, and global.
One of the blessings I have attending Virginia Seminary is the interaction with international students. One of the things we do is meet these new students at the airport and bring them to the Seminary. This past year, as part of these duties, I had the opportunity to bring a young South African woman who had flown for the first time and landed at Dulles after leaving Johannesburg. During our travels we shared part of our stories and one thing that came out in our discussion was the fact that she was a vegetarian; not because meat upset her stomach but because her friends in South Africa did not have meat to eat, so in solidarity with her community she chose to not eat meat. Her example of community living exemplified Absalom Jones’ to me as I was reviewing his life and ministry to his community - standing up for those who had no voice or were on the margin.
As we prepared for this service we had discussions about the person of Absalom Jones and his story. We discussed our impressions of Absalom and what he stood for, and not just our own impressions but our cultural heritage; what his legacy had to offer to the Episcopal Church of the 21st century; and what his life and ministry challenged us to do.
We honor Absalom Jones as the first Black Episcopal priest, a man who served the church in the Diocese of Pennsylvania; first as a Deacon in 1795 and later a Priest in 1802. Lesser Feasts and Fasts tells us that Jones bought his wife’s freedom before his own; he chose to free her from slavery before himself: to break his legacy’s bond to slavery. He put the status of his family ahead of himself - he loved them as he believed that God loved him. Next Lesser Feasts and Fasts points out that Jones partnered with Richard Allen to create the Free African Society in 1787. This society was a social organization that was responsible for seeing to the needs of black society in the growing United States. Under Jones’ and Allen’s oversight, the society built a church that was admitted into the Diocese of Pennsylvania in July 1794 as St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. Ironically, Richard Allen is probably better known by our society for the role he played in the growth of the black Christian church in the United States, even though he and Jones stood shoulder-to-shoulder for human rights and religious freedom.
Absalom Jones was a man who stood as a prophetic example of God’s love and faithfully following God’s call. He was a renowned pastoral leader, a vibrant preacher, and a steadfast abolitionist. He began his lay ministry and his life of faith in the late 1780s at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. In response to the white congregation at St. George’s demand that the growing black membership in the congregation move to the balcony out of the main part of the sanctuary, he and Allen chose to walk out of church rather than be relegated to the balcony. Both Jones and Allen led a break from a faith tradition that followed the social norm of the day yet failed to honor the Christian commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Along with Allen, Jones earned his reputation as one who stood by his conviction against oppression and segregation. For these reasons Absalom Jones was chosen as a model leader in the Episcopal Church; a model who stood faithfully in God’s call; against long odds, in personal peril, and in violation of “accepted” behavior. Yet, Absalom Jones’ story is more involved than that; his life is not as neat as we might make it out to be; and often doesn’t receive the respect it deserves in the whole Episcopal church and universal Christianity. Absalom Jones had a hard life in turbulent and oppressive times; he faithfully listened for and followed God’s call; and yet his story isn’t always all that comforting.
From the surface we appreciate Jones’ story because it is a good news story - an oppressed person stands against the oppressive society and makes a difference in his community, his faith, and ultimately in his nation. His story is one that goes beyond the simple good news; it’s a story of steadfast conviction to faithfully live a call to love all others as he loved himself. Specifically he put his wife and children ahead of himself when he bought her freedom. He lived faithfully into his call to be a witness for and to God in the world above all else.
I also believe Jones’ story is challenging because of the distinction between Jones’ and Allen’s path with God as agents of change for God’s kingdom on earth. In Allen’s case he chose to live in a world separated by his design; one where race was important, where it was important to be black, a world that lived in parallel to the “white” world. It was here that Jones broke with Allen: he wanted to live a life in a community where distinctions made a difference but as a point of celebration of the diversity of God in creation. He advocated for a community that was integrated with white society, a faith community that worshiped God; not a black faith community worshiping a black God alongside a white faith community worshiping a white God; rather a community of the faithful worshiping the one God of creation. By his choice he put the future of the black Christian community ahead of his life and his family; he chose to live out his call with God from a place that was both isolated from the mainstream black community and un-embraced by the white community because he bucked “proper” society.
He was faithful to a call that flew against the social norm; he held fast to that call against long odds. He had to know by his choice to follow the one true God that he would set himself against the black society - one that wanted to be freed of the life and influence of the oppressive white society. Likewise, he had to know he wouldn’t be accepted by the majority white society; he wasn’t like them, he was someone who “should remember his place,” and he was bucking their impression of a God-ordained society. Jones affirmed something that we’ve come to stand by in the Episcopal Church; where two societies attempt to live in parallel neither one is a true image of God’s true kingdom. That kingdom where all are welcomed; where differences are acknowledged and celebrated; and where people of faith live in love and community with each other.
Imagine if you will Jones reading the passage from Isaiah. He’s so struck by it he hangs it on his wall as the guiding light for his life. Jones devoted his life to being the voice for God who proclaimed liberty to the captives, not just the enslaved blacks but the whites who were bound by in their own form of slavery - slavery to life in a parallel and unequal universe. He lived a life that provided release to the prisoners - he bought his wife and his family’s freedom from slavery; he paid for the release of the black Christians from slavery “in the balcony” and released them to the main sanctuary. Jones lived his life comforting those in need; being a steward of the Free African Society bringing positive change to his society. In the end, Jones stood for what was right; a life modeled after Christ. He stood firm in his call to show us the falsehood of life as we lived it: there is no place in God’s kingdom for parallel universes; we are all children of God, each with our own special talents and special place in God’s heart. And those differences should be celebrated and honored above all else.
Here is our challenge: to stand firm in our call by God. And as we stand firm we need to look at our understanding of that call through the lens of the reading from Isaiah. A true call from God is good news to the oppressed, it is freedom from captivity, it provides comfort to the brokenhearted, and proclaims a time of God’s favor.
Our call is complex but Absalom gives us a model to live by. We are called to live our lives in community; celebrating our differences and honoring those who we feel are different from ourselves. We honor the differences by being honest and open in our life in community, loving others as God loves us. We need to realize that the work of God is not complete on earth and that we are all important members of the body of Christ doing God’s work in the world. How do we do that work? We need to be present as we are and be open to hearing the “other” in our conversations and discussions in community. We need to look for those things that trouble us in society and learn (1) why we are troubled and (2) where God is in the troubling place. We do this through open discussion; sharing and honoring emotions on both parts; and remembering the “other” is made in the image of God and that God is present in this and every situation. Our conversation cannot be limited to those who are like us either. We need to be open to conversation with those we don’t agree with or who are different from us in: race, sexual orientation, country of origin, denomination, or faith tradition. By being open to and in conversation in community we will naturally become more attentive to God in us, in others, and in the troubling situation.
Today, we celebrate the life and ministry of Absalom Jones: priest, innovator, pastor, and human rights advocate. May we continue forward in our call with our eyes on God’s commission to share God’s love, not as we want to but as God would want us to.
Amen!
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