Loading...Homily by Bill Rohm
June 18, 2017
Second Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 6, Year A, Track 1
Before I begin, I want to honor all the fathers present here today. Being one, I know all of the frustration, effort, and love that goes along with being a father, and I congratulate each of you. I know many of your children, and the fine adults they have become. Well done.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be ever acceptable in Thy sight oh Lord, our strength, and our Redeemer.
This has been a sad and discouraging week. It was a wake up call for our nation. Politically, we have come a long way from the aspirations and desires of our forefathers as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Some of this makes me concerned for our nation.
We’ve come a long way in our Church since the early days of our country too. Some of this makes me concerned for our church.
It was 60 years ago that I first entered an Episcopal Church, in pursuit of a fair maiden who would become my wife of 54 years. The Episcopal Church then was much as it had been in Colonial Days. Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport Pa was quite intimidating to me back then. High Church. People genuflected, crossed themselves, knelt in their pews, and Lord help you if you sat in someone else's pew. At the least you’d get an evil eye, but more likely you’d get asked to move, in a whisper of course. We had Communion every week, with bells and smells. We had this strange fellow flitting about called a Verger. It took me another 58 years to figure out what that was.
50 years ago, I was confirmed in St David’s Episcopal Church in Gales Ferry Connecticut. Being in the Navy, over the next 33 years we moved around a lot and attended 6 different Episcopal Churches in different Dioceses. I served in various positions in these churches. Vestry, Choir, Lay Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Discernment committees, Sunday School teacher, Senior Warden and various other positions. So I can relate to Jesus’s instructions as the disciples were sent out to the various towns and villages, exhorted to preach the good news and assist those in spiritual and physical need. As we moved all over from Connecticut, to Washington, to Hawaii, to Virginia, I have tried to live by those words.
I have also watched the Episcopal Church change tremendously over the past 50 years. I have watched Episcopalians struggle with these changes, including myself.
A 1979 Book of Common Prayer, women becoming Lay Readers, then Eucharistic Ministers, then Deacons, then Priests, and yes, even Vergers. I was in a class of Eucharistic Ministers at St Davids that included the first two women licensed in the Diocese. I watched the installation of the first gay Bishop in our church and all the turmoil that involved. In truth, I was homophobic back then, but by the grace of God, my heart was changed, and today can say that some of the finest Christians I have ever known are gay. I was licensed by the Bishop of the Armed Forces to conduct Eucharistic services, weddings, and funerals.
Change is really difficult, more so for some than others. Some of us mourn the passing of what was so familiar and comforting for us in our worship. Others are inspired by leaping forward into an unknown future.
This is true in most of the congregations I’ve been with. I know of churches who to this day still have a weekly service from the 1928 Prayer Book. Here in Nativity for example, is our organ dilemma. Some really love the pipe organ. Others prefer a digital organ. Some Christians believe the Bible is the totally accurate Word of God. Other Christians believe a lot of the Old Testament is an expression of reality through myth. There are no right and wrong answers here, just differences of opinion. My Nephew tells me the Universe is only several thousand years old, as computed by the begats in the Old Testament.
Having majored in Astronomy at Penn State, I have some problems with this, but since both he and I worship the same immortal all powerful God, who could have created the Universe in any manner He chose, who am I to claim with absolute certainty that I’m right and he’s wrong?
Many factors enter into resistance to change. For some of us as we age we get more locked into what it was we loved. Other younger Christians are more open to change and more comfortable with them than we of a certain age. Two weeks ago, Shirley and I attended an Anglican Service in northern Virginia. 1700 worshippers, median age I’m guessing 35, praise band, sang Psalms, instead of songs, arms raised in praise, words on the front wall, the entire Episcopal Service posted on the front walls on either side of the Altar, no fumbling around with Prayer Books and Hymnals.
And the place was on fire!
Now I personally know some mature lifelong Episcopalians that are uncomfortable with this service, but I won’t mention any names because I want supper tonight.
My point is, all of us are at different points in our journeys in faith. And what really saddens me, and I firmly believe it saddens God, is that we Christians sometimes argue about it. Like the politicians in our country, we go to I’m right and you're wrong. And I’m even starting to see that here at Nativity.
Jesus tells us “Judge not and you will not be judged.” There should be no right and wrong among Christians. We should respect each others opinions even if they differ with ours. We should try and understand the other side of the story. God has given us all different talents, that when put together make us greater than the sum of our parts.
Nativity is a wonderful congregation, that does wonderful outreach in our community, Diocese, nation and world. We may not agree with each other on all things but as a congregation, we get things done. So it really distresses and saddens me when I see people talking at each other rather than with each other, and even consider leaving Nativity rather than working together for the common good.
So I pray for all of us to continue to try and understand each other, and support each other as we grow in faith and continue to work for the common good of our Christian heritage.
Amen
