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Sermon May 28, 2023
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Pentecost, Year A
https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/APentDay_RCL.html
Audio: /documents/Eucharist__May_28__2023
Video: https://youtu.be/Tme918E8RQY
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…. Act2 2:17 and Joel 2:28
This past week I attended the Diocesan Clergy conference in Danville. Professor Lisa Kimball and the Rev. Dr. Patricia Lyons, both from Virginia Theological Seminary, were the main presenters. Professor Kimball focuses on lifelong learning and discipleship and Dr. Lyons focuses on evangelism. They shared this quote from former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams about the purpose of the church:
“The Purpose of the Church is to form people into the kinds of people who can receive the gifts God wants to give.”
Let me read that again….
As they emphasized, we do not know what gifts God wants to give each person. Those gifts are diverse and how they are given and then manifest in the person is unique. Our purpose as the church…as the parish… is to help each other and those outside of our parish to be open and able to receive God’s gifts.
Hmm…that takes some thinking.
In our reading from Acts this morning, Peter quotes some scripture from the prophet Joel. God will pour the Spirit upon everyone. Young people will prophesy and see visions.
So as part of our purpose of the church, how do we form people to prophesy and to have visions?
Recently, the Partnership for Better Health Foundation presented the findings of the 2021 PA Youth Survey or PAYS survey for the area served by the Foundation. The PAYS survey is given to youth in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. The survey is given in odd numbered years. In the Partnership report, there was data from 10 school districts, including all four in Perry County.
The report says that since 1989, this survey has been conducted to gather information about young people’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Additional questions regarding abuse of prescription drugs, bullying, internet use and vaping have been added over the years. In addition, they have started to add questions about things that create positive environments for young people and can stave off unhealthy behaviors.
In a way, looking at this survey is one way to see what young people are telling us…are prophesying to us.
There is good news in what area called protective factors:
Nearly half, which is higher than the state average, say school is important to them.
Just over 1/3 say school work is meaningful and important and almost half say they enjoyed school. Four out of five say they have a feeling of safety and can talk with teachers one on one. Many say they have family support, good school activities and hobbies.
Some of the statistics are hard to hear, though, such as the fact that 1 in 15 students have skipped a meal because no food was available. One in 20 have been kicked out of their homes, run away or been abandoned. Nearly one in six report having changed homes once or twice in the past year.
That’s plenty of upheaval for a young person, isn’t it? Think of the average classroom and at least 1 or more students in that classroom have experienced this level of not having what they need for a healthy life. How do they receive an education? How are they able to receive the gifts God wants to give?
Professor Kimball and Dr. Lyons also provided some information about how to view our faith journeys. We can be in different places at different times. Sometimes we are in a place of being welcomed and experiencing the Gospel. We do charity. Sometimes we are in a place of community and proclaiming the Gospel and we do service. Sometimes we are in a place of searching, where the Gospel is explained and we do advocacy. Sometimes we are in a place where we own our faith and are engaged. We live our faith and do justice.
All of these places allow us to form people to receive the gifts God wants to give them. We need to do charity, service, advocacy, and justice.
Professor Kimball and Dr. Lyons shared this quote from Brother Keith Nelson of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, an Anglican order:
"It is very easy to give from on top of a white horse. It is more difficult more uncomfortable to dismount, to stand in the mud at eye-level with need, with hunger, with flagrant inequality, and let it pierce our hearts in a humble conversation between two children of God: without an agenda, without a presupposition that we know what the person before us really needs, but with an open heart and a listening ear."
No matter what faith place we are in, we must always remember this. We must do charity with an open heart and a listening ear. We must do service with an open heart and a listening ear. We must do advocacy with an open heart and a listening ear. We must do justice with an open heart and a listening ear. We must not suppose that we know what the person really needs. We must stand in mud at eye-level and let the need, hunger and flagrant inequality pierce our hearts in humble conversation between we children of God.
In this way, we will hear and support the prophecies and visions of our young people. On this day of the birthday of the church, let us be the place where people are formed into the kinds of people who can receive the gifts God wants to give.
Amen
https://forbetterhealthpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Partnership-Service-Area-Profile-Report.pdf
Giving at Eye Level https://www.ssje.org/2017/11/11/giving-at-eye-level-br-keith-nelson/
