I invite you to take out one of the red Prayer Books from the pew rack in front of you, and open to page 855. I’ll give you a moment to do so, page 855.
Read together with me the first three questions and responses on page 855. I’ll begin with the question, you all read in unison the answer:
Q. What is the mission of the Church?
A. The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Q. How does the Church pursue its mission?
A. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.
Q. Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A. The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.
This is part of the catechism, the basic teachings about the Christian religion as officially held and taught by the Episcopal Church. Within the catechism are doctrines about the Church, the body of Christ, which begin on page 854. What we just read, is part of that teaching about the church and it’s mission.
Here’s why it’s important: Here as in most every church in this country, people today are wanting to hear how we respond to the results of Tuesday’s election. What does the Church, what does our identity as Christians, have to say about it? And what do we do from here?
That’s one of many questions I’ve had rattling around in my head this week: What are we to do? What now?
For some, this has been a vindicating. Their hopes and goals and values were vindicated. For others, this has been disheartening, where fears have been realized. It is no understatement to say that this has been polarizing for families, friends, and communities, including communities of faith. It’s stirred up a great deal of emotions that we’ve had to process after the election.
I also recognize that even within our congregation there are those who are not grieving today, and those who don’t wish for their church to get into politics. I would hope, though, that we all would approve of caring for those who are downtrodden in the midst of us, regardless of differences.
And I want to be careful to not retreat into careless platitudes to comfort those who are struggling this week. These platitudes oftentimes come across as dismissive or artificial to address the cares and concerns that we face in life. Sometimes they are comforting, often they are not. If you’ve been there you can probably relate. I’m glad that I had the chance to talk with some of you this week to about it, and I wish that I had more time or energy to follow up with all of you.
And we’re still left with the question: what are we to do?
The answer, no matter where you fall on the spectrum, is that our mission as the church is the same today as it always has been, and it is always the same regardless of who is president, who our leaders are, or what’s happening in the world around us. Our call to action today as those walking in the way of Jesus is the same as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. Our response to what’s going on in the world is basically the same as it’s always been, and always will be.
To rephrase what we read together at the start of this sermon:
- Our ultimate goal is unity, with God and all humanity.
- It’s accomplished by seeking God, proclaiming the message of God’s love, and working for justice, peace, and love.
- All of us are responsible for seeing to it that this happens.
Though the world may change, our work is always the same: seek God, proclaim God’s love for all, and work for justice, peace, and love.
This also reminds me of the blessing that Bishop Marc uses to end services he presides at, which if I found the right form goes this way. Either way it catches the vibe of what Marc says. Listen to these words:
Go forth into the world in peace, be faithful and courageous. Hold fast to that which is good and beautiful. Render to no one evil for evil. Support the weak. Comfort the afflicted. Shield the joyous. Be patient and loving, but make no peace with oppression. Seek and serve Christ in all God’s creation. And above every end, pursue the way of sanctity and truth, that holy wisdom may illumine your hearts forever. And the blessing of God almighty, the creator, sustainer, and redeemer, be upon you and remain with you forever. Amen.
Gosh, that hits hard. Initially, I pulled this out this week because of one phrase in it that always stood out to me when hearing it: “Make no peace with oppression.” But rereading it, and all of it, it has so much that hits home of the kind of people we are to be in this world, especially in difficult times. Be faithful and courageous. Hold fast that which is good, and that which is beautiful. Render to no one evil for evil. Seek and serve Christ in all God’s creation.
I mean, I could just reread that over and over for us. 8 minutes of that and I wouldn’t have had to prepare anything else for a sermon.
But I did, and I’m getting close to the end. Which I will leave with this:
What does it look like to promote justice in our world today? Not only justice as a punishment for crime, but justice in a broad sense, upholding goodness and impartiality for all. That regardless of that which makes us different, all have access to that which upholds goodness and impartiality. Be patient and loving, but make no peace with oppression. What does justice look like for our world and everyone in it?
Next, what does it look like to promote peace? To promote harmony, the cessation of violence in all its forms, and the ability to live without fear, in all its forms. To be a safe person, to be an ally to the vulnerable, and to cause hostilities to cease. What does peace in our world look like?
And finally, what does it look like to love? What does sharing love with one another look like? What does taking the first step of loving look like, where there isn’t love? What does loving the one who does not love in return look like, in a way that spreads the love of God throughout the world? What does divine love look like in the places where love is missing?
One last time, what is the mission of the Church? The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
So together with you, my friends in Christ, may we find our comfort and joy not only in the changes and happenstances of this life, but in the God who is with us and loves us always. May we be strengthened in spirit to continue to work at the mission of the Church, the Body of Christ, of which we are a part. And may we promote justice, peace, and love to all people, everywhere, that we all may find unity with God and one another.
