Sermon Transcript:  February 19, 2012    The Last Sunday after the Epiphany                            The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: 2 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Mark 9:2-9

From Mark’s Gospel,  “Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

      I think that one of the marvelous things about Holy Scripture is its telling of how God chooses ordinary, everyday people just like you and me to carry forth God’s message and light in this world. 

      Our Old Testament reading from 2ndKings tells how Elisha received a double blessing from Elijah and carried on God’s mission of reconciliation to the people of Israel. Elisha had no special training nor did he possess any of the skills we would think necessary for a prophet to hold or required of anyone to be successful in ministry. Like the Prophet Moses before him and his master Elijah, Elisha was an unlikely candidate for ministry: he spoke poorly and was a non-descript person. And yet, we learn from this particular reading that he was totally dedicated and committed to his master and that  was all God needed to carry his message and light in this world. 
 
     Our gospel lesson this morning tells the story of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. Present with Jesus were Peter, James and John. We know Peter all too well as someone who was often brash; who jumped to conclusions; was quick to speak and slow to think. Mark tells us that once again Peter has put his foot in his mouth. He says, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.” He should have stopped there, but that wouldn’t be typical of Peter. He just had to say more. Peter blurts out, “Let us build three dwellings (or shrines)” to commemorate this occasion and in speaking these words, he misses the whole point of the Transfiguration. I think that what I like about Peter is that I can see myself in him: We tend to think that when confronted with an act of God, a miracle, an answered prayer, a sense of God’s presence, we have to do something special.  Yet, Mark tells us that Jesus remained silent and a voice from heaven proclaimed, “This is my Son; the beloved. Listen  to him.”  God does not need more shrines and dwelling places. What God seeks is a people who will listen to God and try to see God present in every aspect of our lives.
 
 
The Rev. Michael Briggs was guest preacher and presider on this occasion. A copy of his sermon will posted to this site as soon as it becomes available.
 
 
Sermon Transcript:  February 5, 2012               The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany              The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; I Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

 From Mark’s Gospel,  “(Jesus said,) ‘let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that  is what I came out to do.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

      This morning’s scripture readings seem to be very timely given that we are a parish in the midst of renewal with an ever increasing desire to fulfill and expand our mission and yet, we recognize the realities of our limited human and financial resources while all around us the needs of our community, our neighbors, and even our own selves are reaching a critical point that threatens to overwhelm even the most stout-hearted and faithful in our midst.

      These are difficult days in our nation: From Occupy Wall Street protests continuing their barrage across the country, to the inane political rhetoric of presidential candidates, to staggering unemployment and job layoffs, to economic inequities, our people seem more divided now than ever before: Divided by race, by gender, by sexual orientation, by economic status, and even by religion. For me, what I find most disheartening is that Christians are arguing among themselves more than at any time I can remember and in the process, churches risk losing sight of the message they are called to proclaim. Noted author and poet, Charles Baudelaire, wrote that the devil’s greatest achievement is having convinced the world that he doesn’t exist. I think I would add another to those achievements: he has divided our once united nation and created such incredible need at every  level of our society that churches are overwhelmed to the point of fighting among themselves. There are times when I wonder, like the people of Israel in today’s reading from Isaiah, if our ways are  hidden from the Lord – can God not see what we are doing and what is happening with us? If so, why is God disregarding how much we are struggling to make ends meet?  

 
 
Sermon Transcript:  January 29, 2012      -     The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany     -     The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20;  Psalm 111;  I Corinthians 8:1-13;  Mark 1:21-28
 From Mark’s gospel,  “… a man with an unclean spirit … cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

      Several years ago, I was invited to a rather posh dinner party in an exclusive Bostonneighborhood. But, for all the lavish surroundings and the alluring smells of what appeared to be top of the line hors d’oeuvres, something didn’t taste quite right. In fact, it was downright awful! I found myself wondering, “Where  did this come from?”  Of course, being polite, I said nothing to our host and then tried to eat around what was on my plate. Has this ever happened to you? 

      Such was the situation that St. Paul addresses in today’s reading from I Corinthians. Several church members feared that they might be eating meat that was already offered to idols. It was typical for pagan temples to sell off any leftover sacrificed meats after worship services. So, when you went to market, you had no idea if the meat on sale had actually been offered to a pagan god. Paul reminds the Church that we know and serve the only one, true God who, Paul says, is greater than any other god or lord in the heavens or on the earth. Therefore, Paul says (and I paraphrase here), “Who cares if some yahoo pagan priest waved a potroast over a pagan altar? Their god means nothing  to us. Whether we choose to eat or not to eat has no impact on our spiritual life: these meats are harmless. So, go for it and enjoy yourself.” But, then, Paul adds a word of caution. And these cautious words have divided the Church for centuries. Paul says, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Paul explains that if any of our actions, anything we do or say, will encourage someone else to commit what they believe is a sin, then don’t do it. The hard part for us is that in this day, living in a multi-cultural society with different standards of conduct, especially among the myriad rules and regulations of Christian denominations right here in our own city that tell us you can’t do this or that, what we choose to eat and drink or choose to do or live is often interpreted as being unchristian. Case in point: Some churches insist that Christians don’t drink or smoke; nor do they gamble, play cards, go to movies, or dance. Some say that real Christian women never wear slacks and Christian men do not have long hair, and the list goes on. Sadly, this suggests that Christians should be outright divorced from our culture rather than engage it, never have any fun, nor enjoy the arts, or just relax with a cold beer on a hot summer day. 
 
      Paul would say these rules are poppycock! And yet, he reminds us that any  excess can be unhealthy for God’s people. And if what you are doing will cause someone else to stumble, then, think twice before you do it because we might harm someone else in addition to harming our own selves. Then, Paul goes a little further. This is what irritates me about Paul and what I like about him: he pushes the envelope just a little more; he ruffles our comfort zone. Paul says that if we do something that we know for ourselves is a sin, remember this: you never sin in private. Oh, we might think that how we live outside these walls is our own business and has no effect on the Church. But Paul says that even things done in secret damage the body of Christ. “Private sins” often influence how we look at an issue and can cause us to unduly and unfairly influence church mission. For example, if in our hearts we harbor racism, then we might work against issues of racial equality and try to deter the Church from taking a stand in the community. If, in our hearts, we really think the poor deserve their misfortune, we might work against offering them food or clothing, or ignore the beggar on the street and in so doing, ignore the Christ. 

 
 
Sermon Transcript:  January 22, 2012                  The Third Sunday after the  Epiphany                The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:6-14; I Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

From the Book of Jonah, “And the people of Nineveh believed God.” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

      One of the many things that I like about the Old Testament is that, while it is very clear that God chose Israel to be a model and light to world about living in right relationship with God and neighbor, there is an overriding message that God will save whom God chooses to save: That salvation is not dependent upon birthrights or our national origin; it is, instead, a gift of God’s grace.

      Jewish teaching tells us that it is the righteous who inherit eternal life. And that righteousness is not simply about adhering to rules and regulations, but rather, it is a righteousness that comes from the heart: from the hearts of those who seek and listen to God and, in seeking and listening to God, they choose to live righteous lives. Righteous lives are measured by how we keep God’s laws of which the Ten Commandments are supreme. As the Psalmist would say, the righteous place their hope in God because they recognize that God is their rock and their salvation. They are content to wait in silence for God. As Proverbs (20:7) says, “A righteous man walks with integrity,” or as Matthew (13:24) says, “The righteous inherit the Kingdom of God.” 

      Christians say that it is our faith that leads to eternal life: That it is because  of our faith that we walk with integrity; that our faith in God is the reason  we have hope and are content to wait in silence for God. What we need to realize is that when Jews speak of righteousness they often mean the same as when we speak of faith because the fact is that we cannot be righteous without having faith and we cannot be faithful without being righteous. Our faith or righteousness is demonstrated in how we live every moment of every day; how we embrace God’s values; God’s commands.
 
 
Sermon Transcript:  January 15, 2012     -     The Second Sunday after the Epiphany    -    The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
 Readings:  I Samuel 3:1-10; Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; I Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51

     From this morning’s gospel,  “Philip said to (Nathaniel), ‘Come and see.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
 
     You got to hand it to Philip in today’s reading from John’s gospel. Rather than debate the merits of Nazarethor his discernment
that Jesus is the Christ, Philip chooses to invite Nathaniel to “come and see:” to observe and decide for himself. “Come and see:” sure sounds like a great ad campaign for a church, doesn’t it?

      So much of life comes down to perception. Often times, our preconceived ideas of what we think should or should not be tempers how we perceive the world. Church history is filled with missed opportunities for mission and growth because God’s people objected to this, that, or the other movement of the Holy Spirit deciding that whatever was happening could not possibly be of God and refusing to even come and see for themselves. And yet, this morning’s scripture lessons tell us that our life in Christ, our life as God’s people, is never static: God is always at work in the world continuously renewing, creating, and doing new things. In so many ways, God is forever inviting all of humankind to, “Come and see.” 
 
      I think that one of the difficulties we encounter as Christians is our misperception that being born again or having a conversion experience is an ending. We might think that like Samuel, all we have to say is, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” and everything will be just fine; that we will never have to make difficult choices. Or, like the Church at Corinth, all we need to do is “get saved” because we prefer to believe that’s all God requires. But the Christian faith has more to say about beginnings than endings. What began at Calvary with the forgiveness of our sins was only the beginning of God’s new work in us and it will not end until Christ returns. As our reading from John’s gospel tells us, we have much more to see and learn about Christ and our life in Christ.

 
 
Sermon Transcript:  January 8, 2012     The First Sunday after the Epiphany and The Baptism of Our Lord
The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
  
Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11

 From Mark’s gospel,  “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Do you hear voices? Not the voices of others, but rather, those voices in our heads that seem to clamor for our attention. I do. Sometimes my voices speak so loudly that I question my own sanity. (I know others question my sanity, too!) Often, those voices are simply the incessant chattering of our consciences, or perhaps they are none other than the voice of God while, at other times, the voices are clearly not of God. For some, speaking about voices in our heads conjures up that cartoonimage of an angel whispering into one ear, “Don’t do it,” while a devil is whispering into the other, “Go ahead. No one will know.” Yet, regardless of their source, I find that each one begs me to listen to their voice above any other. Learning to hear God’s voice in the midst of the daily noise around and within us, and tune out that which is not of God is what discernment is about. And discernment is something with which each of us struggle. For many, it is a daily struggle. We are constantly bombarded by noises and voices. How can we recognize God’s voice above the fray? 

     On this First Sunday after the Epiphany which celebrates the arrival of the Magi at Bethlehem and the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Light of the world, our scripture lessons turn our attention to God’s voice and how God empowered Jesus for ministry at his baptism. As much as I had hoped to preach about the role of baptism in our lives, my thoughts and prayers kept directing me back to these images of God speaking and those voices in our heads. How does  God speak to us today and, perhaps even more important, why or for what purpose? And if God is speaking, how can we know God’s voice above all others?

    The Psalmist describes God’s voice thundering as it splits flames of fire, shakes the land and causes trees to quake. At Christ’s baptism, a voice comes forth as the heavens are ripped open and in Genesis, God’s voice brings about the creation of the world. Those are pretty incredible images and certainly, if any of us experienced things like that, then we could easily recognize God’s voice. But, from my experience, the voices we hear are quieter: they nudge and gnaw at our conscience slowly urging us to listen and discern their message. But are they of God?

 
 
Homily Transcript:  January 1: The Holy Name of Jesus                                                                   The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:15-21

 From today’s gospel reading,  “After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

     A happy New Year to you all! Today is one of those unique times in history as New Year’s Day and the celebrated Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus falls on a Sunday: the Lord’s Day; the day of resurrection. This year is truly the year of our Lord – the Anno Domini (A.D.) – of Jesus Christ and I believe this will be a milestone year in the life of this parish. 

     But what’s with all the hubbub about the naming of Jesus? Isn’t his name like any other and, after all, what’s in a name anyway? That is a question that many ask. Parents spend hours trying to find the right name for their soon to be born child: a name that will reflect their hopes and desires for their child, as well as their hopes and desires as parents. Sometimes choosing a name that seems “just right” for a child can upset an entire family dynamic. In my own family, tradition dictated that I was to be named William Alexander which happens to mean “Warrior and Protector of the kingdom” but, through a rather convoluted process that takes far too long to explain, I was named Robert Allan instead which means “Shining flame and handsome.” We still wonder what my parents were thinking.   

     What’s in a name? Our reading from Numbers this morning concludes with the statement that the people of Israel, the children of God, put God’s name on them and, therefore, God blessed them. Naming is incredibly important because it reflects whose child we are and under whose protection we live and by whom and through whom we will be blessed. In Hebrew tradition, whoever has naming rights holds authority over the named being but it is an authority of responsibility. So, in Genesis when Adam names all the creatures of the earth, such reflects his responsibility for the care and nurture of those creatures. Need I mention that Adam named Eve? Not as in being superior to her, but rather, responsible for her protection and freedom. Naming anyone or anything is incredibly important. 


 
 
Homily  Transcript: The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ  (Chr                                                       The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Christmas Day, December 25, 2011                       
Readings: Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:8-20

From St. Paul’s letter to Titus,  “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy…” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

      A very, Merry Christmas  to you all! Christmas is a day celebrated throughout the world with much revelry. In many homes gifts are exchanged, rich foods prepared and enjoyed along with quite a few beverages as well, as friends and families gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. For weeks leading up to today’s celebration, the bombastic advertisements of merchants and sellers throughout the world have urged us to buy their products. They promise that purchasing their goods will ensure that the true spirit of Christmas will be found in every home. But our Scripture lessons this morning tell a different story. Our scriptures tell us that the greatest gift of Christmas is one that cannot be bought nor earned. It is a gift that touches the very depths of human hearts: It is the gift of God’s endless saving love now revealed and embodied in Jesus of Nazareth; Christ, the Lord.

      This birth of Christ is the day that the Prophet Isaiah promised would be a day like no other. We hear the ecstasy in today’s Old Testament reading as Isaiah says that the Lord, himself, shouts, “See, your salvation comes...” The Psalmist describes this day saying, “Light has sprung up for the righteous, and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.”  (Therefore) “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks to (God’s) holy Name.”  Truly, this is a day like no other.

      Our Gospel reading this morning tells the story of this day as it has been told for over two thousand years. As I shared with our congregation last evening, the Messiah comes in a way that was foretold and yet not fully understood or expected because the Christ child at Bethlehem, our promised Redeemer and Savior is none other than God’s own self who has come to dwell among us. It is the Almighty God who has come in all humility as a newborn baby begging for milk and food. God comes in the most vulnerable way possible: a defenseless newborn human being. God comes as human flesh, to live and die among us; to journey the human life with its joys and sorrows. And it is this same God who will descend into the depths of human suffering and emerge victorious over death itself. In Jesus Christ, God will speak to his people in a new way. God will speak intimately with us; face to face, as one human being to another.

      And all of this glory, this incredible revelation of God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, our redeemer and savior, St. Paul says, is ours to know not because of anything we have done, but rather, according to God’s mercy. It is God’s love – God’s eternal love – that brought the Christ to us at Bethlehem and continues to bring Christ into the hearts of all who seek to know God as redeemer and judge; friend and companion.

      St. Paul said, “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us … according to God’s mercy.” On this day of celebration and feasting, of family gatherings and revelry, let us remember God’s gift of redemption in Jesus Christ and commit ourselves to follow the path he has laid out for us: a path that urges us to offer and demonstrate the love, mercy and grace of God to all whom we meet. Now come, let us adore him: Christ the Lord. Amen
 
 
Sermon Transcript:   The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas Eve)                  The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
December 24, 2011                                                                                                                        
Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

 From Luke’s Gospel,  “(and the angel said) ‘Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all … people: to you is born this day … a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

      One of the things that has struck me throughout these past four weeks leading up to Christmas, these four weeks we call the Season of Advent: that time when we reflect on our lives and prepare our hearts and minds for Christ’s birth at Bethlehem just as we prepare for and await his promised second coming, has been how our scriptures and readings have focused our attention not on the past or our future, but rather, on the presence of God in and around us today; to look for and to see God; to slow down in order that we might hear and listen to what God is saying to us in fresh ways. All of this has been in preparation for tonight’s celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth: the Messiah, Christ, the Lord. 
 
      And so we have arrived at Christmas. This parish church is bedecked in elegance. Trees are decorated, our homes – well, maybe most of them – are prepared for gatherings of friends and family. Some of us are still scurrying around and yet, Christmas is here and for the next twelve days we will celebrate "Emmanuel:" God with us; Christ is born. Yet, I look around and I wonder what this birth means to us today. Our world continues its downward spiral in political and economic chaos. Nations continue to war with each other and here at home our own people seem even more divided politically, economically, racially, and in so many other ways.

     The Prophet Isaiah, from whom we read this evening, promised that the arrival of the Christ would usher in a new kingdom of peace and prosperity: that this kingdom would continue to grow until it embraced the four corners of the earth. St. Paul, in his letter to Titus, a portion of which we also read this evening, tells us that the birth of Christ brought salvation to all people and that Christ taught us how to live in love and unity with God and each other. But, where is that promised peace and unity? If Jesus Christ did not bring that which was promised then, what did  he bring?