Sermon 22 November 2016 Thanksgiving Service Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Year C

     The story of the first Thanksgiving celebration in this country has been learned by countless school children. I’m not sure how well they learnt it, though, since here’s a composite of things children say about Thanksgiving. “The penguins landed in their big boat. They gave things to the ‘Nature’ Americans. They remembered being seasick a long time. They invited everybody to dinner. Then they all said thank you God.” Okay. Wrong species, but I guess the important things got remembered.

     What about our biblical story from Deuteronomy tonight? The story teaches us about the biblical tradition of thanksgiving. And, the story helps us learn how to express our thankfulness for God’s blessings. In Deuteronomy, what people do is this:

·      Giving

·      Remembering

·      Celebrating

First comes giving. You might notice in their giving, the

Israelites were told to give their first fruits to God. “First fruits” meant the finest and the best. It meant the first picking of the ripest, best looking, and tastiest of all they had grown. It is apparent God does not like the last scrapings or the leftovers.

Next comes remembering, that is, history. Who are we? Where did we come from? How did we get here? It is apparent that in the Israelites’ afflictions, God is the deliverer. And, in the Israelites’ new inheritance of the land, God is the agent who made it possible.

Finally, there is celebrating. And the celebrating is done together with both the citizens who now rule the country, and with the resident aliens. The celebration takes place for all with all the bounty God has provided.

How would our Thanksgivings be different if we followed our Israelite forbears in the faith?

·      If each year we gave first?

·      If we remembered who we are and how we got here?

·      If we celebrated by inviting those we know and the resident aliens among us?

Giving, remembering, celebrating. I think that’s what most children I talk to have in mind. It might still sound like this. “The penguins landed in their big boat. They gave things to the ‘Nature’ Americans. They remembered being seasick a long time. They invited everybody to dinner. Then they all said thank you God.”  But in the end, what children get out of the story is giving, remembering, and celebrating. So whatever way you remember is okay too. Even if it’s some version of, “The penguins landed in their big boat. They gave things to the ‘Nature’ Americans. They remembered being seasick a long time. They invited everybody to dinner. Then they all said thank you God.” Because giving, remembering, and celebrating is how we respond to God’s grace with grateful hearts. AMEN.

The Rev Nicolette Papanek

©2016       

Sermon 20 November 2016 The Feast of Christ the King Luke 23:33-43 Proper 29 Year C

         If I were the kind of preacher who posted sermon titles on a sign outside the church, today’s title would be “Stone and Souls.” Listen again to what Jesus says about the temple in this morning’s Gospel:

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”[1]

Did you hear this and wonder why our lay homilist today reminded us that to do our ministry your generous giving makes that possible? After all, if we have money to install new carpeting and tile and do other improvements, then why do we need your money?

First of all, as our lay homilist already mentioned, the money we have spent and will continue to spend on this building is designated for expenses that are not budgeted. We must spend it on ministry and mission that are beyond our regular operating expenses.

It’s a sobering thought, but what we have done has kept this building from falling down. Some of you have heard me say this before; we were close to it being less expensive to tear the building down and start over rather than to repair what we have. And which of those things would be better stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to us? Your Vestry knew it was best to be good stewards of what God gas given us.

Part of the reason for this is that while stones may fall, this building holds the collective memories of us all. In addition, this building holds the future of the souls who will join us.

So it’s “Stones and Souls” to set our Phoenix on fire for the future. Many of you have been incredibly generous toward the “stones.” And that has been deeply appreciated. You see it all around you today. Our new carpeting looks like almost the same colour, but when you come up for Communion, please notice the carpet is bright and new, rather than faded and worn. Gone are the dangerous spots around the altar that invited tripping. Gone are the pulled strings and gapping seams. It is new and beautiful in God’s house.

What happens though, if we do all this and then our daily expenses, no matter how frugal, exceed our income? What happens? I’ll leave that to your imagination except to say none of us want to see a “For Sale” sign outside on the lawn.

And that, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, is why stones are important. This place, these stones, and this wood, and yes, even this carpet, are the means by which we make a difference to people’s souls.

My home bishop once said something in a sermon I have always remembered. I’ll say it now because that way you’ll know I’m quoting him instead of just being profane. My bishop said, “What we do makes a damn difference! We’re talking about people’s souls!”

He’s right. The church is never a not-for-profit organization except to the state of Oklahoma and the I.R.S. Instead, the church is a for-profit organization because our “profit” is in souls. We make a damn difference in people’s lives.

Would you miss us if we weren’t here? What would your life be like without Church of the Resurrection on Rockwell in Oklahoma City? What do you love so much about this place that your soul would cry out if we weren’t here?

Oh sure, you could find another church. But imagine us here, staying here, thriving and being the church to people both inside and out, year after year. Being a church that is a place where your soul rejoices.

At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the hard times to come. He says, “You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” Your endurance is something that will attract a wonderful new rector. And so, my friends will be the knowledge that there is money for every day ministry.

Stones and souls, that’s what it’s all about, Keeping this building a welcoming place and reaching the souls of those outside this place.

With all due respect to my home bishop, I think it’s more like this: What we do here makes a blessed difference! We’re talking about people’s souls! We’re talking about our souls, and the souls of those we reach through being both inside here and outside there. (Outside the church.) Be part of the blessing. Be blessed and bless someone else by making sure we thrive.

Last year the Phoenix was rising. This year, let’s set the Phoenix on fire to fill this place with triumph, beauty, hope, and love! AMEN.   

The Rev Nicolette Papanek

©2016

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[1] Luke 21:5-6 (NRSV) paraphrase mine.

Sermon 13 November 2016 Proper 28 Year C

         If I were the kind of preacher who posted sermon titles on a sign outside the church, today’s title would be “Stone and Souls.” Listen again to what Jesus says about the temple in this morning’s Gospel:

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

[1]

Did you hear this and wonder why our lay homilist today reminded us that to do our ministry your generous giving makes that possible? After all, if we have money to install new carpeting and tile and do other improvements, then why do we need your money?

First of all, as our lay homilist already mentioned, the money we have spent and will continue to spend on this building is designated for expenses that are not budgeted. We must spend it on ministry and mission that are beyond our regular operating expenses.

It’s a sobering thought, but what we have done has kept this building from falling down. Some of you have heard me say this before; we were close to it being less expensive to tear the building down and start over rather than to repair what we have. And which of those things would be better stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to us? Your Vestry knew it was best to be good stewards of what God gas given us.

Part of the reason for this is that while stones may fall, this building holds the collective memories of us all. In addition, this building holds the future of the souls who will join us.

So it’s “Stones and Souls” to set our Phoenix on fire for the future. Many of you have been incredibly generous toward the “stones.” And that has been deeply appreciated. You see it all around you today. Our new carpeting looks like almost the same colour, but when you come up for Communion, please notice the carpet is bright and new, rather than faded and worn. Gone are the dangerous spots around the altar that invited tripping. Gone are the pulled strings and gapping seams. It is new and beautiful in God’s house.

What happens though, if we do all this and then our daily expenses, no matter how frugal, exceed our income? What happens? I’ll leave that to your imagination except to say none of us want to see a “For Sale” sign outside on the lawn.

And that, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, is why stones are important. This place, these stones, and this wood, and yes, even this carpet, are the means by which we make a difference to people’s souls.

My home bishop once said something in a sermon I have always remembered. I’ll say it now because that way you’ll know I’m quoting him instead of just being profane. My bishop said, “What we do makes a damn difference! We’re talking about people’s souls!”

He’s right. The church is never a not-for-profit organization except to the state of Oklahoma and the I.R.S. Instead, the church is a for-profit organization because our “profit” is in souls. We make a damn difference in people’s lives.

Would you miss us if we weren’t here? What would your life be like without Church of the Resurrection on Rockwell in Oklahoma City? What do you love so much about this place that your soul would cry out if we weren’t here?

Oh sure, you could find another church. But imagine us here, staying here, thriving and being the church to people both inside and out, year after year. Being a church that is a place where your soul rejoices.

At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the hard times to come. He says, “You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” Your endurance is something that will attract a wonderful new rector. And so, my friends will be the knowledge that there is money for every day ministry.

Stones and souls, that’s what it’s all about, Keeping this building a welcoming place and reaching the souls of those outside this place.

With all due respect to my home bishop, I think it’s more like this: What we do here makes a blessed difference! We’re talking about people’s souls! We’re talking about our souls, and the souls of those we reach through being both inside here and outside there. (Outside the church.) Be part of the blessing. Be blessed and bless someone else by making sure we thrive.

Last year the Phoenix was rising. This year, let’s set the Phoenix on fire to fill this place with triumph, beauty, hope, and love! AMEN.   

The Rev Nicolette Papanek

©2016

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[1] Luke 21:5-6 (NRSV) paraphrase mine.

Sermon 6 November 2016 Feast of All Saints (transferred from 1 November) Luke 6:20-31 Year C

Note: The Nave (worship area) was under construction due to carpet installation and we worshipped in the Parish Hall.

     For the last several years my prayers include this: “Help me to be vulnerable to those who are angry or in pain.” I want you to know that the four of us who attended our Diocese Convention these last two days, heard two Bishops demonstrate their vulnerability. Our own Bishop Ed, and Bishop Robert Wright from the Diocese of Atlanta both told personal stories of life changing experiences. Any of you who have met Bishop Ed know that he’s a pretty buttoned down guy. Most of the time you don’t know what he’s thinking or feeling. When he spoke at Convention the entire room was still. You could tell he was speaking directly from his heart, with complete vulnerability. And, you could tell how much he wanted us to listen to him. Not listen because he was the bishop, but to listen because he was another human being with a story to tell.

         One of the things Bishop Ed said was that our country is as divided right now as he can remember. I saw heads nodding throughout the room. What I notice in particular these days, is anger simmering in nearly every person I meet. I see angry drivers in urban attack vehicles, excuse me, I mean Suburban Utility Vehicles, coming up behind me, tailgating and then swooping around me as though I shouldn’t be on the road. Then there are the angry people in the grocery, pushing one another’s shopping carts aside so they can grab their groceries. There are angry parents, slapping children when they engage in age appropriate behavior as most children do. There are angry people in line at the fast food drive-through, revving their car engines and drumming impatiently on their steering wheels.

         I wonder sometimes if people might become saints now simply because of their endurance, their ability to last through contemporary life without getting angry.

         The real saints though, are ordinary people made extraordinary by being vulnerable.

         Listen to what Jesus tell us in Luke’s Gospel about how to be a vulnerable saint; a saint who is open to others:

·      Love your enemies.

·      Do good to those who hate you.

·      Bless those who curse you.

·      Pray for those who abuse you.

·      If anyone strikes you on the cheek, give them the other cheek too.

·      If anyone takes away your coat, give him or her your shirt too.

·      Give to everyone who begs from you.

·      If anyone takes away your goods, forget trying to get them back.

·      Do to others, as you would have them do to you.

        

If Jesus appeared right now, he might add a few things. How about these?

·      When you do to others, ask what they want rather than assuming you know what they want.

·      Give up forwarding inflammatory emails.

·      Give up hiding behind the anonymity of online comments.

·      Give up using Facebook and Twitter as forums for your anger.

·      Give up firing off an email or text when you disagree with someone.

·      Talk to people in person.

·       Listen with an open heart and mind to what people have to say.

·      Feed the good in yourself and others.

·      Be open and vulnerable.

·      Honor those who are open and vulnerable to you.

All of the things Jesus talks about are ways of being vulnerable and open to others. Being vulnerable and open means living, really living out our baptismal vows. In a few minutes we’ll reaffirm our baptismal vows, as is appropriate for the Feast of All Saints.

None of us can live out our baptismal vows alone. We all need people who are willing to help us live out our baptismal vows. I’m sure each one of you has a wonderful story about someone who is a saint to you and helps you live out your baptismal vows. So today, before we reaffirm our baptismal vows, I invite you to do this. Think for a moment, who is it in your life who does one or more of these things:

·      Helps you believe?

·      Helps you continue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship?

·      Helps you persevere in resisting evil?

·      Helps you repent and return to God?

·      Helps you proclaim by word and example the Good News of Jesus?

·      Helps you seek and serve Christ in all persons?

·      Helps you love your neighbor as yourself?

·      Helps you strive for justice and peace among all people?

·      Helps you respect the dignity of every human being?

There is someone who has helped you do one or more of these things. Who is it? What happened? What did the person do or say? (I paused to give people time to remember.)

Since we’re in a semicircle today, it’s easy for each of you to turn to the person next to you and tell him or her who that person is and what happened, and what the person did or said. If you can’t think of someone right now, you can still be vulnerable and open by really listening to the other person’s story. I’d be willing to bet though, that each of you already has a story to tell. So I invite you now to turn to the person next to you and share that story. And, I invite you to listen to their story.

(I allowed 5-10 minutes. I gave 2-minute warning to wrap up stories.)

Thank you for being vulnerable with one another and listening to each other’s stories. It’s through these stories of our saints that we build our faith day-by-day, month-by-month, year-by-year, and life-by-life. We increase our openness and vulnerability to others by the grace of God, the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We’re called to listen, learn, and love, with the saints you named, and all the saints: past, present, and yet to come. AMEN.

The Rev Nicolette Papanek

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©2016