16th Sunday
after Pentecost, Yr. B, September 16, 2012
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm
116:1-8; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38
Sermon preached at St.
Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Not many of you should
become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will
be judged with greater strictness. (James
3:1) I was a teacher for many years, and now as a priest I continue to teach. I used to worry about being judged by
my students, and by my peers … but not so much anymore because I’m older, I am
more comfortable with who I am.
My daughter is in fifth
grade. She still thinks that her
teachers know everything. Like
most kids she gets homework. She’s
still young enough that I know most of what she is learning, at least the
science, reading and math. Social
studies, well … not so much. I
don’t think I really learned anything about social studies until I had to teach
it. Sometimes Nancy or I will be
helping Hannah with her math homework, and we’ll get into a little bit of a
tuggle. We’ll very patiently help
her through the steps we would use to solve a problem, and she’ll be quick to
let us know that “the teacher doesn’t do it that way.” Usually, we try to reassure her. “It’s good to learn different
strategies for solving problems.
Then when you get stuck you have options”, we say knowingly. We’re older. Our experience should count for something. With impatience evident in her voice
she typically responds, “That’s not how you do it, Maiya. The teacher does it a different
way.” Right. Well, as you might imagine homework
usually goes downhill from there.
The teacher knows. In fact, teachers know more than we do.
I was fortunate to have
many great teachers in my life, even after I realized they weren’t
perfect. I bet each of you has had
a great teacher or two as well.
The teachers that stood out in my mind were the ones who weren’t afraid
of mistakes, who weren’t afraid to say they didn’t know something; teachers who
were actually excited by the challenge of learning something new and searching
for answers. My 9th
grade biology teacher was one of those people. Miss Hutchinson understood my passion for science. She
nurtured my inquisitive mind. She
helped me plan and carry out experiments in the science lab during my study
halls. She encouraged me to enter
science competitions, to pay attention to my questions, to look for truth. She was a teacher that inspired me to
learn and to stretch myself. I
admired her for what she knew, but I loved her for the joy she shared with me
in learning how to discover things for myself. She helped me learn who I was.
Jesus
asked his closest friends who people thought he was. They think you are Elijah
or John the Baptist or one of the other prophets, they told him. But then Jesus takes his question a bit
deeper and says “who do you think that I am?” Peter says, “you
are the Messiah”. That was a learning that came from his heart, not from his
head. Who do you say
that I am? Maybe that’s a question we should all stop and ask ourselves
every once in a while. Who are we? Who are
we as St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church? Any idea? What do you think other people would say if we asked them
that question?
When I’m out in the
neighborhood, or talking with guests at Sunday supper, I often hear people tell
me how much St. Stephen’s does for the community. They’re grateful that we’re here. When I talk to people at committee meetings and community
gatherings, I usually talk about everything we do. I talk about all of our mission in the neighborhood. So if I were to guess, I think most people would say we “do
a lot for the neighborhood”, that we “care for the community” on the west side
of the city, and I would be proud of that … but I also wonder if that is the only way we want to be known. Is that all we
are?
We are a Body of
Christ. We offer a lot to people,
and a lot of people come here because they want and need things … food,
transportation, help with rent, but we also want people to know that we are a
spiritual center, that we are a prayerful place. Do we see ourselves as
a place for spiritual renewal and nourishment? Who are we? As we look toward studying a little bit
about the Missional Church movement, I hope we don’t forget about how our
spiritual life together is also missional. Who we are, is just as important as what we do, and the
teacher who knows us best and can reveal the most to us about ourselves is God.
I started thinking about
this last year, and that is what prompted the three series of classes on prayer
earlier this year. It’s what
prompted me to invite Rev. Canon Al Keeney back to help us begin a rhythm of
Simple Presence in community on the first and third Thursdays of the
month. It’s what prompted me to
teach the Lord’s Prayer in sign language.
It’s what has prompted me to do some prayerful drumming with the youth
at Freedom Kids Camp. It’s what
makes me think drumming as an opportunity for prayer, or offering healing
prayer as a part of our service.
Who do people say that we are?
The Church belongs to God,
not us. So the real answer will
come from God. One way to listen
for God is through a practice of Centering Prayer, a prayer of simple presence. In centering prayer, you set aside some
time to intentionally open ourselves to God, and we wait. Today, we’re going to try a little
bit. For some this will be
new. For others it will be a
little gift of time to practice.
So first find a
comfortable position. Put your
feet flat on the floor and your back against the pew. Take a moment to stretch your necks or your shoulders to get
the kinks out. Before we begin
think of a word or phrase that reminds you of God, and hold it gently in your
mind. Gently close your eyes. Take a moment to invite God into this
time, to be with you, to be with us.
We’re going to sit quietly for just 5 minutes. I’ll start and end us with a bell. As you sit, let go of thoughts. If you find thoughts entering your mind … say your word or
phrase in your head … and let them go.
Don’t beat yourself up over it.
Just let it go and return to waiting on God.
When you hear the second
bell, open your eyes. We will
continue with our service. Who are
you? A child of God. Who are we? The Body of Christ.
Remember that God waits for us with the same deep desire that we have
for God, and the opportunity to grow in faith is the same for us as it was for
Peter and the disciples.
Amen.
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