Sermon for 15th Pentecost
Lead with Your Heart
By The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer -
Before I begin my sermon, I want to share some thoughts from my heart with you all:
I briefly mentioned the terrible revelations about child sexual abuse and rape by Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania in my sermon two weeks ago, but I feel the need to add a few more thoughts. So many have asked me about this situation that I feel I must respond a bit more fully.
I have been deeply troubled by the continuing revelations out of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s investigation of Roman Catholic priests in seven dioceses in Pennsylvania. More than 300 priests and more than 1,000 victims over 30+ years in seven Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania and that does not even represent all of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, with the largest diocese, Philadelphia, not even included. Thus, the numbers are probably larger, much larger, and we are only talking about one state, albeit one with many Roman Catholics.
Now this past week came further revelations from the Pennsylvania Attorney General that these activities were known to the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy for many years. That there were secret reports, including names of priests and victims, reports that were shared with the Vatican in Rome. Reports that did not result in immediate actions to protect children.
As a pastor, a “priest” in our tradition, I am ashamed and angered. The actions of these pedophile priests demean all who wear the collar, Roman Catholic and non- Roman Catholic alike.
I have some experience with the issue of other kinds of clergy misconduct in our Lutheran church, clergy misconduct involving adults. I served on a synod staff, in Pennsylvania, for nine years. I served on the national staff for nearly 16 years and worked closely with the ELCA’s attorneys as they dealt with cases of clergy misconduct among our ELCA clergy.
Here is what I know: sexual misconduct of any kind by ANY clergy is a crime against the church and a crime against Jesus Christ. Those who are guilty of such misconduct must be relieved of their pastoral duties immediately and those whose misconduct involves children must be turned over to the police. No question. No hesitation.
However, I do feel that it is important to differentiate between the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches. While it is true that all churches have clergy who have violated the trust of the church and their faith, and there are certainly other examples of clergy misconduct with children, I am sad to say that that Roman Catholic Church is alone in its recent history of rape and misconduct with children on such a large scale.
In my nearly 25 years on a synod and the national ELCA staff, I dealt with a number of cases of clergy sexual misconduct, but never with a case of misconduct with children. Not one.
Our church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has very specific rules for clergy conduct in these areas. And zero tolerance for violations of these standards.
This is nothing to brag about, of course. ALL clergy are less than they should be as Christians, every one of us including me. However, it is important to you all, especially those of you with children, that I state that the sheer size of the recent revelations are unique to the Roman Catholic Church.
And, I pledge to you that I will always be a person whose actions you can trust, with children and with adults. And, that I will always stand up for children and families.
Now to my sermon….
I like this story:
A young Mother was hosting her extended family for Thanksgiving dinner and decided to bake a ham. As her daughter watched, the young Mom took out the ham, put it in the roasting pan, cut off the end and put it aside. Her daughter looked puzzled. “Mommy,” she said, “Why did you cut off the end of the ham?” “You know,” said the Mom, “I really don’t know. My Mom always did it that way.”
The next day, the extended family gathered for their Thanksgiving feast. Taking the opportunity during their delicious dinner, the little girl asked her Grandma, “Grandma, Mommy tells me she cuts off the end of the ham because that’s what you do. Why do you do that?” The Grandma responded, “You know, I do not know why I do that. My Mom always cut off the end of the ham, too!”
Well, it was Thanksgiving, so Great-Grandma was there also. The three women turned to Great-Grandma and asked her the same question, why did she cut of the end of a ham before baking it? “That’s easy,” said Great Grandma, “my pan was too small.”
And that is how some family traditions begin!
Cute story. I thought of it as I read today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark. This lesson got me thinking about traditions in families and faith. Or, in the case of today’s Gospel lesson, a bit of both.
Today’s text lands us right in the middle of an argument so routine it feels peculiar to read about it in the Bible. I am pretty sure I have not only overheard this argument before, but actually participated in it. About washing your hands before dinner, that is.
Now I know that hand-washing is very important for sanitary reasons. Both my wife, Kris, and I served on the board of the Good Shepherd Home and Rehabilitation Hospital while we lived near Allentown, Pennsylvania and, while on the board, we made a big push to increase hand-washing among our staff. And, we were successful, and that success helped reduce our hospital’s infection rate. So, I know hand-washing is important in our day just as it was in Jesus’ day.
But, that cannot surely be all that is going on in this passage, can it, an argument about washing hands before eating that has probably been repeated in each and every one of our homes? Well, yes and no. Yes, it really is about the practice of washing hands. No, as is often true in such arguments, there is often more going on beneath the surface than initially meets the eye.
Those of you who are parents know that children just sometimes forget to wash their hands. Or maybe they decide that even though their parents think this hand washing-thing is important, they do not, and, while they are at it, maybe they are tired of all the rules their parents are making. So maybe not washing their hands, in this case, is less about forgetfulness and more about testing their parents’ authority.
The same thing is happening in today’s Gospel text. It’s not just about washing hands, it’s about the tradition and authority behind that practice. Which is the point the Pharisees press: “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders?” they ask, somewhat aghast at the implications of Jesus and his disciples running rough shod over tradition. What is at stake, then, is not just a specific practice but the larger question of authority. In short, the Pharisees want to know, just who does Jesus think he is to flout the tradition of the elders?
As you can see in your bulletins, today’s gospel text skips around in Mark 7. So, it might be helpful to look at verses the lectionary omits. Those verses suggest it is not simply about authority, but authority linked to behavior - our everyday, ordinary, decisions about how we treat each other. And that is why Jesus throws the “tradition of the elders” thing back in the Pharisees’ faces.
In the verses not included around today’s Gospel, Mark 7: 9 – 13, Jesus challenges the Pharisee’s “traditions” directly and says, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!” Jesus accuses the Pharisees of finding a religious loop-hole to keep from supporting their parents, despite the commandment to honor one’s parents.
In other words, Jesus is challenging them as to how their traditions contribute to them fulfilling their mission in this world.
Well, what does this means for us, those of us worshipping together this weekend at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church?
Jesus’ question is one we also need to ask ourselves, in our congregation’s life and in our individual and family lives – how do our traditions and our everyday actions, contribute to fulfilling God’s mission for us in this world?
How do we, you and I, fulfill God’s mission for us in this world? Through our congregation and in our everyday lives?
In today’s text, Jesus gives us a direction – follow your heart. Jesus tells us to do what our hearts lead us to do. Jesus would say, “Do not let evil in this world come out of you, come out of your heart, let your heart lead you to goodness, not wickedness.”
Okay, I am with you, Jesus, but I need a bit more guidance. How do I lead with my heart? What do I actually do?
Well, that is where we get some guidance from our second lesson today, a text from the letter of James, the brother of Jesus.
Now, as you might remember, the Bible book of James was not one of Martin Luther’s favorites. Far from it. Luther thought both James and Revelations should not even be in the Bible.
Luther’s problem with James was that he believed James promoted, or could easily be interpreted as, works righteousness, earning one’s salvation. That, of course, was a major no-no for Luther with his emphasis on our salvation as a free gift of God, something we cannot earn, but only can accept.
However, a more sympathetic view of the book of James would suggest that James gives some helpful direction to what a Christian should do after he or she realizes God’s love and salvation for him or her. What’s next?
In today’s text, James suggests that what is next, what is worth breaking tradition for, is to care for the poor and marginalized in our world, “orphans and widows in distress” is James’ example. For James, our faith is worthless if it does not result in some positive action for those less fortunate than ourselves.
So, there it is – simply lead with your heart, reach out to those on the margins, show the love of God in all you do, not only at worship, but in all you do every day of your lives.
From Jesus and James to you and me: Remember and care for those on the margins – the immigrant, the poor, the homeless, the incarcerated. Lead with your heart. Show the love of God in all that you do.
Amen.
(With thanks to the Rev. Dr. David Lose).
The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer
Senior Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Santa Monica, California
Sunday,September 1 & 2, 2018
