SAINT LUKE
S
SAINT LUKE’S
“THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE”
EASTER 7
ACTS 16:16-34
PSALM 97
REVELATION 22:12-14,16-17,20-21
JOHN 17:20-26
A SERMON BY THE REV. CAROLINE STACEY
MAY 8, 2016
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Of all the things Jesus could have prayed for at the Last Supper, he prays
that his followers may be one. All. That is a tall order, and it always has
been. From the earliest churches, planted in the big cities of the day –
Corinth, Antioch, Rome, Philippi, where Paul and Silas are today –
there was division. I belong to Cephas, I belong to Apollos.
My theology professor used to say: The great sin of the Protestant
churches is schism. Schisming off to form a new group has been a
default for churches when they disagree. The eastern churches - the
orthodox families split from the western churches in 1054. The great
Schism. And it has been downhill ever since, especially in the western
churches. Once the Reformation starts, we start schisming. Again and
again. Almost like a contagion, serial taking of umbrage and offense. A
rash of theological hand to hand combat and walkouts. Where do we
stop? There is so much to disagree about. Liturgy, music, doctrine,
traditions, who can be ordained and who can’t, interpretation of
scripture, theology of the sacraments. Structure and governance of the
church. On and on and on. The list of disagreements among and in
churches is endless. The Episcopal church says: Unity does not mean
uniformity. Which means, schism is only for a profoundly significant
issue like, the divinity of Christ, or the abuse of the sacraments. But so
often, people opt out for other reasons.
We can find reasons to quit any given congregation on any given day.
We can go in search of a better church elsewhere. We might like the
music better elsewhere, or the people, or the education opportunities or
the children’s ministry, or the clergy or the building or the social
activities. Sometimes we would rather be with people just like us.
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Diversity is a nice idea in theory but so challenging in practice. (“Love
my neighbor? Do you know my neighbor?!”) Some church growth gurus
even say that the best way to grow a church is to seek homogeneity,
because people are most comfortable worshiping with people just like
themselves. Diversity is a negative if you want to grow your church.
Hmmm…too bad that inclusivity is a hallmark of the kingdom of God.
Isn’t it interesting that sometimes the most outwardly “successful”
churches might be at odds with the gospel in that way? Isn’t it
interesting that Jesus is not praying for his church to be successful but
to be faithful – to each other? That the church may be one?
But frankly, it is just easier sometimes to nurse our resentments and
choose not to reach out and be reconciled. Sometimes we prefer the
splendid isolation of our grudges over getting back in the arena of
relationship, and choosing the demanding work of forgiving and being
forgiven – which has to be the bedrock of any long-term relationship
because we’re all so human.
When Jesus prays that we may all be one, Jesus knows what he is asking.
Now, sometimes, relationships and covenants are too broken to heal.
But Jesus prays that as a practice, as a general operating principle in our
lives, we will choose to stay if at all possible. Jesus is praying that over
and over again, we will choose to opt in. As a way of life. If we look at
Jesus, staying rather than quitting is what he does. Jesus prays that we
may be one as a witness to the world. And it is what faithfulness is.
Choosing to stay is the path to deeper joy in community. Jesus reveals
who God is through his own commitment and fidelity to us. Learning
to live with other disciples whom God calls and loves is a huge part of
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the life of faith. Indeed, I think learning to love our neighbors in the
pews who are different from us is just a much of a growth as learning to
love our neighbors across town or across the world. Harder, sometimes.
Community is a beautiful journey that takes time to unfold. As we
learn to love our neighbor through thick and thin we grow into kinder,
gentler, less judgmental and more forgiving people than before.
In the words of Mr. Rogers: "Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an
active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that
person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now."
A big part of love is not quitting. We imitate Christ when we embrace
the light of community and refuse the shadow of endless criticism and
harping on the cracks and flaws. We can choose to focus on the good,
not the flaws. It is like fidelity in marriage. Every day we choose to stay,
we strengthen the sacrament, we grow the light and strength and beauty
of our relationship. We can always choose to walk away. But when we
do that, we close out all the possibilities for the future in the
relationship. We may miss something extraordinary, which can only
come into being when we stay and participate in building the
relationship. As in a marriage, there are many blessings which only
unfold over time.
Jesus prayed: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of
those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be
one.” There are many more blessings Jesus has in store for us. Let’s recommit today to fidelity to each other and stick around to see them.
AMEN
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THE CHURCH OF ST. LUKE IN THE FIELDS
487 HUDSON STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10014
TEL: 212.924.0562
FAX: 212. 633.2098
WEB SITE: WWW.STLUKEINTHEFIELDS.ORG
EMAIL: [email protected]