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Oct. 26, 2003

Pentecost 20

Hebrews 5:12-6:1; 9-12 (NLT)

You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn't very far along in the Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.

So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

Dear friends, even though we are talking like this, we really don't believe that it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and patience.

Ps. 13

Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)

And so they reached Jericho. Later, as Jesus and his disciples left town, a great crowd was following. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus from Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

"Be quiet!" some of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here."

So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.

"Teacher," the blind man said, "I want to see!"

And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see! Then he followed Jesus down the road.

Sermon: If We Are the Body

Use Song: If We Are The Body, Casting Crowns

If we are the Body,

Why aren’t His arms reaching,

Why aren’t His hands healing,

Why aren’t His words teaching,

And if we are the Body,

Why aren’t His feet going,

Why is His love not showing them there is a way,

There is a way,

Jesus is the way.

I want to commend your Vestry for being an extraordinary group of faithful servants of God. They had an awful lot laid on the table last Monday. They were presented with an idea to expand our youth ministry, a major renovation of the organ and an expansion of our whole music ministry, in addition to the roof work that will begin soon, and the whole list of capital projects that we have before us, when we are already looking at a deficit budget for the year, and they didn’t flinch for a minute. Questions? Yes, they had plenty of good questions that need answers. We will find the answers, and as we do God will speak to us.

Most vestries I know of would have completely balked an agenda such as we had last Monday, but not this Vestry. Instead of simply looking at the bottom line and saying, “Forget it. None of this is possible” they chose to say, “Let’s pray about it, think it through, and see if God is in it.” Why? Because there is something they know. If God is in it, He will provide a way to do it. And if God is not in it, it will fall by the wayside just as it should. In either case, there is no need to be afraid of any idea or any task as long as it is approached with faith and we know that we are seeking to serve God, not ourselves.

In that song, the group, Casting Crowns, asks the question, “If we are the Body, why aren’t His hands reaching… why aren’t His words teaching?” Well, here at St. George’s, His hands are reaching, and His words are teaching.

That is what this Vestry does, what all vestries should do, but too many do not. They model faith for the rest of the parish.

I also want to commend the people who worked so hard on the Healing Mission that we had on Friday and Saturday. It was, as always, a great time of ministry.

In that song the question is asked, “If we are the Body, why aren’t His hands healing?” Here at St. George’s, His hands are healing.

I want to commend the Activities Committee for putting together the “Hallelujah Night” to give our kids a healthy alternative to Halloween, and for giving all of us a rare chance to just get together and have some fun and fellowship in a healthy environment. In our society so much of what passes for entertainment is done at someone else’s expense. There is always an element violence, or abuse, or put down that is supposed to be funny or shocking. A big part of being a healthy family is just having fun together in ways where no one is insulted or put down. Here at St. George’s, “His love is showing them there is a way…. Jesus is the way.”

Today in the Adult Discussion we are going to have an open forum. This is something that has been requested for some time, and this seems a good time for it. I want to bring you up to date on what has been happening in the church after the meeting of our leaders in England, and the more recent meeting of concerned clergy in our own diocese.

(inserted here is the text of the meeting of concerned clergy, now named “The Anglican

Caucus of the Clergy and Laity in the Diocese of New Jersey”)

Meeting of the Anglican Caucus, Oct. 23, 2003

For 30 years we were told, “We are not changing the theology of the church. We’re only having a discussion, a dialogue.” And while we were discussing and dialoguing, the theological foundation of the church was being systematically ripped out from under us. On Nov. 2 the 30 year plan will reach its conclusion with the ordination of Gene Robinson.

At the General Convention a reporter asked Gene Robinson if he was concerned that his ordination might split the Anglican Communion. His response was, “I don’t want to be responsible for the state of the Anglican Communion.”

Exactly what, then, does he think the job of a bishop is?

All our lives we have been told that the office of bishop is a symbol of the unity of the church. Now the office of bishop has become the focus of the church’s disunity.

People have asked me about this meeting: Are you planning an exit strategy from the Episcopal Church? Are you trying to take over the Diocese? No. and No.

I have no intention of leaving the Episcopal Church. I have been an Episcopalian all my life, and my family history with the Anglican Communion goes back almost 400 years. I’m not leaving the Episcopal Church, but the Episcopal Church has left me. I am fully aware that although I stand within the mainstream of Anglicanism, I represent a minority in the Episcopal Church today.

And I am not under any delusions about taking over anything. This is a thoroughly liberal Diocese, as evidenced by the small response to my letter. The taking over of the church has already been done by those who think they can win God’s approval for their life by manipulating the political processes of the church. I can only feel sorry for such people. They have so totally missed the point of the Gospel. I have no desire to take back anything they feel they have “won.” Even if I could somehow take it back, I wouldn’t want it. What I look for is a time of renewal, and a new creation of the church which God will bring out of this disaster. That is always God’s way. First the shaking, then the breaking, then the cleansing, then the rebuilding, and finally the renewal. (see sermon of Oct. 19)

My only intent or desire is to stand with those who are likeminded during this time of turmoil. We need to find supportive fellowship. That is why I am here. And, I’m here because it is time to stop apologizing for being a voice of dissent. The one-sidedness of this controversy, this “dialogue,” has evolved into full blown hypocrisy. Some examples:

Release of property:

At least two conservative dioceses, SC and Pittsburgh, have taken steps to release property rights to their parishes, so that when the inevitable split in the church comes and these dioceses realign with another body, the parishes that wish to remain with the Episcopal Church can do so without legal battles. I have yet to hear of any liberal diocese offering the same “tolerance” to their conservative parishes.

Election of bishops

When Gene Robinson was being approved his supporters cried that conservatives should approve him whether they agree with his lifestyle or not, that they had no right to interfere in the decisions of another diocese. But when conservative bishops who oppose the homosexual agenda have come up for approval there is plenty of opposition from liberals, no hesitation at all to interfere in the election process of those dioceses.

Redirection of funds

The African bishops have told us they are being punished financially for their faith. When liberal churches began redirecting funds away from Africa because the African bishops had dared to criticize us, I heard no outcry against it. They are merely exercising good stewardship. But the minute a conservative parish even thinks about directing its funds away from national church or diocesan agendas toward more biblically sound mission projects, they are villainized and called “intolerant”, ”uncollegial” and “unepiscopal” accused of being shallow and small minded for voting with their pocketbooks.

Dialogue

For 30 years we on the evangelical side of the church have sat and listened calmly and respectfully to the presentation of the homosexual agenda, even when it was based on outrageously poor theology and shameful attempts to appeal to emotion rather than truth. When we tried to present a position that was true to the clear teaching of the Bible we were booed, ridiculed and laughed at. I’ve endured that myself on more than one occasion in this diocese. We were told that the Bible is out of date and that no intelligent person seriously believes that the Bible’s position on sexuality has any relevance in our modern world. And in many cases, sadly, we have been intimidated into silence.

I for one will continue to conduct myself politely and respectfully because that is what the Lord expects of me, but I am finished being silent while lies are being told, lies that are killing people I love and care about. I am finished arguing with people who will not even listen to the truth because they intend to remain willfully ignorant, and call it a “dialogue.” And I am finished apologizing for the Word of God. As St. Paul so eloquently put it, “To those who are perishing it is foolishness. But to those who are being saved it is the wisdom of God, the power of God.” I have seen that power in my own life, and I will continue to testify to my Lord who died on the cross, not to condemn me in my sin, nor to condone my sinfulness, but to set me free from the power of sin and enable me to live in the righteousness of God.]]

But as serious as the situation is in the Episcopal Church right now, this is not the most important thing going on in the world, or in our community.

We have an even greater challenge before us than the future of the Episcopal Church, a much greater challenge and much closer to home. It is just down Dunhams Corner Road. I’m talking about the new Mosque that is being built in East Brunswick. The shaking that I described in the sermon last week is not just shaking things up within the church. It is shaking up the spiritual life of this whole nation. Competing religions, competing gospels, competing visions of God are at work all around us.

Every time I drive past that Mosque I say a little prayer. “O Lord, somehow in your mercy, let them come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And if You would allow it, let us be somehow part of that miracle of salvation to our neighbors.”

How can His arms be more outreaching, His hands more healing than what we see now?

The challenge to us is not about the survival of a denomination. It is about the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world, kingdoms which are in conflict and have been since the beginning of human history. Into this conflict we are called to be the church, the Body of Christ, a Holy Nation, a royal priesthood to serve our God and Father.

Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Church lists the 5 Purposes of the Church:
1. Love the Lord with all your heart

2. Love your neighbor as yourself

3. Go and make disciples

4. Baptize them

5. Teach them to obey

The first challenge is know that we truly are loving God with our whole heart, and the only way to do that is “by the Book”, the Bible. The church will never recover the spiritual power needed to turn this nation around until we get serious about personal discipleship, obedience, changed lives.

The second challenge is to carry that deep love of God to a neighbor who may be totally hostile to the Gospel. But love requires nothing less. There are Moslems, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists all around us. Are you praying for them? Are you asking God for an opportunity to serve them and befriend them so you can witness to them? Or are you wishing they would just go away and take their strange religion with them? God has a plan. He made this an overwhelmingly Christian nation with an open door policy on immigration so He could send a lost world here to find the truth. Are we going to cop out on Him now?

Finale: If We Are The Body, by Casting Crowns