Erl Purnell Sermon

St. Andrew Day (transferred) ~ November 19, 2006 ~ A sermon preached by The Rev’d Erl G. Purnell at Old St. Andrew’s Church, Bloomfield, CT

Deuteronomy 30.11-14; Psalm 19.1-6; Romans 10.8b-18; Matthew 4.18-22

“Immediately they left their nets and followed him” and then again, “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.”

Two questions. Important questions for Andrew and Peter, James and John. Important questions for you and me today.

# What does it mean to follow Jesus?

# And, what kind of church do we want to be?

Don’t we all marvel at the incredible choice these first followers of Jesus make? It seems so easy. “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Of course, we imagine, times were simpler then. These people didn’t have as much to lose. No mortgage, no SUV payment, no overseas vacations to take.

But, I’m not so sure it was simple for them. Didn’t they have families? Peter was married. What did his wife think of Jesus? What do you suppose Andrew’s sweetheart said when he told her he was traipsing off behind Jesus? Or, was she one of the many women who also traveled the dusty roads with Jesus, even all the way to Jerusalem? How about Zebedee? The family fishing business seems to have played second fiddle to his boys taking off down the beach behind Jesus. Without their help on the sea, how did Zebedee make out?

Deciding to follow Jesus means taking a hard look at where Jesus is headed. His is not the play-it-safe journey of convention. Being a Jesus-follower is risky and takes courage, commitment, and sacrifice. The kind of things Bishop Smith spoke about last week. It means giving up what you have in order to receive something even greater, something more precious than the material things of the world.

Jesus does two things: One, he stands over against the domination systems of his day—the Romans and the Temple elite—who use their position and power to lord over most people. Jesus stands in the light of true justice for all people in a world where justice is stored in a soldier’s scabbard. His call to the world is to insist on equality and justice for ALL, not just the few in power, or ones who are the right color, or the rich, or only male people, or heterosexuals, or Jews…Pause for a moment…and imagine how radical this call to change was and IS!

Today, prejudice continues even as we struggle for equality and justice. Sometimes it’s racial; sometimes about gender or gender orientation; sometimes religious; and sometimes it’s ethnic as in Darfur today, Bosnia, Rwanda, Germany, and the Americas in past centuries. This radical notion of equality and justice is embodied in a single, simple act—the Eucharist—where a) ALL people are welcome at the Table—ALL people—and b) we share all that we have, so that ALL may be nourished. This is Jesus’ picture of justice!

The second thing Jesus represents and teaches is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is no less than a world where compassion, forgiveness, and love are the hallmarks of Being. And, Jesus insists that the Kingdom of God is right here, right now. It is in our hearts and souls to be lived out through loving relationships with one another. Compassion, Forgiveness, Love. The Kingdom of God is expressed through who we are and what we do. In words most familiar to us, the Kingdom of God is the church in the world. The Kingdom of God is the Body of Christ living out the revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth.

# What does it mean to follow Jesus?

# And, what kind of church do we want to be?

Fast forward out of the gospels and into the modern world. Fast forward to Old St. Andrew’s Church in Bloomfield, Connecticut, November 2006. Fast forward to our time on last Sunday afternoon with Bishop Smith and Jack Spaeth. What does it mean to follow Jesus? It means to release your white-knuckle hold on all that you have, so you can use what you have for the greater good as well as for your own good. What does it mean to follow Jesus? It means letting go of your fear and having real faith that “all is well and all will be well and all manner of things shall be well.” This is what I mean by ‘OSA is a church on the move, the church on mission!’

And, what kind of church do you want? Will you invest in the future of your church because that’s how you can best live the good news? Do you want to take Jesus seriously and truly embrace all peoples, even as God created them? Do you want to give back to God all that God has provided for you? Do you? It’s easy to say, “Yes, of course.” But, just saying “Yes” is not what Jesus wants and expects. What if Andrew and Peter, James and John had shouted back to Jesus and said, “O, yeah. Yup. Great idea. OK. Sure. We’re with you…but, um, just a minute and we’ll see if we can break free…later.”

The gospel tells us, “Immediately they left their nets and followed him” and then again, “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” These people—led by our own Andrew—really did change directions to follow Jesus. They turned themselves over to a whole new way of Being. We are asked to do the same.

In recent weeks I have become more and more aware of both an unbridled excitement at OSA and a certain disquietude among a few. I feel both. The vast majority of people with whom I speak are jumping with joy for and about OSA and where we are headed. These folks are optimistic and leaping off the diving board of faith into the pool of possibilities. They already see 310 parishioners names in our Directory; they believe that soon pledge income will cover operations so our endowment can be dedicated to outreach. They echo Robert Kennedy’s words: “Some men see things as they are and say ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’”

On the disquietude side? Words only faintly describe the idea of doubts and uncertainty about what’s true or right, which direction to go, and fear of making a mistake. These unsettled attitudes, I think, are influenced by larger issues: the War; negative and polarized politics; the elections; human sexuality and civil unions; concerns about retirement security; healthcare and prescription costs; personal things. Perhaps a few of you have similar feelings crossing over into thoughts, fuzzy or otherwise.

OSA is at a propitious moment. For myself, I try constantly to stop and take stock. I try to return to the gospel in both my joy and my doubt. As such, my primary touchstone is neither the teaching of the church nor the church’s tradition. It’s not Democratic or Republican politics. It’s not history. Rather, I return to the gospels. I go to the Jesus story so I can find out what Jesus says about following him? I need to remember who Jesus is and what he was and is about. I need to remember who I can be and what kind of church this can be? The gospels remind me about the risk and reward of being faithful.

The spirit of the Body of Christ is unlike the secular world. In the church, though we may disagree on any number of issues, our value is always to be respectful, honest, and forthcoming. Unlike secular organizations, our activities—business and worship and fellowship—needs be in the open and for all to see and share in. And, contrary to what happens in some corners of the church, at OSA I always hope that we will stand in the tension of differences, knowing that the spirit moves uniquely in each of us; that none of what we do is about winning or losing; that we would rather be loving than right. We are commissioned to live and learn and grow into the spirit of Christ by being just, compassionate, forgiving, and loving at all times and in all things. Yes, let’s keep doing that and heading in a direction that makes us better and joy-filled.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? What kind of church do we want to be? In the past week, I hope you have taken to heart what Bishop Smith said about giving all to the Body of Christ; about your support for your church and, not only the importance of tithing but the possibility of doing so. Perhaps you remember the Crier article about the tithing parishioner whose income is $59 a month. Her pledge is $6 per month. I just received this from her on Thursday: “We have been given a raise to $61; therefore as of January 1^st, 2007 my tithe will go up to $6.50 a month.”

If we really reach out, really stretch, our annual giving will reach $500,000! That goal is worth aspiring to. As we march toward being a tithing parish, this is the year to take a big step forward. The budget can be balanced if we have $207,000 in pledges. I hope you have carefully read my letter. Do you see where you, like the person tithing $6.50 a month, can make all the difference? Do you see the impact of doubling your pledge from 1% to 2%, or increasing it by at least $300, or bringing it to or beyond the diocesan average as you begin to reach toward the tithe? What kind of church do we want to be?

Amen.