Talitha Cum

(I don't think I've ever shared this sermon.)

July 1, 2012—Emmanuel, Killingworth

Jim Bradley

Desperate times, I've heard tell, call for desperate measures.

And what could be a more desperate time than a terminally ill child? So, her father, Jarius, a leader of the synagogue, takes desperate measures. Jarius—a respected and conservative leader of the synagogue—approaches an iterate teacher and miracle worker. Jarius falls at Jesus' feet, risking his own reputation, and begs the strange rabbi to come and heal his child.

Jesus is impressed by Jarius' belief and agrees to go.

There are three things in Mark's Gospel that are always present. First is the crowds—there are crowds everywhere and always, grasping for Jesus, jostling him, making him so put upon that from time to time he escapes to 'a lonely place' to be by himself. The second omnipresent aspect of Mark is the urgency of everything. The word we translate as “immediately” occurs more in Mark than in the whole rest of the Bible. It is always crowded and things happen 'immediately'. Finally, there is the secrecy motif. Over and again in Mark, just as today with Jarius and his wife, Jesus tells people to 'tell no one' what has happened. Either he wants to cut down the crowds or it is brilliant reverse psychology since as soon as you tell someone not to talk about what happened, they can't help themselves and tell everyone!

As they move toward Jarius' house, the second desperate situation comes into play. A woman who has been bleeding for 12 years and spent all her money on doctors, sees her chance to touch Jesus and be healed. This is double un-kosher!. First of all, a woman would never touch a man in public in the first century. Never. Not ever. It just wasn't done. Plus, this woman is bleeding (“an issue of blood” older translations said) and blood is unclean in Jewish law and thought. For a bleeding woman to touch a Jewish man would be anathema if not worse!

But she does touch him. And she is healed.

You know that old saying, “seeing is believing”? Well, I read another saying written by, of all people Saul Alinsky. Alinsky said, “we will see it when we believe it....” That describes the desperate measures of Jarius and the woman. They believed in Jesus, trusted in his power, and so they saw their solutions to their problems.

Oddly enough, Jesus feels his power leave him and says, “who touched me?”

The disciples are incredulous. “The crowds are everywhere,” they tell him, “who could tell who all touched you?”

The woman comes forward and confesses that it was her, again kneeling at his feet. Jesus is moved and tells her that 'her faith has made her whole'.

Then messengers from Jarius' home arrive, telling him his daughter is already dead and not to trouble Jesus any more. They are probably trying to avoid the scandal of a suspect rabbi showing up at the leader of the synagogue's house.

But Jesus tells him, “Fear not, only believe” and they continue on.

There is a beautiful poem by Patrick Overton called “The Leaning Tree”. Part of it goes like this:

When we walk on the edge

of all the light we have

and step off into the unknown,

we must believe that one

of two things will happen:

there will be something solid

for us to stand on

or

we will be taught to fly.

That's where Jarius and the woman with the hemorrhaging find themselves in their desperate situations. They have stepped off into the unknown, believing that either they will find firm footing or learn to fly.

When they arrive at the house, they are met with weeping people, mourning deeply. Jesus tells them not to make such a scene, that the girl is merely sleeping. And they laugh at him!

Perhaps they were professional mourners as were common since they could go from despair to laughter so easily. But Jesus takes the mother and father and his three closest disciples into the room where the girl is. He takes her hand and says those beautiful Aramaic words, “Talitha, cum” ('little girl, get up). And the girl is alive again. And he tells them to give her something to eat. Death makes you hunger, I suppose.

What we are called to do, in our lives, day by day, is precisely what Jarius and the woman did. We are called to 'walk on the edge of all the light we have and step off into the unknown'. We are called to take the risk of trust and belief. And we are called to know that either 'there will be something solid for us to stand on or we shall be taught to fly.'

God will give us safe footing or teach us, beyond all imagining, to fly, to soar....

God will be with us in all the unknown moments of our lives.

Amen.

Horse Racing and Life

Until today, there had only been 11 Triple Crown winners since 1919. Eleven in 95 years. But today, American Pharaoh became number 12--the first since 1978 (Affirmed).

There have only been five Triple Crown winners in my lifetime: 1948 (Citation), I was one year old and obviously didn't care; 1977 (Seattle Slew) and 1973 (Secretariat): and today, of course.

I remember watching the races with Seattle Slew and Secretariat. I don't remember Affirmed as well, though I must have watched one or two.

I didn't see American Pharaoh live, but watched it on line a few minutes ago and actually shed a tear or two. Why would I get misty about horse racing? I've never been to a horse track or bet on a race (I might have seen some harness racing at the West Virginia State Fair when I was very young, but it is a blur of a memory.

Maybe it's because those three races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont are part of the American culture in an indelable way. Truth be known, a very small percentage of the country follow horse racing, but those three races are front and center in our collective consciousness. Can't avoid them even if you try.

And the last time the Triple Crown was won, I was 31. Our son was almost 3 and Bern was pregnant with our daughter. We lived on Hazelwood Avenue in Charleston, West Virginia. We were, in many ways, children (still!) raising children.

We used to go to a Kentucky Derby Party every year in New Haven. It doesn't happen anymore, but it was important at the time.

In the 37 years since Affirmed won the Triple Crown, my life has gone on and on.

You need milestones as you go along. Posts to tie the years to. I think that's what it is. Every year the Triple Crown races intrude into my life. And the only posts in the ground is when one horse wins them all.

So, I wept with joy and sadness for all the joy and sadness (much more joy than sadness, I'm glad to report) since Affirmed.

Thank you, American Pharaoh, for giving me a touchstone to my life in the last 37 years...my father's death, the death of both Bern's parents, Mimi's birth, both those amazing lives (Josh and Mimi), their marriages, our granddaughters. So much life since the last Triple Crown.

It's wonderful to ponder your life. And, in some weird way, American Pharaoh caused me to ponder.

Thank you Triple Crown....

Why I'm an Episcopalian

I want to share with you a sermon I preached 11 years and 11 months ago. A lot in the sermon has been long settled--questions about homosexuality, which was THE ISSUE facing the 2003 General Convention. But much of this sermon still applies.

(I may have already posted this: but I'm not willing tonight to go through the almost 1300 posts to see. So, if I already did, I'm doing it again. Lots of stuff in life is what we do again and again....)

Why I’m an Episcopalian….

July 27, 2003

This little book is called 101 Reasons to be an Episcopalian. Since much of what I want to say today is about the Episcopal Church, I’m going to read several of them to you as we go along.

# 87 by a woman priest from Florida: “We don’t have all the answers and we welcome others who love the questions.”

# 86 by a laywoman in Rochester: “Catholic, without the pope and with women; protestant without the gloom….”

Tomorrow at 9:55 a.m., God willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be on an airplane headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church as one of our Diocese’s 4 clergy deputies.

I want you to know this: I am both proud and humbled to be one of the four priests representing the Diocese of Connecticut at the General Convention. Proud and humbled—both at the same time…. Both together…. Just like that….

Reason # 52: “this is the only church that is as lovingly loony as your family.” Mary Lyons, Diocese of Olympia

#80—a layman from Atlanta: “We don’t quiz you on your beliefs before worshipping with you.”

What I want to tell you about the General Convention of our church is this (it’s a quote from Dame Julian of Norwich): “All will be well and all will be well and all manner of things will be well….”

That’s not the message you will hear in the news media about the goings-on at General Convention. What you will hear—unless you log on the St. John’s web site and get my “reports” from the Convention—is this: the church is in a mess it can’t get out of…everything is falling apart…the Episcopal Church is about to split asunder and blow up like a cheap balloon.

My advice is this: don’t listen to that negative stuff.

My mantra is this: “all will be well….”

***

In today’s gospel, Jesus walks on water.

Twenty years ago or more now, one of my favorite poets, the late Denise Levertov, said this: “The crisis of faith is the crisis of imagination. If we cannot imagine walking on the waters, how can we meet Jesus there?”

Denise Levertov said that at a conference of poets and theologians. For my money, you couldn’t beat that combination—poets and theologians…people who anguish over “language” and people who fret about “God”. Poets and theologians—now you’re talking….

***

Let’s cut to the chase—the real issue facing the General Convention, in one way or another, is the issue of homosexuality.

There is a remarkable amount of disagreement within the Episcopal Church about homosexuality. And that disagreement will come to the General Convention in several ways. It will come up over the confirmation of the election of Gene Robinson as the next bishop of New Hampshire. Gene Robinson has been a priest for 30 years. He is currently the assistant to the Bishop of New Hampshire. He heads committees for the national church. He happens to be a gay man in a committed relationship with another man.

There are 10 other elections of Bishops that will come to the General Convention. Not since the 1870’s has the larger church overruled the choice of a Diocese as their bishop. And the 10 other bishops elected in the last 3 months will be approved by General Convention without debate and unanimously. But not Gene Robinson….

If I were a betting man, I’d say the odds of Gene Robinson being approved by General Convention are 4 to 1 in favor. And when that happens you will read and hear how the Episcopal Church is about to fly apart and self-destruct.

I would urge you not to believe that.

I would urge you to believe this instead: “all will be well….”

One thing the Episcopal Church is blessed with in abundance is “imagination.” We will walk on the waters…. And all will be well….

#32 by Elizabeth Geitz, a Canon at the Cathedral of the Diocese of New Jersey: “The Episcopal Church taught me that Jesus came to challenge, not just comfort; to overturn, not maintain; to love, not judge; to include, not cast aside.

Most likely the Convention will also vote on whether or not to ask the Standing Liturgical Commission to prepare a ritual for the blessing of committed relationships outside of marriage. No matter what you hear in the media—General Convention is not voting to approve “gay marriages”.

“Marriage” is a function of the state, not the church, so General Convention has no say in “marriage law”. Because of Connecticut state law, an Episcopal priest can legally sign a marriage license as an “agent of the state”. What I do, as a priest, in a marriage, is ask God’s blessing on the commitment and fidelity of the man and woman. What General Convention will most likely consider is whether there should be a service to bless the monogamous, faithful, life-long relationship of two people that is not marriage. The resolution is, in one way, separating what the “church does” from what the “state does.” If that resolution passes—and I’d put the odds at 2 to 1 in favor of it passing—the church will develop, over the next three years, a ritual to bless “relationships” other than marriage.

If that resolution passes, you will hear that Liberals and Conservatives are about to tear our church apart. I’d urge you to suspend your judgment and remember this: “all will be well, all manner of things will be well….”

# 11, Barbara Ross, Diocese of Oregon: “At our best, Episcopalians can respectfully disagree about a great many things—and still break bread together.”

#13, by Carter Heyward of Massachusetts, one of the first 7 women ordained a priest…before the General Convention approved women’s ordination: “We believe that love without justice is sentimentality.”

There is a sense of daja vu about all the media hype about this year’s General Convention. The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, critics said, were about to implode and fragment a quarter of a century ago over revision of the Prayer Book and the ordination of women.

And it is true that a small number of Episcopalians chose to leave the church after those changes. But the great schism nay-sayers predicted did not happen. We had the patience and imagination to walk on stormy waters. And, if we in the Episcopal Church can find—in the midst of great conflict and disagreement—if we can find “our better selves” we can walk on waters again.

The secret to our “imagination” as a church is that we Episcopalians—deep-down, value “each other” more than we cling to our divisions. And we are, as a church, dominated by a commitment to Justice.

Reason #62 of the 101 reasons to be an Episcopalian comes from Nancy Vogel of the Diocese of Vermont: “Despite or perhaps because of our present disagreements in the Episcopal Church I am reminded that God calls us all together because we aren’t WHOLE without each other.”

Reason #68, a lay person from New York: “I love our church because we don’t think UNITY means UNIFORMITY.”

“All will be well” with us, if we can cling to our passionate commitment to “be together” in the midst of deep differences. We Episcopalians are the only denomination that is practiced at that. Somehow, over our history, we have found the imagination necessary to “belong to each other” even though we disagree. This is a “lovingly loony” church. You don’t have to leave your questions or your intellect or your deeply-held opinions outside the door to be here and share in the sacrament with each other.

We Episcopalians define our “identity” by our worship instead of our dogma. When Queen Elizabeth the First was asked, centuries ago, if members of her church should cross themselves during the Eucharist, she said, wise beyond words: “none must, all may, some should….”

That is the openness and inclusiveness that is one-half of the genius and glory of our church. The other half of that genius and glory is this: we are the most “democratic” church in Christendom. We make our decisions on small matters and great matters by “voting”.

I was “elected” nearly 15 years ago to be your Rector. We “elect” our bishops. The Presiding Bishop of the Church is “elected” by the other bishops. The deputies to General Convention are “elected” to vote for their Dioceses by their Diocesan Conventions. You “elect” the vestry members that make the decisions about St. John’s. And the Vestry makes decisions by “voting”.

The Episcopal Church is a unique American institution, formed at the very same time as our nation by some of the same people. And the founders of our Church understood the wisdom of the founders of our nation—the way to make decisions is by voting…majority rules…. Here in the United States and here in the Episcopal Church, we don’t believe “unity” means “uniformity”. We vote on difficult issues. Then we move on, unified but not uniform. And we deeply, profoundly value the “loyal opposition”.

An “inclusive democracy” is what the Episcopal Church is. The “loyal opposition” is greatly valued by the majority. That was true for those who opposed women’s ordination and the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. It will be true two weeks from now toward those who are disappointed, broken and angry about whatever happens at General Convention. They will be loved. They will be comforted. They will be included. Without them, the church will not be whole.

“All will be well…” It will take a while and some few may choose to leave the church if I’m correct about how the votes will go. But those who are happy about the “votes” won’t want anyone who is unhappy about the “votes” to leave. If they leave it will be their choice and their leaving will be mourned greatly.

And this church will go on. We will welcome all to taste and see how sweet the Lord’s Body and Blood truly is. We will value everyone, no matter what they think or believe. We will never require “uniformity” to have “unity”. And we will stand for love and justice—love and justice and the wonder of God.

That will not change. Not one iota, not one jot.

And all will be well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well….

Just a lovely day

Cloudy is no problem for me, means I can sit on my deck all day and read.

I read a book today and started another. On sunny days there are a few hours the deck is not available and I have to sit on the porch, chairs not as comfortable.

There seem to be more birds than usual. Some robin babies in a tree in our yard--a bush, mostly. But you can't get near them because the dad and mom dive bomb you. Tiger parents can be robins.

And the temperature couldn't be better. In the 50's tonight as for most nights this week. No AC in our lives yet.

What a lovely June day. Couldn't be better, I don't think.

Lovely.

Like my life--reading almost constantly, eating well, three creatures and a wife I love. What could be wrong about that???

Plus, two more clowns for the car: Lincoln  Chaffee for the Democrats (once a Republican, then an Independent and now, finally, a Democrat--a guy who can't make up his mind) and (as John Steward said on the Daily Show, our prayers are answered, Rick Perry is in the mix.

I'm serious, usually I look forward to the World Series, the college football and basketball schedule, the newest movie and Game of Thrones, but now, for almost a year and a half there is going to be the drama, comedy and insanity of the lead up to the next Presidential election.

In his announcement, Lincoln Chaffee said we should join the world and accept the metric system.

Going to win on that platform, Lincoln?

Rick Perry promised not to have any 'uh-oh' moments this time. Good luck with that, my Texan friend.

Things are going to be great, between the weather and the politics, for quite a while....

Mary

I visited Mary today. She is in her late 80's or early 90's (it wouldn't be polite to ask...) and lives alone with a walker and a cat. Her granddaughter looks in on her each morning and some daughters at other times. She has suffered much and yet is full of life and her mind is much advanced on her body.

I've visited her several times, bringing communion and conversation. Today I showed her pictures of my daughter, Mimi's wedding to Tim and told her about my family.

The cat seldom comes out when I'm there and didn't at all today, probably not trusting me.

But visiting people like Mary--who have seen and felt so much--is one of the great joys of being who I am--a priest of the church.

A friend was there when I arrived, bringing Mary flowers for the sweater Mary knitted for a friend of hers.

Mary introduced me as "Father Jim" and I told the friend, probably my age, to 'just call me Jim', and the two of them had a conversation about what to call the ordained. They needed, it seemed to me, to put something in front of my name.

I'm just 'Jim' in my own mind, but I realized today, at Mary's, that that isn't enough for some people, so I'll let them call my 'Father' from now on, if they want to.

It's good to learn something important--and that's what I learned today at Mary's. You don't always get to 'name' yourself. Sometimes you have to allow others to 'name' you instead.

Something to ponder and live into, I suppose.

God bless Mary and her friend and all those who care for her. Webs of relationship are what matter in this darkling world. They really do.

old friends, book ends...

I had lunch today with Mary Ann Logue. I've known her since the early '80's of the last century. That qualifies as 'old friends' I think.

I presented her for confirmation into the Episcopal Church and then presented her for ordination into the priesthood and then she worked with me as my assistant at St. John's in Waterbury for a few years.

We share a lot of history and it is always a joy to be with her and relive some of it. We also share a left-wing Democrat view of the political landscape, which makes us 'book ends'. We lingered over cheeseburgers at the Whitney Center in Hamden for about two hours. I showed her pictures of Mimi and Tim's wedding. She told me about health stuff and her family. I talked a long time about the Making a Difference workshop and my involvement with it. If she wasn't in her 80's and having trouble getting around, I would have tried to enroll her!

She told me she was too old for it but enjoyed what I told her about it.

She sometimes goes to St. Paul's/St. James in New Haven. But most Sunday she comes down to the Bistro in the morning, sits near the wall to ceiling window and becomes what she started out as--a Quaker.

Many Episcopal priests, if you asked them what they would be if they weren't Episcopalian would say "Quaker".

Isn't that odd? From pomp and circumstance to contemplation. Not bad sides of the same coin, in my mind.

The last line of the Simon and Garfunkel song which is the title of this post says this: "Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you."

Old friends matter so much. Don't lose touch with yours....

Making a Difference

In 1987 I went to a workshop called "Making a Difference". Without being overly dramatic, here's what happened: I was seriously considering leaving the Episcopal priesthood when I went and what I got was my priesthood all new, transformed, never to be the same.

So I got involved with the group that sponsors the workshop: The Mastery Foundation and eventually became a leader of the workshop that altered my life so completely.

We have a workshop June 16-19 at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York. I was on a phone call with the other two leaders, Shane and Maggie, and our mentor and guru, Ann tonight and became so excited about what's waiting for me in just over two weeks that the transformation was re-declared for me. (That's workshop language, sorry, but it just means I was put back in touch with why I do this and have done it for so many years.)

Part of it was simply that I love the people in 'the work' (more jargon, sorry) so much. Part of it is that I know how much people can be transformed in their ministry from the workshop. Part of it was the humility I always feel when I watch those transformations.

Sometimes a single event can alter life. This is the one that altered mine. Only the birth of our two children and falling in love with Bern are bigger moments for me.

Also, I enrolled two people into the workshop, Garnet and Barbara, who belong to two of the three churches I serve. I've never been good at 'enrolling' (workshop language, sorry). What I've done is try to 'recruit' people. There have been people who I paid their cost to get them to come and asked them to pay me back how much it was worth. They all, I pleased to say, paid me back in full.

But this time I just told people what it meant to me and my life and ministry and that's all Garnet and Barbara needed to hear. Two others wanted to come but job and personal commitments wouldn't let them.

One of the things we, as leaders, promise the participants is this: we will treat you as if your commitments are greater than your frailties.

Everyone, it seems to me, needs someone to treat them that way.

That way lies transformation.

("Transformation" is workshop-speak, to distinguish what is available as opposed to 'change'. Change is arduous, painful and seldom successful. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic is 'change'. Transformation is finding a whole new way of being in life. Big difference.)