Relationships Matter - Redeemer Episcopal Church

Matthew 5:21-37 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Concerning Anger

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Concerning Adultery

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.[i]

Concerning Divorce

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Concerning Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

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Below is the sermon I preached on February 16, 2020 at Redeemer Episcopal Church. You can read the sermon manuscript here, or listen to the sermon (with infusions from the Spirit) at this link. Always remember that I preach to a particular context in a particular time, but I hope it speaks to you as well! 

God of reconciliation, give us the courage to live for you and strive toward the relationships you desire for us among all people and all of creation. Amen. 

There is a famous story about St. Francis of Assisi, where he is asked by Brother Masseo: “Why you? Why does all the world seem to be running after you, and everyone seems to want to see you and hear you and obey you? You are not a handsome man. You do not have great learning or wisdom. You are not a nobleman. So why is all the world running after you?” 

Saint Francis, with his characteristic humility, explained that God’s glory shone all the brighter through the weakness of such an obviously “miserable servant.” 

Of course, this has turned into somewhat of a joke, but the question remains: why were people so drawn to the life of St. Francis as he taught and preached, following him around the Italian countryside and giving up their bourgeois lifestyles to become monks and nuns?

I have been spending some time studying the life of St. Francis because some of my students and I head to Italy in about three months. On Friday I attended a lecture about his life and some of the sites we will be visiting while we are there. Every part of the Italian countryside seems influenced by St. Francis in some way. 

I think much of it has to do with his authenticity. In the 13th century, medieval Christians liked what was in the Bible and what Jesus said about how to live according to the Gospel, but no one truly thought it was possible to actually live like Jesus described. They were all wonderful teachings in theory, but they were impossible to put into practice. 

St. Francis proved them wrong. He gave up his wealth and inheritance, he gave up comfort and a permanent home to follow God’s call. He proved through his life and his actions that following Jesus’ call was, in fact, possible. 

I share this story of St. Francis because the people who would have first heard Jesus’ words that we heard this morning would have thought that these things sounded good in theory, but they were impossible to practice. 

This portion of the sermon on the mount is called the antitheses. Jesus says repeatedly, “you have heard it said… but…” It’s a bit misleading because it sounds like Jesus is replacing long-standing Jewish laws with something completely different. But what he actually does is intensifies the commands. 

I think what resonates with so many people today about St. Francis is that his entire life was centered around and shaped by relationships. The very first worship service he led was in a leper colony outside of Assisi. He thought that is was important to be in relationship with those who were exiled from society— the sick, the dying, the orphaned, and the widowed. 

When he was first moved to poverty and preaching, he realized that he would have to create his own order of friars. All of the other orders had a hierarchy of authority and St. Francis wasn’t interested in that. He wanted all of his followers to be brothers, he even called himself a custodian, the lowest servant of them all. 

When St. Francis began having many followers, he sent them out in pairs to spread the gospel. Of course, this was because it is biblical— Jesus did the same thing— but he also wanted to make sure his fellow friars always had to rely on someone else. Relationships were the most important thing to St. Francis. Your relationship with other people and with creation, he believed, was a direct reflection of your relationship with God. 

St. Francis was devoted to God’s word, and more specifically the words and the way of Jesus Christ. He longed to see the fullness of the kingdom of God in this world. And he knew that in the fullness of the kingdom, people would live in full communion with one another. 

Because that is Jesus’ intent here, right? The law seemed to be asking the bear minimum of God’s people and Jesus is upping the ante. 

There is a big spectrum of emotion and action between simply not murdering someone and deep, fulfilling, restored relationships. What if the opposite of killing someone was restorative, and healing community with someone? 

There is a big difference between simply not committing adultery and treating others as truly beautiful children of God. Jesus seems to say that adultery, murder, divorce, and even swearing oaths have less to do with individual actions, and much more to do with our relationships with one another. 

And, Jesus says, this relationship we have with one another affects our relationship with God. So much so that if we remember that we have issues with someone, we should leave and go settle those issues before we even come to the altar and stand before God. 

Relationships matter. 

That’s what made St. Francis’ life so appealing to so many, that’s why his impact has lasted over 800 years. Because he demonstrated what happens when people choose to take Jesus’ words seriously and devote themselves to not the bear minimum in relationships but, the utmost and the most whole in our relationships.

This is what God proved to us and promised to us in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That relationships matter so much, that full communion with God’s people is so important, that God is willing and even enthusiastic about coming into this world as a human to be among us, healing us, and feeding us. 

We are invited into this kind of communion with one another and with God in the waters of baptism and we are reminded of the divine example of God’s grace, mercy, and commitment to God’s people every week when we gather for this meal. We get to participate in this gift of life given to us in these words. We can choose to believe, like St. Francis did, that relationships matter. Not only our relationship with the divine, but also our relationship with one another and all of creation. And we are called not to the bear minimum, but to fullness of life. Not only is it possible, but it will change the world. 

Do Not Be Afraid - Redeemer Episcopal Church

Luke 12:32-40 

³²“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ³⁵“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; ³⁶be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. ³⁷Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.³⁸If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. ³⁹“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

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This sermon was originally preached at Redeemer Episcopal Church on August 11, 2019 by The Rev. Sarah Locke. You can listen to the sermon audio (with infusions from the Spirit) at this link. 

Grace and peace from God in Christ, without whom we cannot exist. Amen. 

“Do not be afraid” seems like an absolutely ridiculous thing for God to say to us, and to these people in these stories. 

Think of the story of Abram: God had promised that he would be a great nation and up until then, he had only had a son born to his wife’s slave— hardly the right kind of heir! So he questions God, and I think most of us would say rightly so— and God says “Do not be afraid.” But can we blame Abram for being afraid? Things aren’t going as planned or promised and he is already an old man. 

In the gospel text, Jesus is in the core of his teaching. He has already healed many people, he has calmed the storms, and he has predicted his death multiple times to his disciples. Why wouldn’t they be in fear and trembling about all the things their rabbi has done and says that he will do? Just before this, Jesus told someone in the crowd that possessions are only going to rot and crumble beneath them. The one thing that assured the life and longevity of people in the ancient world— wealth, acquiring more stuff— Jesus says is worthless. It makes sense that people are a little uneasy. 

So how galling is it that Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.”

This is the same message that God brings to us today. 

The imagery that Jesus uses as he speaks to the disciples strikes me. Jesus gives us a story of a slave, waiting in the middle of the night, for the master to return. Then he says that “if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Jesus us tells his followers about two times when we much stay awake, stay alert. And they both happen to be at night. It is in the middle of the night that the master may return from the wedding banquet. We are to stay up, far into the darkness of evening to await his return. Far into the unknown hours of mystery and vulnerability. So too, Jesus speaks of a thief who comes during some mysterious, unknown hour to break into the house.

This is where we find ourselves this morning. In darkness, in mystery, in fear, awaiting those things that we know will come, but without any indication of when or for how long we must wait.  

127 of God’s children have died or were injured in mass shootings in the United States just in the last two weeks. 

680 of God’s children were arrested in ICE raids this week and hundreds of parents were separated from their children.

God’s creation of land and water are being exploited at unprecedented rates, wreaking havoc on our whole world. 

Friday’s triple shooting marked Jacksonville’s 100th homicide this year.

Do not be afraid, Jesus says. 

But it seems we are sitting in the deepest darkness many of us can imagine. 

Think about what it means to be in the dark. As children, many of us were probably afraid of the dark. Maybe we still are. It’s often terrifying and it makes us sit up a little straighter, strain our eyes a bit to be sure we know where we are going, keeps us focused and diligent. But is also gives us an opportunity. 

Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us that “we are never more in danger of stumbling than when we think we know where we are going.” Only when there are no more maps, no more compasses, no more lights to direct the way, are we fully vulnerable to God. 

So here we are, waiting in the darkness, beginning to understand that we are fully reliant on God. In the collect this morning we prayed that we cannot exist without God. How often do we truly believe that? Only when we know we cannot rely on anything else in this world. Only when we are in total darkness, waiting for God to return.

So what do we do in this space? What do we do to quell our fear and feel more secure?

The world would tell us that we have to have more defenses, buy more guns, increase our national security budget, have some sort registry of the mentally ill. The world would tell us that we must frantically flip on all the lights and respond in fear, gathering up all the resources we can so that we can defend ourselves against intruders and thieves. The world tells us that these things will keep us safe. 

But God tells us that true security doesn’t come from those things. In fact, Jesus tells us to sell all of our possession in preparation for his return, we are to give to the poor and be cautious of what lies within our hearts. Our psalm this morning says this: There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army; a strong man is not delivered by his great strength. The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; for all its strength it cannot save. God is our only help and shield.

The only thing that can hold is in this in-between time— this time of darkness, mystery, and fear, when the reign of God is not but not yet come, is God. Only God. 

So what are we to do? We look to our ancestors and all those saints who have gone before us, we look to those who have gone through the darkest of times and we learn from our history. We remember those who have died fighting against the same evils. We read their stories again and again, we remember their names on our lips and in our prayers. We dine with them at this holy table. We are assured in the promise that we are washed in the same waters of baptism with them. And like Abraham and Sarah, and our parents before us, we defiantly, rebelliously have more faith in God than we do in this world. 

Because we know where we are in this story, as resurrection people— we know the end of this story. We know how it ends. God’s story does not end with the darkness of the sun being blotted out as Christ dies on the cross, it does not end with the darkness of the tomb. 

The story continues as the sun rises to reveal an open and empty tomb. 

God’s promise of life everlasting is the only thing that allows us to sit through the night, waiting for the thief, wondering what comes next. It is only God’s promise that allows us to have faith that something better awaits. 

And that is exactly why we come together in this community to sit and wait and be vulnerable before God as we wait for what is to come, trusting in God’s radical and revolutionary promise that we need not worry. 

Amen. 

Follow - Trinity Lutheran Church

My latest sermon at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Florida, was a prime example of what happens when I've had a long week, the gospel text feels more convicting to myself than anyone I might be preaching to, and the Holy Spirit catches me between the two worship services.

If I uploaded the sermon audio from both the 9am and 11am worship services, you'd be surprised by how different they sound. They are almost 3 minutes different in time and I'm honestly not even sure what I preached at the second service. But that's the work of the Spirit. Which is also why I don't have a manuscript to share with you from last week, and why I am posting it so late. I wasn't sure if I would share it with the world at all. But, alas, I'm a sucker for consistency and I will try to always upload my sermon and sermon audio for those who want to be a part of this community of faith.

You can find my sermon audio from last week at the link here and you can read the gospel lesson below. Peace to you.

Luke 9:51-62

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Getting it Right - Redeemer Episcopal Church

Luke 19:28-40

²⁸After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.²⁹When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” ³²So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. ³³As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”³⁴They said, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. ³⁷As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” ³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” ⁴⁰He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

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To listen to this sermon (with the Spirit's infusions), click on this link.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” Amen. 

Thus begins Holy Week. 

Interestingly enough, this year, Holy Week is also the last week of school for many college students. 

As I was chatting with our campus ministry students this past week, I was struck by how much pressure they are under as they begin exam week. I’m sure parents feel it, too, as their children begin testing in school. But there is something to be said about the pressure to perform, feeling like your own self-worth depends on it.  Young people are constantly inundated with the narrative that they are not good enough.

We fall right into step with it, too. It seems that it is so much easier for us to focus on the negative aspects of ourselves and our work. In my first interview for seminary, I was asked about my weaknesses and was able to rattle off a half a dozen of my character flaws in rapid succession. Then they asked about my strengths and we sat in silence for what felt like minutes while I tried to think of anything to say. And I don’t believe that it is totally about humility, either. I think we are conditioned to focus more on the things we get wrong so that we can constantly be improving ourselves, working harder, getting better. 

That’s why I want to focus on the processional reading instead of the passion narrative this morning. We have spent much of the Lenten season being reflective, penitent, and focusing on things that need to be pruned in our lives and ministry. Most preachers around town this morning will probably be preaching about how fickle we are as God’s followers. How we are just like the disciples who shout “blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” today and “crucify him” in less than a week. And that is true. There is no denying that. But what I don’t want to ignore is that the DO shout “blessed is the king!” The disciples, for this brief moment, seem to get things right. And we do too. 

The reading opens up with Jesus telling two disciples to go into the village, steal a colt, and bring it to him. And they do. They do exactly as Jesus tells them to without asking any questions or coming up with any excuses. Then they threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. And as Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem, it says that the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power they had seen. They praise Jesus as king. The king who comes in the name of the Lord. The king who was prophesied about in scripture. 

The crowds were finally praising God for all the miracles they had seen instead of accusing Jesus of being possessed by a demon. The disciples cried out loudly for all to hear— yelling what was considered heretical to the Pharisees— and even when the Pharisees told Jesus to silence them, they continued to shout. 

The people who had been following Jesus for years, who had seen these wonderful miracles firsthand— they were finally getting it right and praising Jesus as king and Lord as he so rightly deserved. 

There are many other times when the disciples really get things wrong. If you’ve ever read even on of the gospel accounts, you can point to several occasions in which the disciples— those closest to Jesus— just had no idea what was going on. We’ll have several opportunities to hear about those times during the next week— on Wednesday, Thursday, and twice on Friday. Including, like I said, less than a week from now when the cries of “blessed is the king” turn into the crowds screaming “crucify him!” 

But this morning, just for this brief time, I hope we can celebrate the times when they get it right and when we get it right. Even if we don’t get it right very often— maybe one day every few years for a few minutes each day. As people 2000 years removed from this passage, as people who maybe never experience Jesus’ healing touch or had our eyes physically opened by the Son of God— don’t you think we should celebrate when we get it right? When our faithfulness is pure and holy? When we look to God and to one another instead of ourselves? 

I see that here. I see glimpses of the Kingdom of God here in this community. 

Food pantry - feeds hundreds of people every month 

Our commitment to campus ministry 

Willingness to reach beyond the walls of this sanctuary 

Stephen Ministry - being a presence for those in need, truly being the body of Christ 

Even in the short time I have been here, I have had the privilege of witnessing the Spirit stir in this community. And it seems by some miracle, every once in a while, we get it right. And it beautiful. 

In this world, in a society, that focuses so much on our flaws and all the things we do wrong— it’s almost provocative, even divisive, to lift up one another’s gifts and our own gifts. It’s sort of revolutionary to say, “yes, today, with this ministry, with our hearts in this moment, we got it right.” 

And God celebrates with us. It pleases God when we get it right, even if it’s not very often. 

But even on the days that we get things so horribly wrong, when we refuse to listening to the calling of the Spirit, when we turn away from God and our neighbor, God is with us in that too. Unlike us, God does not have a fickle heart. God never wavers and is always faithful. God is always calling after us, chasing after us with arms wide open. As a shepherd looking for one lost sheep, as a father waiting for his son to return home, as a woman searching for a lost coin. God is calling out to us as God’s beloved children.

So let us not forget, that as our fickle and sinful hearts move so rapidly from screaming, “blessed is the king” to “crucify him,” God is loving and faithful— even to the point of death. Amen.

This sermon was preached by me Sarah Locke at Redeemer Episcopal Church on April 14, 2019. 

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