Whose Are You?
A few weeks ago I read an opinion essay in The New York Times, entitled “Is the West Becoming Pagan Again?” by Christopher Caldwell.
Caldwell’s premise was questioning whether or not we are living in a post-Christian era and what that may mean. He shared that in a recent Pew Research Center Poll on religion that only slightly more Americans described themselves as Roman Catholics (21 percent) than as believers in “nothing in particular” (20 percent). The poll also showed that for the Millennial generation, which includes most adult Americans under 40, this was the first poll in which Christians are a minority.
A book came out in Paris this past fall entitled “La Fin de la Chrentiente,” which could be translated as “The End of the Christian Word.” The author (Chantal Delsol) argues that what is ending is not the Christian faith but Christian culture; the way that Christian societies have been governed for the past 1,600 years or so. She argues that Christians brought an “inversion” to pagan Rome - Christians held in contempt much of what pagan Rome prized and prized much of what pagan Rome held in contempt.
The main thing Caldwell’s article did for me was to challenge me to consider anew what am I, as a Christian leader, a priest, going to do, and what does this mean for the ministry of the Christian church moving forward?
Leaders are going to have to be about the work of defining self (and the church), to the world. Christian leaders are going to have to take a stand about whose we are, why we are different, where we stand on issues. Christian leaders are going to have to be clear about why we stand the way we do on certain issues, with the focus on the clear teachings of Jesus, so that we do not slip into an irrational dogmatism that is both offensive and irrelevant to the world.
It has been easy to become complacent over the past 30-40 years of Christian preaching in America. Culturally, the world in which we lived, for the most part simulated a Christian belief system. Societal values largely reflected the Church’s values. The Church and society shared similar ethical standards and so our belief system was largely reflected in cultural norms. Our political leaders were homogeneous and our laws reflected this value system. We, as the church, as preachers, did not necessarily need to be clear on things because we just sort of blended in with the world around us in which we lived.
This increasingly is no longer true. The things that society values and places great importance on, are not necessarily the things that we as the people of God should place importance on or value. Which makes it increasingly hard as we raise families, teach our children, and lead a church? People no longer just assume or go along with what the preacher is saying and often what you are hearing on Sunday morning may seem and be counter-cultural.
It will become increasingly important in this “post-Cristian era” to be clear and define ourselves to the world as a Church, as the people of God.
And we should look and be different. We will seem strange to those around us, and we may become increasingly challenged in our beliefs and stances on things. If we are not, I may have to question what we are doing. Our position is not to assimilate into the world around us, but rather to be a light in the darkness.
Which leads me to the title of my sermon today, “Whose are you?”
Many moons ago, I taught Bible in the public school system in North Carolina. Iredell County. I was hired by the county and the community so I was accountable to both in a sense. The local community paid for part of my salary and the school system paid for part of my salary. So the school system, and the community wanted to agree on the “hire” and the community’s interest was that I was not liberal” (whatever that meant to them). As I interviewed for the job, a man on the committee asked me a very pointed and aggressive question. Clarence asked, “How many authors did the book of Isaiah have?” as if my answer to this question would determine for him whether or not I should be teaching the impressionable minds of the children of the county. I grew to love Clarence and he became one of my staunchest supporters — but his question reflected a mindset that had grown rampant in the church particularly in the late 80’s, early 1990s. His question inferred that the most important thing was how the biblical content came to be, and my views on these things mattered exponentially more than other pertinent things, like “Was I a good teacher?” “Could I communicate content and exhibit love and compassion for my students?” “Did know the content?” He wanted to be sure “I believed right.”
Somewhere along the way I found these conversations (which I had once found exhilarating), exhausting. Is it not much more important to discuss the content of the text and what it may mean to us today and how we live, then the nuances of how it came to be? Is that not what faith is about to a certain extent? And was it not more important that I communicate this content clearly to those studying and allow the Spirit of God to move in their individual lives than to know my personal beliefs on the origins of authorship?
Scholars believe that the book of Isaiah had at least two, possibly three and maybe even four individual authors. It is important to literalists that there is only one author to the book of Isaiah. But the main point, and the point I want you to hear is that, Isaiah in this passage reminds the people of God’s call on them.
The text begins with the Lord reminding the people of Israel about whose they were. The text reminds them that the Lord had created them, the Lord redeemed them, and when adversity would come, it would not overwhelm them, for God was with them. “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
The Lord goes on to say, “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.”
God encourages the people to not fear, for I am with you. The passage ends with “everyone who is called by name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” The Lord formed and made you.
The promise is, is that God is with us. With Israel, and by extension today, with the Church, God’s people.
The gospel text today is that of the baptism of our Lord. Today is referred to as baptismal Sunday. It is through Baptism that God’s claim on the church is established. Baptism is a Sacrament that signifies and shows to the world, whose we are and to whom we belong. The church is established through the act of Baptism. The words of God at Jesus’ baptism in Luke confirms the relationship between God and the Son. “You are my son, the Beloved. In whom I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22)
There is a tender relationship that is established between God and the Church. Between God and God’s people. The words of Isaiah come echoing back, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.”
Which is my word to you today.
The world seems overcome by fear, and anxiety and a negativity about where we are heading both as a nation and a church. There are concerns over the church as a whole and the direction of local churches.
I do not negate the validity that there are things that warrant our concern as citizens and humans on this earth, and things that the body of Christ needs to be thinking about.
But concerns that cripple us, or cause us to be angry, or fearful and cause us to lash out against others — when concerns that we have raise our anxiety to an extent that we act in ways that are not reflecting the light of Christ in us — then I would say we have gone astray. We have lost our way. We have lost sight of whose we are. And why we are here.
The article in The New York Times wasn’t concerned about the churches’ continued existence, it was speaking to how the church may have to choose to embrace its distinctiveness.
The Collect began today, “Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made.”
How do you stand on your covenant promises that you affirmed through your baptism? How does your life boldly confess the Lord and Savior?
I suspect “boldly” may take on a new meaning for some of us in the years to come.
We may no longer have the luxury of going along in our complacency — lulled into sleep by our commonalities with the world around us.
We are going to have to define ourselves. Focus on our distinctiveness — do the hard work of being clear about who we are and why we exist to the world around us.
And Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ your Son, may live in the power of resurrection. Amen. (BCP 306).
Caldwell’s premise was questioning whether or not we are living in a post-Christian era and what that may mean. He shared that in a recent Pew Research Center Poll on religion that only slightly more Americans described themselves as Roman Catholics (21 percent) than as believers in “nothing in particular” (20 percent). The poll also showed that for the Millennial generation, which includes most adult Americans under 40, this was the first poll in which Christians are a minority.
A book came out in Paris this past fall entitled “La Fin de la Chrentiente,” which could be translated as “The End of the Christian Word.” The author (Chantal Delsol) argues that what is ending is not the Christian faith but Christian culture; the way that Christian societies have been governed for the past 1,600 years or so. She argues that Christians brought an “inversion” to pagan Rome - Christians held in contempt much of what pagan Rome prized and prized much of what pagan Rome held in contempt.
The main thing Caldwell’s article did for me was to challenge me to consider anew what am I, as a Christian leader, a priest, going to do, and what does this mean for the ministry of the Christian church moving forward?
Leaders are going to have to be about the work of defining self (and the church), to the world. Christian leaders are going to have to take a stand about whose we are, why we are different, where we stand on issues. Christian leaders are going to have to be clear about why we stand the way we do on certain issues, with the focus on the clear teachings of Jesus, so that we do not slip into an irrational dogmatism that is both offensive and irrelevant to the world.
It has been easy to become complacent over the past 30-40 years of Christian preaching in America. Culturally, the world in which we lived, for the most part simulated a Christian belief system. Societal values largely reflected the Church’s values. The Church and society shared similar ethical standards and so our belief system was largely reflected in cultural norms. Our political leaders were homogeneous and our laws reflected this value system. We, as the church, as preachers, did not necessarily need to be clear on things because we just sort of blended in with the world around us in which we lived.
This increasingly is no longer true. The things that society values and places great importance on, are not necessarily the things that we as the people of God should place importance on or value. Which makes it increasingly hard as we raise families, teach our children, and lead a church? People no longer just assume or go along with what the preacher is saying and often what you are hearing on Sunday morning may seem and be counter-cultural.
It will become increasingly important in this “post-Cristian era” to be clear and define ourselves to the world as a Church, as the people of God.
And we should look and be different. We will seem strange to those around us, and we may become increasingly challenged in our beliefs and stances on things. If we are not, I may have to question what we are doing. Our position is not to assimilate into the world around us, but rather to be a light in the darkness.
Which leads me to the title of my sermon today, “Whose are you?”
Many moons ago, I taught Bible in the public school system in North Carolina. Iredell County. I was hired by the county and the community so I was accountable to both in a sense. The local community paid for part of my salary and the school system paid for part of my salary. So the school system, and the community wanted to agree on the “hire” and the community’s interest was that I was not liberal” (whatever that meant to them). As I interviewed for the job, a man on the committee asked me a very pointed and aggressive question. Clarence asked, “How many authors did the book of Isaiah have?” as if my answer to this question would determine for him whether or not I should be teaching the impressionable minds of the children of the county. I grew to love Clarence and he became one of my staunchest supporters — but his question reflected a mindset that had grown rampant in the church particularly in the late 80’s, early 1990s. His question inferred that the most important thing was how the biblical content came to be, and my views on these things mattered exponentially more than other pertinent things, like “Was I a good teacher?” “Could I communicate content and exhibit love and compassion for my students?” “Did know the content?” He wanted to be sure “I believed right.”
Somewhere along the way I found these conversations (which I had once found exhilarating), exhausting. Is it not much more important to discuss the content of the text and what it may mean to us today and how we live, then the nuances of how it came to be? Is that not what faith is about to a certain extent? And was it not more important that I communicate this content clearly to those studying and allow the Spirit of God to move in their individual lives than to know my personal beliefs on the origins of authorship?
Scholars believe that the book of Isaiah had at least two, possibly three and maybe even four individual authors. It is important to literalists that there is only one author to the book of Isaiah. But the main point, and the point I want you to hear is that, Isaiah in this passage reminds the people of God’s call on them.
The text begins with the Lord reminding the people of Israel about whose they were. The text reminds them that the Lord had created them, the Lord redeemed them, and when adversity would come, it would not overwhelm them, for God was with them. “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
The Lord goes on to say, “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.”
God encourages the people to not fear, for I am with you. The passage ends with “everyone who is called by name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” The Lord formed and made you.
The promise is, is that God is with us. With Israel, and by extension today, with the Church, God’s people.
The gospel text today is that of the baptism of our Lord. Today is referred to as baptismal Sunday. It is through Baptism that God’s claim on the church is established. Baptism is a Sacrament that signifies and shows to the world, whose we are and to whom we belong. The church is established through the act of Baptism. The words of God at Jesus’ baptism in Luke confirms the relationship between God and the Son. “You are my son, the Beloved. In whom I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22)
There is a tender relationship that is established between God and the Church. Between God and God’s people. The words of Isaiah come echoing back, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.”
Which is my word to you today.
The world seems overcome by fear, and anxiety and a negativity about where we are heading both as a nation and a church. There are concerns over the church as a whole and the direction of local churches.
I do not negate the validity that there are things that warrant our concern as citizens and humans on this earth, and things that the body of Christ needs to be thinking about.
But concerns that cripple us, or cause us to be angry, or fearful and cause us to lash out against others — when concerns that we have raise our anxiety to an extent that we act in ways that are not reflecting the light of Christ in us — then I would say we have gone astray. We have lost our way. We have lost sight of whose we are. And why we are here.
The article in The New York Times wasn’t concerned about the churches’ continued existence, it was speaking to how the church may have to choose to embrace its distinctiveness.
The Collect began today, “Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made.”
How do you stand on your covenant promises that you affirmed through your baptism? How does your life boldly confess the Lord and Savior?
I suspect “boldly” may take on a new meaning for some of us in the years to come.
We may no longer have the luxury of going along in our complacency — lulled into sleep by our commonalities with the world around us.
We are going to have to define ourselves. Focus on our distinctiveness — do the hard work of being clear about who we are and why we exist to the world around us.
And Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ your Son, may live in the power of resurrection. Amen. (BCP 306).