what the eagle saw: st. john and the four living creatures

Feast Day of St. John, Evangelist and Apostle
Exodus 33:18–23 • Psalm 92 or 92:1–4, 11–14 • 1 John 1:1–9 • John 21:19b–24
(Scroll Down for the Texts of the Scriptures)

Sermon available on YouTube by clicking here.

Sermon available as a PDF by clicking here.

The Sermon

[The Lord] gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

— Isaiah 40:29–31   

Our John

Here this morning at St. John’s, we are celebrating our Patronal Feast. Now, if you are not sure what a Patronal Feast is, let me begin by saying that it has absolutely nothing to do with a Patronus Charm in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. I mean that’s the first thing I think of when I hear the word patronal, but apparently there is no connection between the two. Instead, a Patronal Feast is the occasion on which a parish honors the patron saint of the parish. So today, we are celebrating the Feast of St. John—Apostle and Evangelist—from whom this parish took its name some seven score and three years ago. (For those of you who are trying to do the math, that’s 143 years ago).

     In the Bible, there are a handful of persons who go by the name of John. There is John Mark, occasional traveling companion of Paul and Barnabas. There is the John of the book of Revelation who received a heavenly vision on the island of Patmos. There is John the Baptist, or as the Presbyterians prefer to call him, John the Baptizer. (Presbyterians don’t really want anyone in the Bible to be called a Baptist.)

Our John, however, is none of these. Our John is the son of Zebedee and the brother of James, who abandoned the security of the family fishing business to follow after the itinerate prophet, Jesus. Thus, our John was one of the Twelve disciples. Our John also belonged to Jesus’ innermost circle, a circle of three who witnessed events the other disciples didn’t. For example, Peter, James, and our John were present when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter. Peter, James, and our John saw Jesus’ transfigured on the mountain, and later they witnessed Jesus’ agony in the garden on the eve of his execution. Our John dined at the Last Supper; he was the beloved disciple seated next to Jesus. Our John was at the foot of the cross, where he agreed to take responsibility for Jesus’ mother, Mary. Our John outran Simon Peter and reached the empty tomb first, and upon seeing the piled-up grave clothes, our John was the first of the male disciples to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. Along with the other disciples, our John met the resurrected Jesus and later on received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Our John outlived all of the other disciples, and presumably was the only disciple to have died of natural causes. Our John saw Jesus’ glory as well as his agony.

     In short, our beloved St. John saw a lot. Perhaps that is why he has most often been represented by an eagle, as we see on our St. John’s banner. As we know, eagles are generally regarded as having the best eyesight of any living creature; they can see farther and with greater clarity.

The Four Living Creatures of Revelation and the Four Gospels

But our John wasn’t always an eagle; sometimes he was a lion. For nearly 2,000 years now, the writers of our four gospels have been represented in Christian art and icons by four figures: a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. This odd assortment of creatures is taken from the book of Revelation. In Revelation, another John is granted a vision of heaven. In this vision, John sees God seated on a throne in all of his glory, surrounded by various attendants. For example, in a wide circle around the throne are twenty-four smaller thrones, on which are seated twenty-four elders, clad in white robes and golden crowns. Within that circle, on each side of the throne are four living creatures, whose sole function is to preside over the liturgy and worship in heaven. They do this by giving glory, honor, and thanks to the One who is seated on the throne. “Day and night without ceasing they sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and is and is to come’” (Rev 4:8).

     The four living creatures are very strange indeed; they are hard to envision in one’s mind. They each have six wings, and they are full of eyes all around and inside. The first living creature is like a lion, and the second like an ox. The third has a human face, and the fourth is like a flying eagle. In the early church, among other things, the four living creatures were understood to represent the four Evangelists, the four writers of our New Testament gospels. However, there was not always agreement as to which living creature represented a given Evangelist. In all the proposed schemes, Luke was represented by the ox. But in some schemes, Matthew was the human figure and in others the lion. John was sometimes depicted as the lion, but most often as the eagle, while Mark could be the man, the eagle, or the lion. The scheme that eventually won out identified the man with Matthew, the lion with Mark, the ox with Luke, and the eagle with our beloved St. John.

      We have an example of this scheme from the sixth century, from Pope Gregory I—who is perhaps better known as Gregory the Great. Gregory makes a connection between the way each gospel begins and the characteristics of a given living creature. Matthew’s gospel begins with Jesus’ human genealogy, so Gregory thinks Matthew is best represented by the man. Mark’s gospel begins with John the Baptist as the voice crying out in the wilderness, much like a wild lion that lives out in the wilderness. Luke’s gospel begins with the scene of Zachariah in the temple. Since oxen were used as sacrificial animals, Luke is the ox. Finally, our John is the eagle. Eagles were known for their ability to look directly at the sun, and John’s gospel begins by looking directly at Jesus’ divine nature. Here is Gregory in his own words:

The beginning of each Gospel, shows that “these four winged creatures denote the four holy Evangelists. Because he began from the generations of humankind, Matthew is justly represented by a man; because of the crying in the wilderness, Mark is rightly indicated by a lion; because he started from a sacrifice, Luke is well described as an ox; and because he begins with the divinity of the Word, John is worthily signified by an eagle, he who says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [W]hile he stretched towards the very substance of divinity, he fixed his eye on the sun as if in the fashion of an eagle.

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Ezekiel, Daniel ; OT XIII; p. 5.

The Four Living Creatures Here at St. John’s

So again, Matthew is the man, Mark the lion, Luke the ox, and John the eagle.

This is the same scheme represented here in our own house of worship.

Banner on South Wall

For example, look at this banner on the south wall. There we see the four evangelists. Mark as the lion in the top left corner, John as the eagle in the top right, Matthew as the man in the bottom left, and Luke as the ox in the bottom right. Where else do you see the four living creatures representing by the four gospel writers? 

Pulpit

Yes, they are engraved here on the pulpit. Matthew and Mark are on the left side, John and Luke on the right. If you look closely, you will notice that each of them is holding a book, which represents their gospel. Their presence on the pulpit reminds me that, as a preacher, I have been called to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to make Christ known, and to focus our attention upon him. Where else might we find the four living creatures?

Gospel Book Cover

They can also be found on the ornate cover of our Gospel Book. It is a beautiful cover. At the center is Jesus, seated on a throne. Surrounding him are the four living creatures of Revelation, with a banner designating the name of each evangelist: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John.

If you look closely, you will notice that their heads are turned, and they are focusing their gaze and attention upon Jesus. That, of course, is their primary purpose, to bear witness to the gospel, to the good news which is Jesus Christ. Why? Because they believed, they knew that Jesus held the key to life. As our beloved St. John writes near the end of his gospel, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30–31). 

Chalices

We also find the four living creatures imprinted on the base of our chalices. Their images surround the bowl of the chalice, much as the four living creatures surround the throne in heaven. This is fitting because the chalice, which holds the blood of Christ, reminds us of the cross. And in John, the cross is presented as Christ’s throne, for it was Jesus’ crucifixion—even more than his resurrection or ascension—that was his exaltation, his enthronement as the Son of God. As Jesus says in John, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:23, 32).

      So, when you come up to this table to partake of the body and blood of Jesus, to taste the salvation and life that he poured out for you, take a moment to look at the chalice. Behold the four living creatures and remember that this cup is the throne of Christ and that you are kneeling in his presence.

Altar–Table

Now, so far as I know, there is only one more location where the four living creatures of Revelation can be found in this place. This is my favorite, perhaps because it is so subtle. They are hard to spot. I wouldn’t have ever noticed them had they not been pointed out to me during my first week here.

      You will notice that this altar, this table of the Lord, has four wooden pillars. Feet have been carved at the base of each pillar. On the left, we have the claws of an eagle. Next comes the hooves of an ox, then the feet of a man, and finally, a lion’s paws. Once again we find our four Evangelists: John, Luke, Matthew and Mark. These four pillars serve to remind us that everything we do at this table is based on, rooted in, and supported by the testimony of the four-fold gospel witness.

      These pillars could also serve as a convenient mnemonic device for remembering the foundations of the Christian faith. Again, let us listen to the words of Gregory the Great. Here he applies the four living creatures, not to the evangelists or their gospels, but to the person and work of Jesus himself.

[T]he only begotten Son of God truly became man; he deigned to die like an ox at sacrifice for our salvation; he, through the virtue of his fortitude, rose as a lion.… Furthermore, ascending to heaven after his resurrection, he was carried aloft to the heights like an eagle (ACCC. OT XIII, 5).

      In short, Jesus is “a man by being born, an ox in dying, a lion in rising again, and an eagle in ascending to the heavens.” Man, Ox, Lion, Eagle; Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus—the historical pillars of the Christian faith.

What Did the Eagle See?

Our beloved St. John—Apostle, Evangelist, and Eagle in Flight—witnessed some truly unique and remarkable things as a companion and follower of Jesus Christ. These are the things that he shares with us in his letters and his gospel. As he writes in today’s epistle:

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

      Through his faithful witness and testimony, our beloved John has given us life, so how can we best celebrate and honor him on this his feast day. First, by doing what we do every week, by worshipping the God who has revealed himself fully, finally, and decisively in Jesus of Nazareth and by celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

      But I also have another suggestion. In this church, we are blessed in that we get the opportunity to encounter so much Scripture on a weekly basis with our readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles, and the Gospels. Unfortunately, those readings come to us in relatively small packages. Rarely do we get the opportunity to read and listen to large portions of Holy Scripture. Rarely do we take the time to read a gospel or other biblical book straight through in one sitting.

      So, as a way to honor our beloved St. John, I am suggesting that we read what he wrote, that we go home this week, even today, and read the Gospel of John in one sitting. In my Bible, John covers about 27 pages, so I would estimate that it will take you about an hour to read, maybe an hour and a half, a bit longer if you decided to get together with others and read it aloud. If you need to do it in two sittings, then I suggest chapters 1–12 and then 13–20. The first twelve chapters detail the three years of Jesus’ public ministry, while the last eight chapters cover the last 24 hours of Jesus life.

      As you read, keep this question in mind: Who is this Jesus? When you are finished with your reading, jot down your thoughts in a journal or tell somebody. What did you see? What did you hear? What did you touch and taste?

      The story of Jesus that John tells is critical to our Christian faith for, as Holy Scripture, it helps us answer the four fundamental questions: 

                                                Who is God? 

                                                     Who are we? 

                                                          Why are we here? 

                                                               How then shall we live? 

John wrote so that his readers might come to know Christ and so it is important that we hear John’s story in its entirety.

      So, happy Feast of St. John’s, and happy reading.

     

      In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Scriptures

The Feast Day of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist 

Exodus 33:18–23

1 John 1:1–9

John 21:19b–24

Psalm 92 or 92:1–4, 11–14

The Collect

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Exodus 33:18–23

Moses said to God, “Show me your glory, I pray.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” And the Lord continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Psalm 92 or 92:1–4, 11–14 • Bonum est confiteri                                                   BCP 720

1      It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, *

               and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;

2      To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning *

               and of your faithfulness in the night season;

3      On the psaltery, and on the lyre, *

               and to the melody of the harp.

4      For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord; *

               and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.

5      Lord, how great are your works! *

               your thoughts are very deep.

6      The dullard does not know, nor does the fool understand, *

               that though the wicked grow like weeds, and all the workers of iniquity flourish,

7      They flourish only to be destroyed for ever; *

               but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.

8      For lo, your enemies, O Lord, lo, your enemies shall perish, *

               and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

9      But my horn you have exalted like the horns of wild bulls; *

               I am anointed with fresh oil.

10     My eyes also gloat over my enemies, *

               and my ears rejoice to hear the doom of the wicked who rise up against me.

11     The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, *

               and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.

12     Those who are planted in the house of the Lord *

               shall flourish in the courts of our God;

13     They shall still bear fruit in old age; *

               they shall be green and succulent;

14     That they may show how upright the Lord is, *

               my Rock, in whom there is no fault.

1 John 1:1-9

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

     This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 21:19b-24

Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

     This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.

Delivered on Sunday, December 29th, a.d. 2013

at St. John's Episcopal Church (Wichita, Kansas)

god’s little secret • the mystery of the incarnation

Year A • Christmas Day, Proper III
Isaiah 52:7–10 • Psalm 98 • Hebrews 1:1–4, (5–12) • John 1:1-14
(Scroll Down for the Texts of the Scriptures)

Sermon available on YouTube by clicking here.

Sermon available as a PDF by clicking here.

The Sermon

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet

of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news, who announces salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

(Isaiah 52:7)

God Entered the World Quietly

Well, today is the day, the day we’ve been waiting for, the day we’ve been preparing for, the day we’ve been anticipating, the day of our Lord and Savior’s birth…. Well, not exactly, because the birth happened last night; it happened in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. We missed it; the whole world missed it, save for a few shepherds who received an angelic birth announcement while watching their flocks by night. You see, God entered the world quietly. God didn’t want the world to know he had arrived. But not even God could keep a secret, not when it came to the birth of his one and only Son. God just had to tell somebody, and look who he chose: some homeless guys who lived out of doors, who worked at a job that nobody wanted, and who nobody is going to believe anyway. And so, God’s secret is safe, at least, for the time being.

     But why would God want to keep his arrival on earth a secret? Because God didn’t want to frighten us away. You see, something is wrong with us, something inside of us is broken. And that something is something that only God can fix. But here is the problem. That something which is broken also makes us terrified of God, so terrified that God has a hard time getting close enough to us to heal us with his gracious and loving presence.

Original Blessing

It all began a long time ago with Adam and Eve, our first parents. In the beginning, God fashioned a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and this man, this Adam, became a living being. And yet, though he was alive, he was not yet human, not fully, in any case. We know this because God says of him, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner” (Gen 2:15). God then fashions various animals from the same dust that the man had been fashioned from, but none of these are adequate. It is not until God forms a woman that a suitable partner is found. It is not until there is both male and female that there is humanity; for it is in our maleness and femaleness, in our interrelatedness and in our interdependence, that we human beings are able to fulfill our vocation to reflect the glory of God, for God himself is a community of interrelated, inter-dependent persons. Together Adam and Eve have been created in the image of God, together they serve as the image-bearers of God in creation. They are united to one another and to God. They are naked and unashamed. This is what we call, Original Blessing.

Original Shame

But then something goes wrong. Adam and Eve are in Eden, and the Lord God has given them all of the trees of the Garden for food, all but one. They even have access to the Tree of Life. Yet, in the end, they partake of the Forbidden tree, the tree that promises the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And something happens. Whatever it was that they ate, something about the fruit of that tree changed them, and not for the better. In an instant, their eyes are opened wide, and they become acutely, uncomfortably aware of their own nakedness—their vulnerability, their weakness, their dependence—and for the first time, they experience shame. They are naked and ashamed; they cannot bear to be in one another’s presence for the presence of the other simply serves to make them all the more aware of their own nakedness. So they attempt to cover their shame, but fig leaves can only do so much.

     At this point in our story, we must pause to make an observation. Notice, as of yet, God has not arrived on the scene. This is important because it suggests that the guilt and shame our first parents experienced was not the guilt and shame of being caught in the act. We all know what that feels like, to have our hands in the cookie jar, as it were, and to hear the voice, “What are you doing?” No, it wasn’t the shame of getting caught that Adam and Eve experienced, but something much, much deeper.

     When finally God does arrive, taking what appears to be his daily afternoon walk, he finds Eden empty, deserted. For Adam and Eve, upon hearing the Lord’s approaching footsteps, hid themselves. Their makeshift clothing gave them enough coverage so that they could stand to be in one another’s presence; it wasn’t, however, able to shield them from the shame they felt in God’s presence. And so they, like we, hide

Once again, let’s be very clear. Adam and Eve are not hiding out of a fear of being punished. It’s not that they heard the Lord stomping through the undergrowth, bellowing, “What did I tell you?,” and so hid to avoid his disappointment and wrath. After all, as the story goes, the Lord seems generally surprised to find his children missing. It is only when he discovers that they have hidden themselves in shame that he makes the connection that they must have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge. So once again, the guilt and shame of Eden goes well beyond the guilt of getting caught and goes far deeper than the fear of punishment. Whatever the Tree of Knowledge did to them, it rendered them incapable of being comfortable in God’s presence. For Adam and Eve—and for all of their unborn children—God’s presence was no longer a blessing, but a curse. This is what we might call, Original Shame; and it is this shame—a deep-rooted sense of our own nakedness, a debilitating sense of our own unworthiness—it is this shame that underlies all our human brokenness, it is this shame that lies at the root of all human sin and violence, all human suffering and death.

The Lord’s Dilemma

And there is only one remedy to our predicament. Only God’s loving and gracious presence can heal us of our sense of shame and alienation, but therein lies the rub. God cannot get close enough to his children to heal them. When God appears, his children head for cover. God’s presence holds the key to their deliverance, but God’s presence is too much to bear. We see examples of this throughout the Old Testament.

For example, after the glorious Exodus from Egypt, when the Lord rescued his people from their Egyptian taskmasters, he led them through the wilderness to Mt. Sinai. There he enters into a covenant with his people. “You will be my people, and I will be your God.” But the people are afraid. When they draw near to the mountain to ratify the covenant, they cry out to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, [lest] we … die” (Exod 20:19). God’s people want a mediator; they want someone to stand between them and God. They don’t want to have to deal with God directly. They want someone to shield them from God, someone to shield them from the fear and guilt that are triggered when they are in the presence of God. Clearly they do not experience God’s presence as a blessing, but a curse.

As another example, take the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 6, the prophet is ushered into the heavenly temple, into the holy of holies. And there he sees the Lord sitting on a throne “high and lofty” (Isa 6:1). Angels of fire are in attendance, and they fly to and fro, calling out to one another”

          Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
          the whole earth is filled with his glory (Isa 6:3).

     It’s a glorious vision, but one that Isaiah cannot enjoy. For when he finds himself in the Lord’s presence, instead of reveling in the glory of God, all he can think about is his own sin and that of his people.

          Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips,
          and I live among a people of unclean lips (Isa 6:5).

Once again, God’s presence is experienced as a curse instead of a blessing.

And so, God is faced with a dilemma. How can he draw close enough to his people, to heal them of their shame and guilt when his presence reminds them all the more of their brokenness, when his love and grace triggers their own deep sense of unworthiness? It’s a dilemma any parent can appreciate. You who are parents, how often have you gone to a child to love, to forgive, or to comfort them only to find that your presence seems to intensify their pain, their feelings of embarrassment, guilt, or shame? They need you, yet your presence is to much too bear. This is God’s dilemma.

The Mystery of the Incarnation

The Word Became Flesh

So how did God resolve the dilemma? By slipping into our world under the cloak of humanity. Our reading from John says it all: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14a). The Word, who was with God in the beginning and who is in fact very God of very God, this Word became flesh. More precisely, this eternal Word of God—through whom all of creation came into being—this Word became a particular flesh-and-blood human being… Jesus of Nazareth… the son of Mary. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation. In Jesus, or better yet, as Jesus, God was able to draw close to humanity, close enough to heal us of our shame and guilt and to remove whatever we have placed between ourselves and God. Had God appeared in all of his glory, humanity would have scattered in fear. As it is, God’s appearing in the garb of humanity made it possible for God to operate undetected in his creation, long enough at least to set in motion the restoration of humanity.

The Word’s Flesh both Conceals and Reveals

But the mystery of the Incarnation is even greater, for the flesh that allowed God to get close to us because it cloaked God’s glory, also revealed God’s glory. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The flesh of Jesus served both to conceal and to reveal God’s glory. But how is that possible? God is the Creator of the heavens and earth. To become a creature within his creation, God had to empty himself, God had to humble himself. And yet, it is in God’s humility, in the humility of the incarnation that God’s glory is most fully revealed. When God—in the person of the Son—became a flesh-and-blood human being, this was something new for God, something God had never done before. Yet, in becoming a particular human being, God did not do anything that was alien to God’s character; for God is by nature humble; God is by nature self-emptying love. So the incarnation is an act of humility, but this is precisely what makes it an act of revelation.

This mystery is critical for our whole understanding of who God is and for the whole enterprise of human salvation. To say that God emptied himself is not to say that God had to leave some of his divinity behind. God did not have to abandon some of his Godness in order to become human. When the Word became Jesus, it did not thereby cease being the Word. Consequently, in Jesus, we are not getting some watered-down version of God, we are getting God in all of God’s fullness. So writes the author of Hebrews:

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being (Heb 1:1­–3a).

I will say it again, in Jesus, we are not getting some watered-down version of God. Jesus is the full and final and decisive revelation of who God is. In Jesus, we are getting God in all of God’s glory, and yet, that glory comes to us in a form that we fearful, shame-filled human beings are able to bear. For in Jesus, in the Word-become-flesh, God has come close enough to heal us with his loving and gracious presence.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known (John 1:16–18).

Christmas Has Just Begun

The Mystery of the Incarnation is the remedy to all that ails us. In Jesus, God in all his glory has drawn close to us, and in Jesus, God makes it possible for us to draw close to him. I don’t know how successful you were this holiday season in drawing close to God. Our world makes it very, very difficult with all of its busyness, which is simply the world’s way of distracting itself from the pain of shame that it clings to. And unfortunately, even we Christians can get caught up in it all.

But let me leave you with a word of encouragement. God knows how hard it is for us. God lived as one of us. So God understands.

Let me say this as well. If in your busyness and distractedness, you feel that you missed Christmas this year, I will let you in on a secret. You haven’t miss Christmas; you only missed Advent. Christmas has just begun. Today is the first day of Christmas, and there are Twelve more days of Christmas to come. So rejoice, for today “breaks a new and glorious morn.”

Happy Christmas!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Scriptures

RCL, Year A, Christmas Day, Proper III

Isaiah 52:7–10 • Psalm 98 • Hebrews 1:1–4, (5–12) • John 1:1-14

Collect

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

or this

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 52:7–10

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news,

who announces salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,

together they sing for joy;

for in plain sight they see

the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

you ruins of Jerusalem;

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98 • Cantate Domino • (BCP 727)

1      Sing to the Lord a new song, *

               for he has done marvelous things.

2      With his right hand and his holy arm *

               has he won for himself the victory.

3      The Lord has made known his victory; *

               his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4      He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *

               and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

5      Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *

               lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

6      Sing to the Lord with the harp, *

               with the harp and the voice of song.

7      With trumpets and the sound of the horn *

               shout with joy before the King, the Lord.

8      Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *

               the lands and those who dwell therein.

9      Let the rivers clap their hands, *

               and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, 

               when he comes to judge the earth.

10     In righteousness shall he judge the world *

               and the peoples with equity.

Hebrews 1:1–4 (5–12)

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

[For to which of the angels did God ever say,

     “You are my Son;

     today I have begotten you”?

Or again, 

     “I will be his Father,

     and he will be my Son”?

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

     “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Of the angels he says,

     “He makes his angels winds,

     and his servants flames of fire.”

But of the Son he says,

     “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

     and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.

     You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

     therefore God, your God, has anointed you

     with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

And,

     “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,

     and the heavens are the work of your hands;

     they will perish, but you remain;

     they will all wear out like clothing;

     like a cloak you will roll them up,

     and like clothing they will be changed.

     But you are the same,

     and your years will never end.”]

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Delivered on Wednesday, December 25th, a.d. 2013

at St. John's Episcopal Church (Wichita, Kansas)

the WORD before the powers

A few months ago I began serving as a curate—a priest-in-training—at St. John's Episcopal Church (Wichita, Kansas). One of my goals has been to develop as a preacher, to find my preaching voice, as it were, and to get into a rhythm of sermon preparation. While I have done a fair amount of teaching during my life, I have done very little preaching. Prior to this year, I've preached about only 1½ dozen sermons during my lifetime, including a couple as a teenager. The occasional sermon always took me an inordinate amount of time, and I avoided it. Anyway, as part of my curacy, I have begun to preach on a fairly regular basis, about once every three weeks, and after the first of the year, it will be every other week. Part of finding my voice is to get a better feel for the role that preaching plays in the formation of Christian communities and individuals. To that end, I ordered this book on preaching, which I got last week: The Word Before the Powers: An Ethic of Preaching by Charles L. Campbell. I can't rightly recall where I came across it, but I have fallen in love with it. In the future, I hope to offer some summaries and reflections. But for now, just a brief summary of its central thesis. 

     In a nutshell, Campbell argues that we live in a world subject to "the principalities and powers," that is, a world held captive to a system characterized by domination, violence, and death. As the community of those who follow Jesus, the church has been called and equipped to confront the principalities and powers, to resist the domination system through nonviolent means. In short, the church is a community of nonviolent resistance. Christian preaching is itself is a form of nonviolent resistance—at least, it ought to be, according to Campbell. As a form of nonviolent resistance, Christian preaching has three principal functions: exposing the principalities and powers, envisioning an alternative way of living in the world, and nurturing a new set of practices for living in this alternative, Christian way. The following excerpt offers a nice summary of Campbell's overall argument:

There is an "integral connection between vision and practice, both of which come together as preachers seek to build up the church as a community of resistance to the principalities and powers. By exposing the powers and envisioning the new creation, preachers help the people of God see the world in new ways. By redescribing routine practices, exposing corrupt practices, and nurturing faithful practices, preachers give concrete shape to the vision of life in the new creation and help Christian congregations to begin living into the redemption that God has accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When vision and practice come together in sermons, informing and supporting each other, preaching can become one mans by which the people of God are built up into a community of resistance that embodies an alternative to the powers of death in and for the world" (Campbell, The Word, 156) .

scriptural indigestion

Year C • 26th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 28
Malachi 4:1–2a • Psalm 98 • 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13 • Luke 21:5–19

Sermon available as a PDF by clicking here.

(Scroll Down for the Texts of the Scriptures)

The Sermon

Let the rivers clap their hands,
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,

when he comes to judge the earth.

In righteousness shall he judge the world
and the peoples with equity.

(Psalm 98:9­–10)

The End is Near! Don't Prepare!

In today’s reading from the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus predicts the future destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its temple. “The days will come,” Jesus says, “when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down” (Luke 21:6). Then, addressing his disciples, Jesus gives them a warning:

But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict (21:12­–15).

That last sentence really struck me: “Make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict” (21:14–15)…. Now, I take the Bible very seriously, and I try to make the Scriptures relevant to my life. So as I meditated on this passage, this is what I heard. “Make up your mind not to prepare your sermon in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.” Well that might save some time. So I toyed with the idea of not preparing my sermon in advance, … but alas, I couldn’t do it. In the end, I just didn’t have enough faith not to prepare. Now, in my own defense, I would argue that Jesus’ words do not really apply to my situation. For example, I was not arrested or persecuted, I am neither in a synagogue nor in a prison, and as far as I am aware, none of you are kings or governors. And so, I think I am safe. But I am sorry… because I am sure that the sermon I didn’t prepare to preach… would have been much better than the one I did prepare.

Hear • Read • Mark • Learn • Inwardly Digest

Today, I would like to begin our reflections by looking at the Collect for the Day, which is printed on the first page of your bulletin.

X Rite I. Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be writ-ten for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ….

 X Rite II. Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ….

According to this Collect, the Scriptures are designed to lead us into and to help us embrace eternal life. But let’s be very clear. When Jesus and the Bible talk about eternal life, they aren’t simply talking about a life that is far off and far away, a life that awaits us in some distant future and some disembodied place. No, when Jesus and the Bible talk about eternal life, they are talking about life, right here and right now. They are talking about the eternal kind of life that Jesus ushered into human history. It’s the life of the kingdom of God, a life lived under God’s administration, a life empowered by God’s love and grace. With all that being said, it is also true that while we live the eternal kind of life in the here and now, we do not experience the fullness of this life. The heavenly banquet, that banquet where we shall feast with God and God’s people in God’s kingdom, it still awaits us. Nevertheless, we are able to taste (or partake of) it now. We taste it when we gather around the Lord’s table. And we taste it, when we gather together to hear the Word of God, to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest God’s life-giving and life-sustaining Word.

Feasting on the Word

The Bible is filled with the imagery of feasting on the Word. For example, in Deuteronomy, when Moses is preparing the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, he reminds them to remember what the Lord did to sustain them during their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. He says, “[The Lord] humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand… that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut 8:3). Of course, this is the same Scripture that Jesus quotes to the devil, when he suggests that Jesus satisfy his hunger by turning stones into bread. “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).

     Turning to Psalm 119, we hear the psalmist exclaim in rapturous tones, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103). What an apt image. Honey is not something that one swallows quickly. Instead, we savor it as long as possible; we mull it around in our mouths so that every taste bud comes into contact with its sweetness. This is what it means to hear and read and mark and learn and inwardly digest the Word of God in the Scriptures. We must savor the Scriptures; we must mull them around in our hearts, and our minds, and our guts until every particle of our being is touched by the Word of God. Why? Because the Word of God is life itself. In the beginning, God spoke, and life happened. The Word that God speaks, expresses who God is. The Word that God is, embodies God’s character, and God’s Spirit, and God’s purposes for the world. So when we hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures, we are in fact taking God into ourselves, so that we might be animated by the life of God, so that we might acquire God’s character, so that we might be transformed and empowered by God’s Spirit to carry out God’s purposes in the world. We are what we eat. We feed on the Word of God so that in turn we might become God’s Word to a spiritually starved and hungry world.

Scriptural Indigestion

Now I am sure that this all sounds very articulate and inspiring, but there’s a question that needs to be asked? A question that may have already occurred to some of you? What do we do with those difficult passages of the Bible?

     If you have spent any time at all in the Bible, then you have no doubt come across passages that you have some serious questions about, for example, passages about God’s anger and judgment. Take today’s reading from Malachi 4. Now, we only heard read the first few verses, but I want to read a bit further. 

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts (4:1­–3).

     That seems pretty severe. So what are we to do? Are we really expected to hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest a difficult text like this. Won’t that give us a sour stomach? If this is your question, then you are not alone. On at least two occasions, the Bible narrates a story in which a prophet is instructed to eat a scroll, the idea being that by consuming the words of God they will be able to speak for God. On both occasions, the scroll is said to taste as sweet as honey, after all it is the Word of God, but on one occasion, the consumer get’s indigestion. In Revelation, John describes his experience: “I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was mad bitter” (Rev 10:10). Why bitter? Because the contents of the scroll, the message that John had to deliver, was one of judgment; it was a call for repentance.

     The fact is, some Christians and some Christian traditions relish texts of judgment and destruction in the Bible, while others avoid them altogether. Yet, neither extreme does justice to the Bible or to God; neither approach prepares us to follow Jesus and to participate in what God is doing in the world. We need to wrestle with difficult texts, we need to hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, even if it does lead to some abdominal discomfort. Why? Because such texts reveal something of who God is.

For example, difficult texts often reveal what God loves and highly values and therefore lifts up what we are called to love and value. So in Malachi, the Lord criticizes and condemns the priests because they have corrupted the sacrificial system.

A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. … When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? … Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple1 doors, so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands.… You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand?

Again, these are very harsh words, but in their harshness, they express what God loves and values. The temple priests were seeking to secure God’s favor and blessing, and yet they showed contempt the things of God. And if they despised God in such a blatant way, how much more do you think they despised the people who came to present their sacrifices, the people who came to offer up their sins, their sorrows, and their thanksgivings to the Lord. The priests were called to be a means of grace; they were called to mediate God’s love and forgiveness; they were called to bless God’s people so that God’s people could be a blessing; but they despised their calling and so they fell under God’s judgment and became the objects of God’s wrath. God loves humanity with a ferocious love, and sometimes God expresses that love with a ferocity that can be truly terrifying. We see it in the Old Testament; we see it in the Gospels. Sometimes God appears to us like Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan is a gentle and loving lion, yet he is not a tame lion. Likewise, God is gentle and loving, but he is not a tame.

     God is always good and loving and out to do us good, but God is not always nice. God’s judgment and wrath is always in service to God’s love, but it doesn’t always feel good. The Word of God in Holy Scripture is always life-giving, but it does not always taste like honey. To avoid the difficult texts of the Bible is an attempt to domesticate God, to make God into something that we are comfortable with, but we need to resist that temptation. As the community of God’s people, we need to hear, read, mark, and learn difficult passages of Scripture, we need the bitter herbs of Scripture because they are part of God’s story and they remind us what God loves and values in this world and therefore they bring life.

     There is so much more that could and should be said about this, and I feel that I may have done some of you a bit of disservice today, but let me leave you with two bits of advice. First of all, don’t go it alone. Partaking of Holy Scripture is first and foremost a communal activity, just as partaking of Holy Eucharist is a communal activity. That’s not to say that we cannot read the Bible on our own, but it is to say that our reading of the Bible occurs within the community of God’s people. Why? Because we need support, and because Holy Scripture seeks to develop our capacity to love and be loved, which requires community.

Secondly, take everything to God. That is, as you spend time with Scripture, as you listen to it, as you read it, as you repeat it to yourself, as you mull it over in your heart and in your mind, as you do whatever it takes to get the Word of God deep inside you, pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that arise within you, and then offer those up to God, even if, and especially if, those thoughts and feelings are not pleasant. If the Word of God gives you indigestion, then tell God, complain to God, give God what for. Why? Because God can take it, and because in the end, engaging Holy Scripture is all about relationship with God, it is all about encountering and being encountered by the God of the Bible, a God who loves you with such ferocity that he will go to the ends of the earth to draw you unto himself, and he will never let you go.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Scriptures

RCL, Year C, Proper 28, Thematic Track

Malachi 4:1–2a

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.

Psalm 98 (BCP 727–728)

    1      Sing to the Lord a new song, *
                     for he has done marvelous things.

    2      With his right hand and his holy arm *
                     has he won for himself the victory.

    3      The Lord has made known his victory; *
                     his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

    4      He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
                     and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

    5      Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *
                     lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

    6      Sing to the Lord with the harp, *
                     with the harp and the voice of song.

    7      With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
                     shout with joy before the King, the Lord.

    8      Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
                     the lands and those who dwell therein.

    9      Let the rivers clap their hands, *
                     and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,

                     when he comes to judge the earth.

  10      In righteousness shall he judge the world *
                     and the peoples with equity.

2 Thessalonians 3:6–13

Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

Luke 21:5–19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

     They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and, `The time is near!’ Do not go after them.

     “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

     “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Delivered on Sunday, November 24th, a.d. 2013

at St. John's Episcopal Church (Wichita, Kansas)