Today

 St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Dorchester The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

I’m grateful to be with you this morning and to your rector for his invitation to preach and preside at Eucharist today. I’ve known Edwin in a variety of capacities throughout our diocese beginning when I first moved to Massachusetts and became involved with the Life Together community. Life Together is a leadership development fellowship, training the next generation of prayerful and prophetic leaders in the contemplative, communal, and prophetic arts for the church and for the world.

I must confess to you that I am particularly fond of the minor prophets. Hosea was a prophet in his hometown in the northern kingdom of Israel. He accused his people of their unfaithfulness in their religious and political life. In their anxious search for prosperity, for kings and allies who would save them from the dangers that threatened their national existence, the Israelites forged various foreign alliances and resorted to a culture of violence and social upheaval. They did not trust in their Lord. (HCSB intro)

Hosea used the metaphors of whoredom and adultery, portraying the Lord as the aggrieved husband of a faithless wife. Living in a country of virtual anarchy, the Israelites saw four of their kings assassinated within the 14 years of their country’s defeat by the Assyrians (current day Iran). Imagine Hosea in Ukraine. Imagine Hosea in Sri Lanka or Myanmar. Imagine Hosea in many of the countries in our Global South. Imagine Hosea in our own country, perhaps even in your hometown.

To be honest, at times like these, I have hoped for God’s judgment to rain down like fire upon the earth. When I see the injustices in our world, the wars that rage on, the power grabs that benefit only a few people, and the never ending dramas in our courtrooms and politics, it makes me wonder about justice. And so like a child having a temper tantrum, I cry out,  “But that’s not fair!” 

Like the man in today’s gospel, I ask Jesus to be the judge and arbitrator of our material and human resources. Secretly, I want God to publicly shame those people who are guilty of greed. ”Take care!” Jesus told them and us. “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” And then I remember Hosea.

Hosea felt called by God to speak not only about the judgment of God but also of God’s mercy. Hosea had married a prostitute named Gomer, who bore three children; none of whom were presumed to be his, and then she left him, perhaps to return to her life of prostitution. Hosea didn’t wallow in the self-pity of victimhood, nor did he succumb to the temptation of domestic violence. Hosea went after Gomer. Not to stalk her, or kill her, or shame her, but rather Hosea brought her back into his life to forgive her and love her. 

Hosea claimed that God is a god of divine compassion, forgiveness, and unrelenting mercy. God will never let us go, despite our infidelity; for our God is eternally faithful to God’s covenant, even to the point of death upon the cross. At the heart of Hosea’s preaching is a gospel message of redeeming love. No matter what we do or what we have done, God will never forsake us nor abandon us. In the end, God will restore us. 

As one of God’s beloved children, from all tribes, languages, people, and nations, Hosea proclaimed that God will take us into God’s arms, heal us, and hold us with cords of human kindness. God is like a loving parent who will lift us up to God’s cheeks and then feed us with the bread of life and the sippy cup of our salvation.

Like the Israelites, in times of social, political, and economic instability, we may disavow our trust in the Lord. The pandemic of COVID, the challenges of inflation, gun violence, and the shortages of certain essentials like baby formula have raised our anxiety levels to new heights. We may find ourselves stockpiling more than we need, and hoarding material goods for a future rainy day. We may think, incorrectly, that if we just have enough of this or that, then we can eventually kick back, relax, and make merry. Hoarding makes everyone poorer; giving makes everyone richer.

God calls the man in today’s gospel a fool; for who knows what tomorrow will bring? We may plan a long awaited trip and have a medical emergency in a foreign country. We may be walking home from work or the playground one night, minding our own business, when someone opens fire with a gun. A nagging cough becomes a lung cancer diagnosis and we enter into a health care system where the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

When you reach a certain age, imagine scarcity rather than abundance, when you are overcome by fear and anxiety, the end times become more real. Truth be told, for whatever reason it is, you’re suddenly aware of the fragility of life, the short span of history, and that the arc of justice is long indeed. Fools are we who deny that we’re all on the same journey to a common destination.

What if God said to us today, like God said to that rich man in today’s parable, `You fool! Tonight your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'  Who will get my stuff? I wonder. And will that stuff be a burden or a blessing? What legacy will I leave behind me? Is it one of faith or fear?

In a song entitled “What If” Matthew West wrote, “I've heard 'em say before -  to live just like you're dying. What if today's the only day I got? I don't wanna waste it if it's my last shot.” I think this is what Jesus was saying to the people gathered around him. Material things will not save your soul nor your life, but God will. So be rich towards God and you will have treasures in heaven.

Jesus spoke words of comfort to the crowd in the following verses of Luke’s gospel. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Consider the ravens and the lilies. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will God clothe you—you of little faith!”

“And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive first for the kingdom of God, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:28-34)  

“The story has been told of a man who came to church late one Sunday morning. Slipping into the back pew, he asked the usher, ‘Is the sermon done?’ And she replied, ‘No, the sermon was preached; it is yet to be done!’“ (Word Live, Scripture Union, Author: Tanya Ferdinandusz) 

Yes, God’s judgment of our behavior becomes clearer in times like these. We see what we have done and left undone. We see where our priorities lie, and who and what we hold dear. Today, do what you need to do. Say what you need to say. Store up riches in heaven, and have no regrets, no worries, no ‘what ifs.’ Trust in the justice and mercy of God, who has promised that the family inheritance will be ours in the end. 

As today’s psalmist once said, “Let us give thanks to the Lord for God’s mercy. For God satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Whoever is wise will ponder these things.” Amen.

Hosea 11:1-11

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Luke 12:13-21

Simplicity

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

“There is need of only one thing.”

We have needs, and I had a need to reflect upon several pressing matters in my life. I needed help from someone who knew me well and yet wasn’t involved with my “pressing matters.” I’ve been distracted and worried lately, not by many tasks like Martha, but rather by my concerns for others. I knew that I needed to focus, and so I visited my spiritual friend and companion for conversation, who welcomed me into his home. While waiting for him to arrive, I looked at some prayer cards that were on display. Each one had one word on the front. “Focus,” I said to myself. “What is it that you need right now?” The prayer card answered. “Simplicity: to will one thing.”

Like Mary, I knew that I needed to sit at the feet of Jesus. When my friend arrived, we went to a quiet place, a room in which I found simplicity: two chairs, a table, and a box of kleenex. I didn’t sit at my friend’s feet but across from him; and yet we knew that there was a “third party” in the room. My recent “distractions”, my multiple worries, and one “pressing matter” in particular, had made it clear to me that I needed to focus on one thing only. I needed to align my will with God’s will. I needed the gift of simplicity in my complicated world. I needed Jesus.

“One of the virtues most sought after by the early Desert Fathers and Mothers was the virtue of ‘purity of heart.’ They focused all their prayer and effort on obeying Jesus’ command to ‘strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.’ They trusted that if they did this, God would provide them with all that was needed to sustain their lives.” (SSJE, Simplicity)

“To will one thing” is to seek God first, and that takes constant reminders for me, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed with worldly events, human suffering, and concern for others. I remember that God provides - that God knows our needs before we even ask. 

So, in the morning, I focus on my needs for the day: I ask God to help me let go of the chains of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow. Turning my attention to God, I know that my need is simple: to love God, myself, and others as best I can. Sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary, I know I need only this one thing. Then, like Martha, I can carry on with those pressing matters of love.

Plumb Lines

 Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

There are so many presenting social issues these days that I find it overwhelming to even think about them, let alone try to do something about them. There is the on-going humanitarian crisis on our borders; concerns about climate change; the war in Ukraine, the recent legal decision about abortion, and gun violence everywhere. When it comes to the fentanyl crisis and mental illness, I find myself personally frustrated with these baffling and cunning diseases, ones that easily cross all socio-economic boundaries and borders. And when people are asked about the “very big” problems in our country today, the number one answer is inflation.

It was the plumb line of God in the story of Amos that brought social issues into sharper focus for me. I had been involved with a coalition of churches in Connecticut which had created a transitional living facility for homeless women and children. We called it Amos House, notably after the prophet in today’s Old Testament lesson.

According to my HarperCollins Study Bible, the message of Amos is “direct and uncompromising. Over and over he announces to the people of Israel that, because of their social injustice and religious arrogance, the Lord will punish them by means of a total military disaster.” Indeed it was only 50 years later that the king of Assyria, which is current day Iran, began to aggressively incorporate both Syria and Israel into his empire. The conflict in the Middle East remains of concern even today.

Oftentimes ruffling the feathers of people in power, specifically the religious and political leaders of his countries, Amos denounced the Israelites for reliance upon military might, for grave social injustices, for abhorrent immorality, abuse of power, and shallow meaningless piety. Amos spoke about the lack of legal due process and the enslavement of people because of debts. (NRSV p 1170)  

Amos believed that he had been called by God to sound the warning bell, not just to the Israelites, but to other countries as well. He told them that they had violated standards of international conduct, and they lacked integrity. You have forgotten your covenant with God and chased after false idols, Amos prophesied. You have neglected the needy among you. You are a self-indulgent society and this plumb line reveals that your lives are crooked. “Prepare to meet your God,” warned Amos.

In addition to the plumb line, Amos uses four other images to paint a picture of God’s impending judgment. Locusts will come like a plague and destroy your crops. Fire will reign down from heaven like a lightning bolt in the middle of a summer storm, striking your bell tower and setting it ablaze. Your basket of summer fruit will rot and you’ll never see the time of the fall harvest. And then, in his final and most disturbing vision, Amos says he saw the Lord standing beside the altar giving orders for the total destruction of their people.

In true rabbinic fashion, the lawyer, a teacher of the law of Moses, was preparing himself for eternal life by testing Jesus, considered a prophet in his own day. The lawyer asked questions of Jesus because he wanted to be justified, that is to say, he wanted to be made right in the eyes of God and his fellow Jews. He wanted his plumb line to hang straight. “Who is my neighbor?” he asked Jesus, “and how can I inherit eternal life.” 

Like the lawyer in today’s gospel, we too might start asking Jesus these very same questions. “What must I do, indeed, what must we do to be justified in the eyes of God?” “You know the answer,” said Jesus. “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.”  

Not so easy, I say, to Jesus. It’s hard to love people when their behavior is unloveable, violent, and destructive. When the late Fred Rogers walks into my room and asks me, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” I say, “Well, that depends. You seem kind and gentle, but I’m not so sure about them.” 

Like the priest and the Levite I have crossed the road many times to avoid people who make me uncomfortable. I have put up blinders so that I cannot see someone who is standing, lying, or sitting right in front of me in distress; or I see something and yet I say nothing. I have made false assumptions about people because of their race, class, faith, age, and political party. I have erected walls because, for the life of me, I do not know what to do about them…. or me…..or it.

Overwhelmed with the issues of today, we may throw up our hands in despair and ask, what on earth can I do, and what on earth can we do, when the problems seem so very big and we are so very small. “How can we stay hopeful? And what are we to do?” the Rev. Scott Gunn asked in Forward Today. “We can offer compassion. Console those who suffer. Speak up for the voiceless. Give our substance to those who have less. Name evil when we see it. Love our enemies. Pray for the needs of the world. And above all bear witness to God’s grace and mercy.” (June 29, 2022) Or as the clergyman, Edward Everett Hale, once famously said, "I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."

When I learned how to wallpaper for the first time many decades ago, I was introduced to a plumb line. For those of you who have yet to encounter this simple little tool, a plumb line is a weight attached to the end of a string which, when held up against a wall, reveals a straight line. One can end up hanging crooked wallpaper without it. And this is what the Lord told Amos, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel” because God wanted them to see how far off the mark they had become. 

I soon realized that the plumb line is both a personal and a communal tool which is needed repeatedly in our homes, our churches, our countries, and throughout our world. As new construction began on Amos House, I found my own life at home crumbling. Despite my best efforts at wallpapering over the cracks, there were some things that couldn’t be covered up. Like the kingdom of Israel then, indeed even like our own country and countries throughout our world today, trouble was brewing.

In my despair, poverty, and fear I began a new journey of personal questions, spiritual growth, and reflection. I began to take my faith seriously, attending Bible study, serving on the outreach committee, and just showing up for worship. In church I found plenty of good Samaritans who showed me the mercy of God and the Way of Love. This week when a Boston hiker took a treacherous fall on Mount Monadnock, a group of strangers sprang into action to help. Good Samaritans appear every day; they show up, pay attention, and try to be a part of God’s mercy and grace.

God’s plumb line, as revealed by the cross, points us inward. How far have I strayed from the Way of Love? What needs repair in my own life and the life of my family? The cross also points us outward. Who needs my help and what words of truth must I speak? And, finally, the cross points us upward. What idols do I worship? And what prayers can I offer?

When I look at the cross, I am reminded of my own ability to wander far and wide from the mark. I can see the injustices in our society, and the diseases and violence that destroy our lives. I recognize how nations and families can easily become broken and divided. And I know that the hard work of reparations, renovations, and reconciliation takes time and a willingness to work together in the Way of Love.

During that difficult time in my life, I found a new plumb line. It is the cross. I found a new prophet. It is Jesus. The cross calls us to repentance and reminds us of the unfathomable mercy of God. On the cross, we see Jesus, who justified us and made us righteous in the eyes of God. By his cross and precious blood, we are redeemed; and by his wounds we are healed. In Christ, we are delivered from evil, brought out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, and out of death into life. With plumb lines in hand, we are made worthy to stand before God.

Whatever house you enter today, hang on to the cross. Wherever you travel today, hang on to the plumb line of Christ; for by using it, our wallpaper will hang just a little bit straighter. And that is good news for us all.

Amos 7:7-17

Luke 10:25-37