Do Good

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

I find early Christian history to be fascinating. Our women’s Bible study group has been reading St. Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia, which was written around 50 AD and well before the Christian churches were officially organized and recognized. And so I was curious about tonight’s reading from the 1st letter of Peter. 

First of all, despite the attribution to his name, St. Peter did not write this letter. It is believed to have been written sometime between 70 and 90 AD many decades after St. Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians. And thanks to St. Paul’s faithful and passionate missionary work, Christianity was now widespread throughout Asia Minor. 

The author of the 1st letter of St. Peter was apparently writing from Rome and to the five Roman provinces in Asia Minor. Throughout this time in history we hear about various conflicts going on in these regions. There were cultural clashes between Romans, Greeks, Jews, and Gentiles. There was tension between men and women, slave and free, the rich and poor. The conflict between Jesus and his religious leaders was escalating, and his entrance into Jerusalem only heightened it. 

Now the first letter of Peter tells us to imitate Christ by “doing good and not retaliating against those who slander their community.” So how is it then that we can justify the behavior of Jesus in today’s lesson from Matthew when he overturned tables and drove out the money-changers? Certainly his actions seemed neither gentle nor reverent!

Is Jesus doing good or is He retaliating against members of his own community? Does he need a class in anger management? Or is he acting according to God’s will and suffering for doing what is right? Should we imitate Jesus and walk through Redeemer’s upcoming Christmas market, overturning tables of wreaths and greens, demanding that our church be a house of prayer and not a den of robbers? 

Long ago, when I was involved with a transitional living facility for homeless women and their children in Connecticut, I invited the residents to our Christmas holiday party at Church. It was painful. There was them and there was us. They sat at one table and we sat at another. They were black and we were white. We were rich and they were poor. Later in the week, I bewailed my experience of the party to their executive director, who reminded me that while the impact of this event was difficult for everyone, our intentions were good. 

In the case of Jesus, his religious leaders were presumably appalled at his seemingly destructive and irreverent behavior in the temple. In what is described by some as his righteous anger, Jesus is “zealous for doing what is right.”  And as the author of 1st Peter suggests, there is no harm in doing that. The money changers have been taking advantage of the poor, who are required to make sacrifices in the temple, as part of being a faithful Jew. With little money to spare, the poor are being price-gouged by their religious leaders.

Now, let me be very clear, I am not accusing Redeemer’s leaders of doing anything wrong, irreverent, or even price-gouging. In fact, both their intentions and their impact are for the good; for the proceeds from this Christmas market actually benefit the poor. This event is about “doing good” in the name of Christ, and where is the harm in that? So too is your current involvement with Habitat for Humanity and the many and various ways in which you imitate Christ in your homes, at work, and throughout your communities and the world. Thank you for all that you do in the name of Christ with your time, talents, and treasure.

At this same time in history, Roman political leaders were becoming increasingly nervous about the spread of Christianity, and its potential threat to their power. Soon after the letter of 1st Peter was written, if Christians did not make sacrifices to the emperor in Rome, they were condemned to death. Those who refused to renounce their belief in Christ and the hope that was in them were killed and then called martyrs by their fellow Christians. Understandably, Christians would hide their religious identities; and their leaders began arguing about what it meant to be faithful. 

Meanwhile families struggled with divided loyalties and the changes in the patriarchal structures of their culture. According to my HarperCollins Study Bible, “Roman society included the fear that conversion would reverse the established hierarchical relationships and cause women to misbehave. They thought that Christianity caused immorality, especially adultery, insubordination within the household, and sedition against the state.” And so, Jesus began the liberation movement with his entry into Jerusalem where “he died for sins once for all, setting free all the people of God so that he might bring us to God.” As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians, in Christ, there is no longer slave nor free, male nor female, Jew nor Gentile. 

Tonight we remember St. Cecilia, “that” woman who was martyred in Rome sometime in the early 3rd century. According to A Great Cloud of Witnesses, “she was of noble birth and betrothed to a pagan, who along with his brother, converted to Christianity. Because of their conversion they were martyred and, while broken-hearted St. Cecilia was burying them, she was also arrested. After several failed attempts to put her to death, she died from injuries sustained by her ordeal. Much later, in the 14th century, she was remembered for her passion with which she sang the praises of God; and so she became the patron saint of singers, organ builders, musicians and poets.”

The author of 1st Peter recognizes that when we do good in the face of evil and hate, prejudice and oppression, it may cause us suffering and pain. He claims, however,  that it is better to “suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong.” And yet, that begs the question, how do we know? We may think we’re helping someone; and yet in truth we’re enabling their disease. We may make a decision to follow a certain path and soon discover that it leads us down the road to regret. Or we make a commitment and then are filled with 2nd thoughts. 

Keep your conscience clear, the author reminds us. Know what you are doing and why. In community, we can always ask ourselves, as well as others, if what we are doing seems good. We can pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we can focus only upon our intentions and then leave the rest to God. 

In all things, we can imitate Jesus, trusting that the cosmic Christ, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will be victorious in the end. For as Bishop Desmond Tutu once said, ‘Good is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. Victory is ours, through him who loves us.’ And, I would add, Jesus loves us, this we know, for the Bible tells us so. Amen.

1 Peter 3: 13-22

Matthew 21: 1-13

Keep Swimming

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

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Luke 21:5-19

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,” Jesus said to his followers. “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.” This was Jesus speaking to his followers many centuries ago and even to us today.

We live in terrifying times.There are threats of nuclear attacks; and at times, public figures and celebrities seem to have no boundaries. The self-appointed moral police oppress others in the name of God; people lose control of their bodies, minds, and souls and commit unspeakable acts of violence. Conspiracy theories abound through social platforms; and then, there’s Mother Nature, wiping out vulnerable people with torrential rains and devastating mudslides. 

To be honest, I’m tired of the news and the destruction all around our world. I’m tired of looking for people who speak the truth without hidden agendas, or refuse to speak up in support of others, because they fear their own personal consequences. “Beware of false prophets,” Jesus warned us. And false promises, I might add. And so I find myself in times like these looking for ways for us to “endure to the end” so that we gain “our souls.” I mean, isn’t that the end game for us all?

I just arrived back in Massachusetts yesterday, having spent the last 3 days in Nashville, Tennessee, celebrating the blessing of a marriage between two young adults. The love that they share for one another, their families, and their friends is admirable. After preparing this couple by zoom over the past year, I was deeply impressed by their diversity and the loyalty they promised to one another. At the foundation of their lives, they share some very basic core values. 

To say that it was a mixed crowd at the wedding in politics, age, class, socio-economics, and religion is an understatement. And yet the two of them stood there, exhorting and encouraging all of us with these words from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans; “hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”

We frequently tend to hang out with people who are similar to us and for certain activities and relationships that is a good thing. And yet, regardless of our choices, I dare say that most of us are disgusted by the disrespectful dialogue, the dishonesty, and the lack of civility that is evident in our discourses. Our refusal to engage in honest but difficult conversations and debates is worrisome. 

Many of us have become distrustful about what is being reported and what is being promised by our political leaders. Some of us are fearful about the future of our country and indeed even our world. We feel guilty about our privileges and frustrated with our inability to help. And most of us feel that it will take a very long time for us to heal and to reconcile such deep and bitter divisions among us and around the world. 

“Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right,” wrote St. Paul to the Christian community in Thessalonica. And yet, I wonder, is our current time any different from those historical times long ago? Reflecting back over the ages, and how history repeats itself, no wonder we are weary!

Perhaps you’re familiar with this story. While serving our country in World War 2, before he was elected president of the United States, John F. Kennedy had to swim 3 miles to shore after his PT boat was destroyed by the enemy. With words that were sometimes encouraging, and at other times demanding, Kennedy exhorted his companions to keep on swimming, and not give up. They could see the distant land; and they hoped that they could make it. But first, they had their work cut out for them. They had to swim.

In a more recent but equally compelling story, three childhood friends had gone fishing when their 24 foot boat sank in the Gulf of Mexico, after winds and waters escalated without warning. With just life vests and coolers to stay afloat, as the storm washed them away from the oil rig to which their boat had been tied, they attempted to SOS the coast guard. Their phone battery had drained to 5% when they saw a shrimp boat in the distance. One man decided to swim alone towards it, as their last shot for a rescue. Before he left, he gave one of his life vests to his friend whose own vest was failing.

The two friends who were left behind soon began to endure shark attacks. Their life vests were ripped apart, and their ice chests began to sink. Meanwhile, the shrimp boat suddenly powered off in the opposite direction of the man who was swimming towards it. As a last ditch effort, he took a screenshot of his location and texted it to a friend on shore before his phone cut off. All three men prepared to die as they continued to fight for their lives. 

Fortunately, the text was received and the Coast Guard rescued all three of them. With deep gratitude, one man exclaimed, “Oh, man. That feeling of getting pulled out of the water was the best feeling ever. I was like “I can stop swimming. I can stop. I could really stop now.”

At times of high stress and transition, it is easy to lose our focus, or to panic, and forget the basics of how to swim in cold waters. We all know the end game will eventually come but it often takes a crisis to remind us. It may feel easier to tear things apart and to drag people down rather than doing the next right thing to make it better. “Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right,” wrote St. Paul, which means we will share our life vests. We will exhort and encourage others to keep on swimming. We will hold fast to our core values. 

I know it’s hard to endure losses, life’s disappointments, or deep divisions within our own families and our country. It’s hard to watch wars and poverty from a distance and feel helpless. Yes, there will be dark nights that crowd out our distant hopes, and threats of death may encircle us in deep waters. Sometimes the Promised Land will seem very far off. Then, it appears far too close, and we feel as if we will surely drown in our own tears.

Regardless of our political party, our race or gender identity, our socio-economic or marital status, regardless of our positions within our own families, communities, businesses or church, we are very much like those 1st Christian communities. We too can see the unjust political, economic, and religious systems that are crushing hard-working and faithful people. Like the people in Thessalonica, it can be tempting for us to become mere busybodies, all talk and no action. It is easy to become weary. 

So when we’re feeling as if our lifeboats are too small, and we’ve lost the energy to keep on swimming, we can remember to keep it simple. We can focus on doing the next right thing, remembering that Jesus is our ultimate life-jacket, and the Spirit of God’s power will keep us afloat.

The day that Jesus claims is coming belongs to God alone. And that time is both now and not yet. “Do not be terrified,” Jesus said. “Not a hair on your head will perish; and by your endurance you will gain your souls.” Stones and temples and churches and buildings, indeed even our relationships, may crumble but the Master Architect has the blueprints to our life and saving our souls is part of God’s plan.

The promises of God are eternal.The presence of God is everlasting. We have been tied to an oil rig that will not sink. If anyone asks you about the challenges that we face, that will be your opportunity to testify that God is with us, swimming one stroke at a time, one breath at a time, until we reach that distant shore. So keep on swimming dear friends in Christ until Jesus pulls you out of the water. Then and only then can you stop swimming.

Sacred Dance of Love

The Wedding Ceremony for Zachary Grano Gordon and Maura Elizabeth Kean

Nashville, Tennessee The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling    Romans 12: 9-13

Good evening, family and friends of Zach and Maura! We are delighted that you are here to celebrate the blessing of their marriage and their love for you and for each other. My name is Nancy Gossling, and I have been a priest in the Episcopal Church for over 20 years. I am honored and deeply humbled to have been invited into the lives of Maura and Zach this past year, as I prepared them for this day and for their marriage in the years to come. As they make their vows to one another today, they have also invited God to be part of their union. It is no longer a two-for but a 1 + 2 = 3.

Music is important to both Zach and Maura, and in the Sound of Music, the nuns sing a song about Maria, how hard it is to “pin her down.” That was my problem with both Zach and Maura. He writes songs like the Irish and she cooks pasta like an Italian. He chops veggies with meticulous precision while she creates a gingerbread house in minutes. Maura can sit down at the piano, read the notes, and begin to play, while Zach just needs to hear the melody.

No less important to Zach and Maura is dancing. Concentrating on getting the steps to the foxtrot just right, Zach has taken his dance lessons seriously, while Maura is a girl who, in the words of Zach, “just wants to have fun.” She can line dance with the best of them and he can cover the runway, with spins and dips like a twirling dervish. 

Admirably, they encourage each other to dance to their own music and to sing their own songs while maintaining a solid foundation. Their home has been built upon shared values, honest conversations, and love. Side by side, dance partners for life, they create beautiful music together. 

There is a term in ancient Christian history called perichoresis which is also used for a typical Greek wedding dance. In this dance, there are not two dancers, but at least three.They start to go in circles, weaving in and out, faster and faster, while staying in perfect rhythm with each other.They are dancing so quickly, yet effortlessly, that they become a blur; all the while maintaining their individual identities. 

The Church fathers described the Trinity as a perichoresis, a holy and harmonious relationship in which there is mutual giving and receiving between the three persons of the Trinity. This is God’s sacred dance of love. So, “let your love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”

While today may seem like a blur, and the dancing may leave you breathless at times, Zach and Maura, you will have each other, your families and friends, and God to sustain you in the years to come. 

There is a song about Jesus called Lord of the Dance with a refrain that goes like this: "Dance, dance, wherever you may be! I am the Lord of the Dance," said He. "I'll lead you all, wherever you may be, And I'll lead you all in the Dance," said He.

Dear Maura and Zach, when you’ve forgotten your love song or the steps to your own sacred dance, or the needle keeps skipping on the vinyl, don’t forget that the Lord of the Dance will lead you, wherever you may be. And the sound of music will echo once again in your ears. Amen.