The Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew
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A Sermon for 16 Pentecost

9/27/2022

 
By Ben Cluff

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. 


​On the face of it, the topic of wealth and riches seem to be the theme of our lessons this week.  
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel as if I read or interpret mixed messages regarding wealth, at least material wealth, in our readings and lessons.
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For example:
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” 
(1 Timothy 6:10)

Yet we know that folks of means were great benefactors and supporters of not only Jesus and the Twelve, but in the discipleship of many early Christians.

Do you get uncomfortable with some of the messages we receive? I know I do, messages like:
‘
Sell your possessions and follow me’
(Luke 18:22)


‘It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.’
(Mark 10:25)


What is wealth?
What is rich?
It is not as if we are provided with defined financial guidelines that tell us that above a certain dollar amount we have entered into the category of ‘rich’.
Or Again Are We?

‘but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.’
(1 Timothy 6:8)


Our expression of faith, through our liturgy, readings and lessons, poses questions for us to consider, regarding what our approach to life will be.  What will our approach to life be as we attempt to live through the grey areas of life? Rather than simply/mindlessly comply with rigidly worded dictates.

Our guidance through these grey areas of life often comes to us through parables, such as today’s parable of the Rich man and Lazarus. Much has been written about Jesus’ use of parables as a teaching method. Do they make you think and consider?

When it comes to these parables, I sometimes feel as if I hear, but don’t completely understand. 
My hope and prayer is that as we reflect, we bring our heads and hearts closer together, as we experience these grey areas of life.

I am not a billionaire or millionaire. Based on any given yardstick, I am not rich, yet, I know I have bounty that many do not. I have food, clothing, shelter, and more. Sitting down to a home cooked meal, surrounded by those I love, I have thought, “I am living like a lord”.

In today’s parable Jesus describes a rich man who dresses in purple and fine linen. Purple was a very expensive dye for clothing, in that time. Jesus tells us that this man feasted sumptuously every day (not just on special occasions, but everyday). These features of Jesus’ description seem to emphasize the degree of this man’s richness.

At the gate of this rich man’s estate lay a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus is described as being covered with sores, longing for the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, and the dogs would come and lick his sores.  I would imagine the dogs may also compete with Lazarus for those scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.

The social norms of the day were such that it was a reasonable expectation that those with more would offer something to those with less, regularly. There have been archaeological digs that have provided evidence that benches were regularly built into the walls of great estates, near the gates, where the less well off would sit and receive, those “scraps that fell from the table” of the rich.

So the rich man was very rich and Lazarus was very poor and not well. And the rich man consciously ignored Lazarus and his plight regularly, probably daily.

And upon the death of each of these men, their conditions changed. And when the rich man was told he would not receive relief from his torment and agony - he said then “Please, at least warn my brothers, so that they may avoid my fate.”

But father Abraham replies, “Your brothers have the teaching of Moses and the prophets to guide them. They should listen to them.”
(Luke 16:29)


The rich man says – “No, father Abraham - if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.”
(Luke 16:30)


But father Abraham says, “No, No, if they are not able to hear the messages of Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.”
(Luke 16:31)


Some interesting features of this particular parable occurred to me, upon reflection;

First, Lazarus is named.  So often, in parables, we do not have participants personally named; rather they are identified through description only: 
  • The woman at the well (John 4:1-42)
  • The lame man unable to get to the healing waters (John 5:1-15)
  • The woman who bled for 12 years (Mark 5:21-43)
  • The man with demons (Luke 8:26-39)

And the rich man seems to continue to see and hold Lazarus as a servant or less than: 
‘ have Lazarus dip his finger in the water and cool my tongue’ (Luke16:24)
‘have Lazarus go to my brothers and warn them’  (Luke 16:28)

The rich man seems to see the world and his participation in it, somewhat superficially:
There seems to have been no conversion in his sight, no internal conversion or insight to see he may have participated in the world differently.

This seems to be the point attempted to be made by father Abraham regarding the rich man’s brothers: “Everything your brothers need is provided to them through the teaching of Moses and the prophets.”
(Luke 1:29) 


Are they open to hearing the message that guides them to participate in the world in a comforting manner?

On the face of it, the status of wealth can appear to exclude one from God or keep one distant from God.

Upon reflection, though, we are guided and shepherded toward God, regardless of our socioeconomic status.

Paul and Timothy are living in the real world, a world into which we bring nothing and in the end, take nothing. As the rich man and his brothers had Moses and the prophets, we have Jesus, Paul, and Timothy telling us, “and as for those, who in the present age, are rich, be not haughty or set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches; do good, be rich in good works, generous, ready to share.”
(1 Timothy 6:17-18)

And for all of us, “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.”
( 1 Timothy 6:11)


Our liturgy this week encourages us to consider where we are rich and wealthy? ; 
to reflect upon, Where does our cup runneth over?
Does our pursuit or desire for richness keep us separate from God and those around us?

In contrast to the many loud and dramatic messages of this world to focus on the accumulation of things, status, and wealth, our lessons encourage to be open to messages around us centered in goodness, our priorities ordered to favor faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

We are urged to take it upon ourselves to be still and know God and navigate the grey areas of life with kindness to ourselves and to those around us.

You know, I retired from working for 40 years in the field of addiction recovery. My friends in Alcoholics Anonymous taught me this prayer. It attempts to guide us toward the spirit of doing good, being rich in good works, generous, ready to share.

God I offer myself to Thee - to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life. May I do Thy will always. - Amen

A Sermon for 3 Lent

3/20/2022

 
By Ben Cluff

​So here we are at the 3
rd Sunday in Lent, halfway through our Lenten journey. 

On Ash Wednesday, through the Book of Common Prayer we were, “invited to the observance of a holy Lent by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s HolyWord.” ​
Picture
As I have attempted to settle in to my attempts at a more disciplined or structured devotion time for self-reflection, and identify opportunities for positive change, it has occurred to me that 40 days is a significant length of time. 

It is usually at this point in our 40 days of Lent that this occurs to me. Trying to incorporate spiritual discipline and time for reflection in a more concentrated and intentional way, than at other times of the year, while the world, our world, continues on as usual, with the accompanying distractions, demands on our time, and requirements. And the distractions seem particularly loud this year, the excitement of what is hopefully, a waning pandemic, mixed with the grave concerns of global events. 

And as God would have it, our lectionary readings provide us encouragement, at this halfway point.


Beginning with Moses, as God captures Moses’ attention in dramatic fashion with a flaming bush, that is not consumed by the fire. Once God has Moses attention; God provides an assignment to Moses, “So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelite s, out of Egypt.” 

From Moses’ perspective that does not seem a small, easy, or insignificant assignment, as evidenced in his response toGod, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 

And God’s response, “I will be with you”, as God is with us, always. 

And we receive a pep talk of sorts from Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth. The Church in Corinth is young and evolving, even exhibiting some growing pains. There have been some disagreements, debates and factions within. In today's portion, of this first letter of Paul to the Corinthians, Paul makes comparisons and draws parallels between the Israelite s journey out of Egypt and the young church in Corinth. 

It would appear that “people are people” pretty consistently overtime. 

Remember, the Israelite s received guidance, the waters parted for them, they received manna from heaven, and water brought forth from a rock, in order to sustain them. 

They experienced God’s presence through Moses, as the church members in Corinth experienced God’s presence through Christ. 

And this is Paul’s cautionary tale: 


Be aware of the example provided through our ancestors - idolatry, immorality, complaining, grumbling.


Paul acknowledges these elements of the human condition are shared by us all. … and the “pep talk” piece of this, is whenPaul offers the reassurance that God is faithful, with the test or with the temptation, God will provide the way of escape. 

We are in between; 
  • as the Israelite s were in between - in between their life of oppression in Egypt and their settlement in a land of milk & honey. 
  • as the members of the church in Corinth were in between- in between their lives before Christ and this new way of being, following the time of Christ on Earth and His resurrection. 
  • We are in between - in between Ash Wednesday and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. 

At this point, at this 3rd week in our observance of a holy Lent, we are reminded by Paul and Moses, that God is very present with us. 

God accompanies us, sustains us, as we encounter the reality of life and how that can, at times, feel so contrary or challenging to our spiritual pursuits. 

And then in today’s Gospel, we are encouraged, no, urged, to take stock, to take an inventory - and then, as a result of this inventory, change where we need to. 

The stage is set for us here in the tales of the Galileans killed by Pilate and those individuals that lost their lives when the tower of Siloam fell on them. 

Throughout our history as humans on Earth we have asked, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Were the Galileans worse sinners than other Galileans?” Were the 18killed by the falling tower worse offenders?”


Jesus clearly answers, “No” … and then He adds that sense of urgency, “but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”This is not to be interpreted as a threat of punishment, rather, an encouragement to be aware of grace and to develop a new way of seeing. 

The Gospel today, at this halfway point, reiterates our words from Ash Wednesday, - we are “invited to the observance of aHoly Lent by self examination and repentance.” 

This word repentance; - to repent has been defined as, “to feel so contrite over ones sins as to change or decide to change one’s ways or to change one’s mind to a new way of seeing things.” 

And I am quite struck by the parable of the fig tree, as it drives the point home: 

Lent is not passive - It is action oriented - the gardener will be busy preparing the fig tree for the following year - digging, fertilizing, tending, in order to maintain life. 

This parable raises questions for us, at this halfway point: 
  • Do we experience Lent passively or do we have an action-based orientation? 
  • Is our repentance leading us to a new way of seeing things?
  • Are we consciously aware of God’s Grace, as we go about our days? 
  • Are we attempting to change from old ways of being to new ways of seeing the world and new ways of participating in it?

Today’s readings, taken as a whole, bring home wonderful encouragement to us, at this point in our Lenten journey:

God is with us 
God is faithful 
God provides the way out of testing and temptation
God urges us to action 

I would like to leave you with a Lenten prayer by the Most Reverend Arthur Lichtenberger, who was presiding Bishop from 1958 until 1964. 

Lord may I 
Fast from judging others 
Feast on Christ dwelling in them
Fast from fear of illness 

Feast on the healing power of God
Fast from words that pollute 

Feast on speech that purifies 
Fast from discontent 
Feast on Gratitude 
Fast from anger 
Feast on patience 
Fast from pessimism 
Feast on optimism
Fast from negatives 

Feast on alternatives 
Fast from bitterness 
Feast on forgiveness 
Fast from self-concern 
Feast on Compassion 
Fast from suspicion 
Feast on Truth 
Fast from gossip 
Feast on purposeful silence 
Fast from problems that overwhelm
Feast on prayer that sustains 

Fast from worry 
Feast on faith 
~ Amen

    We are blessed to have a diversity of preaching voices in our parish.  Our guild of preachers is a mixture of lay and clergy. We hope you enjoy the varied voices.

    Meet our Preachers

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    Ben Cluff
    Charlie Houghton
    Julie Carew
    Kathryn Aubry McAvoy
    Rev. Dr. Molly Scherm
    Rev. Heather Blais
    Rev. Ted Thornton
    Steve Houghton
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Mission

We believe God is calling us to cultivate a community of love, joy, hope, and healing. Jesus is our model for a life of faith, compassion, hospitality, and service. We strive to be affirming and accessible, welcoming and inclusive; we seek to promote reconciliation, exercise responsible stewardship, and embrace ancient traditions for modern lives.

Office Hours

Tuesdays & Thursdays | 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Messages are checked throughout the week

Our church, gardens, and labyrinth are open daily for you to rest, pray, be.
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Contact Information

8 Church St. Greenfield, MA 01301
office@saintsjamesandandrew.org
413-773-3925

Worship Times

10 a.m. In-Person Worship & Livestreamed 
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​We Would Love to Have You Join Us Soon!

  • Home
  • About
    • Our History >
      • Who we are
      • History of the Whiteman Windows
      • St. James' Parish: A History of the First 100 Years 1812-1912
    • Become a member
    • Important Updates
    • In the News
    • Meet the Team
    • Parishioner Portal >
      • Annual Report
  • Worship, Grow, Serve
    • Worship >
      • Worship Leaflets
      • Sermons >
        • Teaching Sermons
      • Worship Schedule
      • Baptism, Confirmation & Reception
      • Marriage
      • Burial & Legacy Giving
    • Grow >
      • Kids & Youth
      • Adults
      • Green Team
      • Labyrinth
    • Serve >
      • Serve in Worship
      • Serve in the Parish
      • Serve in the Community
  • Meals & More
  • Events
    • Spaces Available to the Community
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Mistletoe Mart
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • New? Tell us about yourself by filling out this welcome card
    • Submit Your Prayer Requests
    • Submit Your Memorials and Thanksgivings
    • Fill out our Online Pledge Card
    • Read the latest news at SsJA
    • Subscribe Newsletter
    • Amazon Smile