Sermons

Sermon, June 14

The Sayers essay quoted below is published with a number of her other essays in the compilation “Letters to a Diminished Church,” W Publishing Group, 2004. The wording has been altered slightly in places to make it easier for oral presentation to an American audience. 

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Cor 5:17-21

Here’s the same text rendered in casual American English, by Eugene Peterson in The Message, a Bible paraphrase:

“God has given us the task of telling everyone what God is doing. We are Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; God is already friends with you.”

This portion of Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth reminds me of a quotation from Stanley Hauerwas, scholar, teacher, iconoclast, and sharp-tongued pacifist.  It’s from a talk he gave in 2011 and it’s one of a number of snippets of text posted around my workspace in my office, so that when my eye – and mind – wander from a task, they may fall on something that reminds me of my true work. Here’s the line from Hauerwas: “The church is a prophetic community necessary for the world to know that God refuses to abandon us. We are God’s hope for the world, and you are a servant of that hope.”

The church is a prophetic community necessary for the world to know that God refuses to abandon us. We are God’s hope for the world, and you are a servant of that hope. God has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us. We are ambassadors for Christ.

It is quite clear, in the Scriptures, liturgies, and teaching of the church, that we are called, as followers of Christ, to proclamation. To speaking out God’s good news. To telling other people about the grace and hope and life we have received, by turning to God and living a life of faith. To preaching, in word and action, our countercultural conviction that there is love for us when we feel least lovable, that there is hope for us when we feel most hopeless, that there is a better way for us, a new path, even when we feel the least in control of our lives -and also even when we feel the most in control.

There are so many ways to put words to that Good News – and not only words, but actions and symbols and songs. There are many, many ways to proclaim the Good News. But we are called – asked – ordered – to proclaim it. By Paul: Be ambassadors for Christ. By Jesus: Be my witnesses, to the ends of the earth. By our Book of Common Prayer, right there in our baptismal covenant: Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ? By the words of the prayer we say together after the Eucharist: “Now send us forth, a people forgiven, healed, renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world.”

Anybody squirming yet? … This call to proclamation does not always sit comfortably with us Episcopalians. We tend to be ill-at-ease with evangelism – or as many of us prefer to call it, The E-Word. We don’t care for the idea of being all up in other people’s faces about Jesus or God. Now, there are some substantive reasons for that. For one thing, we are an open-minded faith that believes in many paths to God, and we don’t assume our neighbors are doomed to Hell if they happen to be Presbyterian or Catholic or Jewish.

For another thing, we are an incarnational faith, that sees God’s presence in the world around us, as I mentioned last week. So we don’t believe that an act of service  or a deep conversation or an hour spent on your knees in the garden has to have Jesus stamped all over it in red ink to be holy.

But let’s be frank – a big part of our reluctance to proclaim the Gospel is because it’s hard to be “out” as a Christian in our workplaces and neighborhoods, among our acquaintances and even our friends and family. As my friend Rob the strategic marketing guy says, Christianity has a huge brand problem. People think a lot of awful things about Christians. Christians are superstitious, sanctimonious, anti-science, incapable of critical thought, moralizing, punitive, bossy, judgmental, hypocritical, and really just not the kind of people that you’d want to chat with over a coffee or a beer.

One of the questions I’ve been asking folks in recent weeks is, Have you ever talked about St. Dunstan’s to someone who doesn’t attend? Your answers have followed two strong themes. You talk about your church to people, who seem like they might need what it could offer: a sense of community, unconditional love, a safe space to question, heal, seek and grow. And you talk about your church to people who wonder out loud, What the heck is up with those Christians, anyway? You gather your courage and you say, We’re not all like that. And you talk about belonging to a faith community that’s inclusive and welcoming and smart and curious.

I love that. I love that people are speaking up for St. Dunstan’s, speaking up about the Episcopal Christian way, in those moments. AND… I know it’s hard. I know there are probably lots of moments when you back away from those conversations. Because you’re not sure how it will be received, or because you just don’t have the energy or the words right now. I certainly do. I have a clergy friend who ALWAYS wears his clergy collar when he’s traveling, and welcomes the opportunities to start conversations about faith with strangers on an airplane or a bus. I cannot imagine doing that. Let’s just put in our earbuds and agree not to make eye contact. It’s tough to put yourself out there – to out yourself as a Christian – when our brand image is so bad, and when the starting point has to be, But not THAT kind of Christian. 

That problem is not new, though it’s taken different forms over the decades and centuries. One of the ways that we here at St. Dunstan’s are working towards knowing our own tradition more deeply is by remembering the lives and work of some of the saints who have gone before us, and their witness to the faith, in whatever form it took. Who here knows the name Lord Peter Wimsey? Lord Peter is not a saint, as he would be the first to admit. He is a fictional detective, and the best-known creation of the British writer Dorothy Leigh Sayers, who lived from 1893 to 1957. Sayers is not on our calendar of saints for some reason, though several of her friends and contemporaries are – Evelyn Underhill, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton. Her birthday was June 13, so I’m taking the liberty of claiming and commemorating her, this Sunday.

Sayers’ mystery novels are what most people know about her, if they know anything, and they’re certainly how I came to know and love her. But she was much more than a novelist. She wrote broadly on politics, feminism, and faith. She translated Dante, and wrote a fantastic, funny, engaging play about the life of Jesus; one of these years we’ll stage it here! Her work on human creativity and the doctrine of the Trinity is well-regarded and delightful.

We tend to carry a vague idea that it was easier to be Christian back in the first half of the 20th century, because everyone was Christian then, right? But that isn’t necessarily true – and it certainly wasn’t true in the intellectual, academic, and activist circles of Sayers’ social world, which may have had a lot in common with the intellectual, academic, and activist circles of our lives in contemporary Madison, Wisconsin. She found, as we often do, that the Christianity most people think they’re avoiding isn’t the Christianity that we claim and strive to follow.

In an essay called “The Dogma Is the Drama,” Sayers addresses exactly this issue, and tries to lay out the true heart of Christianity, the real good news, as she understands it, in the face of public views of Christianity as dull, conventional and rather repressive.

As our commemoration of the life, work, and witness of Dorothy Leigh Sayers today, and as encouragement for the socially-risky business of proclaiming our faith, let me read to you a portion of Sayers’ essay, “The Dogma Is the Drama.”

“It would not perhaps be altogether surprising if, in this nominally Christian country where the Creeds are daily recited, there were a number of people who knew all about Christian doctrine and disliked it. It is more startling to discover how many people there are who heartily dislike and despise Christianity without having the faintest notion what it is. If you tell them, they cannot believe you. I do not mean that they cannot believe the doctrine; that would be understandable enough, since it takes some believing. I mean that they simply cannot believe that anything so interesting, so exciting, and so dramatic can be the orthodox creed of the Church….”

Sayers then proceeds to offer up a short “examination paper,” in question-and-answer format, laying out what the general public apparently believes about Christianity:

“Q: What does the Church think of God the Father? A: He is omnipotent and holy. He created the world and imposed up on humanity conditions impossible to fulfill; he is very angry if these are not carried out. He sometimes interferes by means of arbitrary judgments and miracles, distributed with a good deal of favoritism. He likes to be flattered and is always ready to pounce on anybody who trips up over a bit of difficulty in the Law, or is just having a bit of fun. He is rather like a dictator, only larger and more arbitrary.

“Q: What does the Church think of God the Son? A: He is in some way to be identified with Jesus of Nazareth. It was not his fault the world was made like this, and unlike God the Father, he is friendly to humanity and did his best to reconcile humans to God. He has a good deal of influence with God, and if you want anything done, it is best to apply to him.

“Q: What does the Church think of God the Holy Spirit? A: I don’t know exactly. He was never seen or heard of until Pentecost. There is a sin against him that damns you forever, but nobody knows what it is.

“Q: What was Jesus Christ like in real life? A: He was meek and mild and preached a simple religion of love and pacifism. He had no sense of humor. Anything in the Bible that suggests another side to his character must be an addition. If we try to live like him, God the Father will let us off being damned hereafter and only have us tortured in this life instead.

“Q: What is meant by the Atonement? A: God wanted to damn everybody, but his vindictive sadism was satisfied by the crucifixion of his own Son, who was quite innocent, and therefore, a particularly attractive victim. He now only damns people who don’t follow Christ or never heard of him.

“Q: What does the Church think of sex?  A: God made it necessary to the machinery of the world, and tolerates it, provided that the people involved a) are married, and b) don’t enjoy it.

“Q: What is Faith? A: Resolutely shutting your eyes to scientific fact.

“Q: What is the human intellect? A: A barrier to faith.

“Q: What are the seven Christian virtues? A: Respectability, childishness, mental timidity, dullness, sentimentality, judgmentalism, and depression of spirits.

“Q: Wilt thou be baptized into this faith? A: No thank you!”

Sayers concludes,

“I cannot help feeling that as a statement of Christian orthodoxy, these replies are inadequate… But I also cannot help feeling that they do fairly accurately represent what many people take Christian orthodoxy to be…. Somehow or other, and with the best intentions, we have shown the world the typical Christian in the likeness of a crashing and rather ill-natured bore – and this in the name of One who assuredly never bored a soul, in those thirty-three years during which he passed through the world like a flame….  Let us, in heaven’s name, drag out the divine drama [of Jesus’ true life and teaching] from under the dreadful accumulation of slipshod thinking and trashy sentiment heaped upon it… We do Christ singularly little honor by watering down his personality till it could not offend a fly…

“It is the dogma, [the Gospel itself,] that is the drama – not beautiful phrases nor comforting sentiments nor vague aspirations to loving-kindness and uplift, nor the promise of something nice after death – but the terrifying assertion that the same God who made the world, lived in the world, and passed through the grave and gate of death. Show that to the non-believers, and they may not believe it; but at least they may realize that here is something that a person might be glad to believe.”

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you spoke the universe into being and made us to hear and tell the story of your love. Give us the courage, insight, humor, and passion that we might, like your servant Dorothy, proclaim that story still, in faithful witness to our hope in you; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit is glorified in the telling. Amen.

Thanks to the good folks at Key Hall for posting this wonderful prayer, which fits our celebration of the life and witness of Dorothy Sayers so well! 

Anglicanism, Sermons

Sermon, June 7

The Scripture lessons for this Sunday may be read here. 

The people Israel had been living in the Promised Land for many generations. Sometimes following God’s ways, sometimes not so much. Often at war, sometimes conquered. Not particularly powerful nor particularly wealthy, as nations go.

This story took place about three thousand years ago, a little over a thousand years before the birth of Jesus. The prophet Samuel had been ruling the people Israel for several decades. But he was growing old, and his sons were not of his caliber. So the leaders of the people came to him and said, Samuel, appoint a king for us. All the other nations around us have kings to rule and govern them. Courageous kings, at the head of armies; noble kings, dispensing justice from thrones; virile kings, surrounded by their lovely wives. We want what everybody else has. We want a king too.

Samuel didn’t take it well; but then God told him, “Samuel, cheer up! They’re not rejecting YOU. They’re rejecting ME. You, and the prophets and judges who went before you, have ruled in My name and served My will. Now my people want a human leader. So be it. Give them a king. But warn them. Show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

So that’s what Samuel did. He said, “This is what your king will do, because this is what all kings do. He will take your sons to serve him as guards and warriors. He will use the wealth of the country to build up an army for the wars he will wage. He will take your daughters to work in his palace – as perfumers and cooks and bakers – if you’re lucky. He will seize the best of your land, your fields and vineyards and orchards, and give them away as gifts to his courtiers, his favorites. And of the land he leaves you, he will take one-tenth of the produce you grow, and one-tenth of the sheep and goats of your flocks, to feed his army and fill the table for his feasts. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, to work for HIM. And you will be no better than slaves  to his power, ambition, and greed. And on the day when you finally see this clearly, you will cry out to God because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but God will not answer you that day.”

But the people did not listen. They said, “No! We are determined to have a king, so that we may be like other nations, with a king to govern us and fight our battles.” And so Samuel anointed the warrior Saul, whom God chose to be the first King of Israel.

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings – really all one long chronicle – are written with great nuance and skill. I love it when the summer of Year B rolls around and we begin to walk through this amazing piece of ancient literature once again. Like all great literature, these Biblical books tell a particular story that is also a universal human story, an always-and-everywhere story. And the always-and-everywhere element of this chapter, of Israel’s desire and Samuel’s warning, is the very human tendency to want what we want, even when people warn us of the cost.

We want what we want, even when we know the cost. We know about the destruction of our planet, but we still drive our cars and run our computers and, God help us, buy bottled water. We know about slave labor and child labor, but we still want our iPhones and our chocolate. We know about the underpaid, underprotected factory workers, but we still want cheap clothes and goods. We know about residential segregation, and the ways it perpetuates economic and racial stratification, but we still want to live around people who look like us, who’ll take care of their yards and drive appropriate cars, and we very much want to send our kids to a “nice” school. We know the costs. But we want. So we forget.

This is what my Facebook feed feels like sometimes:  Yes, yes, slaves… Yes, yes, pesticides… Yes, yes, racism… Ooh! Cute cat video!…  We want. We want our consumer goods, our comfortable lifestyle – nothing ostentatious, just, you know, nice – we want the best of everything for our children, of course – maybe we just want to be able to get through the day without feeling too terrible about ourselves. So we look away, we stop our ears, to avoid hearing the prophets who are tallying the costs of the way of the world.

There are many moments in Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, where the way of the world and the way of God are held up against each other. In tension, even at war. Many Christians hold that tension central to their way of being; they live day by day striving to follow God, knowing that puts them at odds with the ways of society, the ways of humanity.

Episcopalians – Anglicans – are not a tradition that tends to draw that line starkly. We were founded, back in the 16th century, as a national church. The religious order and the political and social order were not identical; but there was a LOT of overlap. Remember, the Queen is STILL the official head of the Church of England, our mother church. And we are the inheritors of that mindset in many ways, that mindset of establishment. We’ve never been an established church, in this country, nor even a particularly large church. But we have a history of being the church of the wealthy and the educated. I remember when I was in high school, one of our Social Studies books, for some reason, had a list of all the presidents of the United States with their religious affiliations. And the Episcopalians had the most, by far. It’s less true than it used to be, but for many generations the Episcopal Church was the church of the elites – to the point that upward mobility could mean abandoning the Methodist or Baptist church to “go Episcopalian.” That kind of strong identification with those at the top of the heap hardly encourages a church to point the finger at the injustices, consequences and costs of the status quo.

There are some really good things about Anglican and Episcopalian this-worldlyness. I’m not calling us to become the kind of Christians who view the present and material world with suspicion. One of the hallmarks of the Anglican and Episcopal way is an incarnational and quotidian spirituality – incarnational in that we see God present in this world, not only in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but in many ongoing and lifegiving ways; quotidian, a fancy word for everyday, in that we see the potential for holiness and service to God in ordinary life and even the most humble tasks. I love that aspect of our distinctive Christian way. But maybe we need to draw a cleaner, clearer line between assuming that God is present in this world, and assuming that this world, therefore, is the way God wants it to be.

There is a lot about the way of this world that is sick, and broken, and destructive. In our baptismal rite, we are asked to renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God. Which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God… What images flash before your eyes, if you reflect on that phrase? Waterfowl with oil-soaked wings? Children in refugee camps? So many examples. You’ll have your own list.

Jesus loved the world so much. He saw the potential for holiness and grace in everyday life and ordinary people. And at the same time, he was outspoken about the ways in which the status quo of his time and place corrupted and destroyed God’s creatures. That’s why he got called crazy.

In today’s passage from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ mother and brothers come to find him and bring him home, for his own protection, because everyone is saying that he’s out of his mind. He’s out of his mind because he’s saying that the old holy prophecies of healing and hope for God’s people can still come true. He’s out of his mind because he acts like sin can be healed, forgiven, released, instead of worn as a shabby shameful garment for a lifetime. He’s out of his mind because he says that God’s ultimate desire for humanity is that we should live and grow and flourish, not that we should follow a bunch of nitpicky little rules.

Michael Curry is the bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. He was my bishop while I was seeking ordination, and he ordained me to the priesthood in 2009. He’s also currently one of the candidates for Presiding Bishop, and he’s one of the best-known preachers in our church. He preached on this Gospel a few years ago, and talked about our calling to follow Jesus and become “crazy Christians.” He said,

We need some Christians who are as crazy as the Lord. Crazy enough to dare to change the world from the nightmare it often is into something close to the dream that God dreams for it…. We need some crazy Christians. Sane, sanitized Christianity is killing us.  That may have worked once upon a time, but it won’t carry the Gospel anymore…. [We need some Christians] crazy enough to believe, as Dr. King often said, that though “the moral arc of the universe is long, it bends toward justice.” …. We need some Christians crazy enough to believe that children don’t have to go to bed hungry; that the world doesn’t have to be the way it often seems to be; that there is a way to lay down our swords and shields, down by the riverside; that as the slaves used to sing, “There’s plenty good room in my Father’s kingdom,” because… we are all equally children of God, and meant to be treated as such.

Bishop Curry’s words remind me of a line from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, which is coming along in next week’s lectionary: “If we have been unreasonable, it is for God; if we have been reasonable, it is for you.” Paul’s talking about holding that space of being just sane enough to get people to listen, and just crazy enough to dare to speak and live God’s radical truth.

Unreasonable for God’s sake. Crazy Christians. It makes a great slogan, and a pretty good sermon. But how do we do it? How do we claim that craziness? How do we find the patience and strength and courage to believe in, and work for, a future in which our simple everyday pleasures – good food, rewarding work, rest, play, time with those we love – are not bound in complicated and far-reaching ways to human or environmental degradation, exploitation, waste or suffering? How do we become strong enough to count the costs, and, sometimes, to re-calibrate our wants? How do we get strong enough to be that kind of crazy?

One thing is certain: we’ve got to do it together. By doing this: coming together for worship, sharing prayer and song, food and conversation, receiving Scripture and reflecting on it together. In the words of Kyle Oliver, a priest and educator who thinks a lot about these questions, “We Episcopalians are a ragtag bunch united primarily by our firm conviction that praying together forms us into the people God is calling us to be.”

Walter Brueggeman, the great Old Testament scholar and writer, has a keen sense of how the ways of the world differ from the ways of God; and he, too, says that it’s the gathered life of the community of faith that makes us able to step back from the first, and step into the second.  (Here’s a summary of the Brueggeman talk I’m citing here.) He talks about inculturation, nurture, formation, discipleship. He says that all our ministries, all the things we do together as a faith community – preaching, liturgy, education, social action, administration, stewardship, ministries of food and fellowship and hospitality – they are all instruments and tools for the nurture of God’s people into that alternative worldview. Into the ways of God, that are often unreasonable or flat-out crazy by the standards of the world.

And I love this: Brueggeman says, of course we’re ambivalent about that. We’re not sure we want to detach from the status quo, to opt out and turn our back on everything normal and taken-for-granted. Do you really want to become that person on Facebook who’s always ranting about bottled water?  We like a lot of the normal stuff. We like malls and Smartphones and exotic vegetables. We’re likely to spend a lot of time trying to straddle the ways of the world and the ways of God, betwixt and between, back and forth, neither one nor the other.

But, says Brueggeman, there’s good news even in our uncertainty, our double-mindedness: “The good news is that our ambivalence as we stand [between worlds], is precisely the [space] for the work of God’s Spirit…. It is in our ambivalence that the Spirit in us can be stirred and we can be opened to new possibilities… Surely one of the crucial tasks of ministry is to name the deep ambiguity that besets us, and to [reframe that ambiguity as a space of] waiting for God’s newness among us. This work is not to put people in crisis. The work is to name the crisis that people are already in… Ministry is for truth telling about the shape we are in. And that truth telling makes us free.”

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the blessing of talking with many of you, through a series of focus groups, about how your church and your faith shape and support your daily life in the world. And a lot of you have said, in one way or another, that belonging to a church, and to this church, is what helps you not to be too overwhelmed or discouraged by the ways of this world. Not to lose heart, to use Paul’s language, when faced with the powers that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God. You’ve said that coming to church helps you reset and release hatred, bitterness, fear.  That it helps you see the big picture, remember that long arc of justice. That it reminds you that you’re not alone; that you’ve got companions in the work, the struggle, the ambivalence. That it simply reminds you that goodness exists – and sometimes that’s enough.

That’s my prayer for this place, this community, this faith-village with its elders and youngsters, its worker-bees, bards and sages. My prayer is that our shared life, in all its aspects, will shape and bless and empower us as followers of Jesus, who, like him, love the world so much; who, like him, see the potential for holiness and grace in everyday life and ordinary people. And who, like him, are empowered to speak and act to challenge and change the ways in which the status quo harms God’s creatures, and name, together, the bold, strange, hopeful, crazy truth that things could be otherwise.

 

Announcements

Announcements, June 4

Episcopal 101, Sunday, June 7: General Convention & Episcopal Church Governance, 9am: This summer our church holds its triennial gathering, and Rev. Miranda will attend as a deputy from our diocese. Come for an overview of how Episcopal Church governance works, and a whirlwind tour of this year’s General Convention.

 Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 11:30am: Come celebrate summer with food, fellowship, and fun! We’ll have good food and fun activities for all ages, including our Rogation Procession around the grounds, face painting, a photo booth, and more. Please bring a dish to share. Brats and hot dogs (including vegetarian options) and drinks will be provided. The picnic will happen rain or shine. Friends & guests are welcome.

Birthdays and Anniversaries will be honored Sunday, June 7, as is our custom, on the first Sunday of every month. Come forward after the Announcements to receive a blessing and the community’s prayers.

Healing Prayer: Sunday, one of our ministers will offer healing prayers for those who wish to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.

MOM Special Offering: Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Minister’s food pantry. Groceries are welcome gifts too. Here are the top 10 needed items: sugar, cooking oil, cereal, meals in a box, jelly, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers (sizes 4, 5 and 6), and laundry detergent. MOM is always in need of quality bedding items such as comforters, sheets, blankets and towels too. Thank you for all your support!

Evening Eucharist, 6pm: A simple service before the week begins. All are welcome.

Opportunities to Serve…

Calling an “Oikos Team” to Help Welcome Newcomers: The people of St. Dunstan’s talk a lot about feeling that St. Dunstan’s is their “church home,” with a strong and welcoming community. The word “oikos”, in the Greek New Testament, is the word for “household” – as in, “you are now members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). Would you like to help visitors and newcomers feel a sense of welcome and belonging in this “oikos,” this household of God? As a member of the Oikos Team, you’ll be matched with a person or household new to the church, to help them connect and get to know our parish. We’re not trying to manufacture friendship, but to be intentional about planting the seeds of community. You’d only be “matched” with one person or family at a time, and it won’t be a major time commitment. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, talk with Rev. Miranda at 238-2781. We hope to have all kinds of folks and families on our Oikos team.

 Prayers for General Convention: Every three years, the Bishops and elected Deputies – both clergy and laypeople – of the Episcopal Church gather to consider issues and new directions in the life of the church, and through democratic process, to make decisions and set directions and priorities. This year we will also be electing a new Presiding Bishop, who is the public face of our denomination and helps run the national church office. Rev. Miranda is one of the elected clergy deputies from our diocese who will be attending General Convention, which takes place in Salt Lake City from June 23 through July 3. Please pray for the Convention, for all bishops and deputies, for the Presiding Bishop candidates, and for the mission of our church.

Hoops for Housing Teams Forming! St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament on Saturday, August 8, to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. Pick up a pledge envelope in the Gathering Area and start to form your team and gather funds!

The Weeks Ahead…

Sunday School, Sunday, June 14, 10am: Next week, our 3-6 year old class will be learning about the apostle Paul and his journeys, while our 7-11 year old class will explore the calling of David the shepherd boy to be King of Israel. We’ll also thank and celebrate our Sunday school teachers and helpers!

Church, Faith & Life Conversation, Sunday, June 14, 12 – 1pm: When are you most conscious of yourself as a person of faith, in daily life? Does your faith support you in hard times? Why do you belong to a church – in five words or less? Come share open-hearted conversation about these questions, with Rev. Miranda and others from our church. This is the final opportunity to participate in a focus group (an informal group interview) as part of Rev. Miranda’s Missional Leadership Cohort inquiry process. Anyone who’d like to take part is welcome.

Summer Evening Worship, Thursdays at 5:30pm: Our Thursday evening “Sandbox Worship” will take place outdoors whenever the weather permits. Come at 5:30pm for a shared meal (provided), simple evening worship, and then hanging out around a fire for conversation and s’mores. “Summer Sandbox” begins on June 18.

Game Night, Friday, June 19, 6pm: An evening of games for all ages. Friends, partners, kids – all are welcome. Bring a snack to share, or come as you are!

Liturgy & Music Committee Open Meeting, Sunday, June 21, 12pm: We will check in with our regular liturgical ministries, then spend some time on ideas for seasons ahead. All interested folk are welcome to attend.

Ladies Night Out, Friday, June 26, 6pm: Join our monthly get-together as we dine at area restaurants and enjoy good conversation among women of all ages from St. Dunstan’s. This month we will meet at the Dhaba Indian Restaurant at 8333 Greenway Blvd. in Madison.

 Worshipping with Zion City Church, Sunday, June 28: The service is from noon to 2:00pm.  Meet at St. Dunstan’s at 11:30am to carpool, or meet at Zion City Church (1317 Applegate Rd., just off Fish Hatchery Road) shortly before noon. Share song, prayer, and friendship with these brothers and sisters in Christ!

Women’s Mini Week 2015: Mini Week will be August 13 to August 16, at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, Wisconsin. This year’s theme is “Surprised by Joy!” To learn more, visit www.womensminiweek.org.

Between Church, July 2015: “Between Church” will meet from 9:15 to 9:45am, starting July 5. We’ll gather outside at the stone altar to sing, discuss a short piece of Scripture, share blessings and concerns in prayer, and sing some more. Come to enrich your usual Sunday mornings, or let this be your summer worship!

 Vacation Bible School, August 2 – 6, 5:30 – 7:30pm (with a 7pm pickup option for younger kids): We had a lot of fun with Vacation Bible School last summer, and plan to do the same this year! Our theme will be “Message Received: Hearing God’s Call.” Using drama, art, and games, we’ll explore the stories of five people called by God, from the Old and New Testaments, and how we hear God’s call today. Dinner is included. Mark your calendar and spread the word – and if you’d like to help out, talk with Rev. Miranda!

Announcements

Announcements, May 28

Sunday, May 31, 9am, Discussing End-Of-Life Choices: The Rev. Pat Size will talk about advance care planning and the importance of conversations about end-of-life care. Pat will also preach this morning. Advance Care Planning is a process of understanding, reflecting on, and discussing future medical decisions regardless of age and current health status. All individuals can express and record their healthcare wishes at any time. Remember, healthcare providers cannot respect your choices if they are not known. Come learn more about the Advance Care Planning process and why it’s important. All are welcome.

Saint Dunstan T-Shirts, $5.00 – BYOS: Bring in a plain T-shirt (at least 60% cotton) that fits you, and the logo “Saint Dunstan: Annoying the Devil since 943” will be applied (in fuzzy blue iron-on vinyl) for $5. Funds raised will go towards purchasing new tubs for our Backpack Snack Pack ministry at Falk Elementary School. Talk to Rev. Miranda with questions. Checks can be placed in the offering plate with “T-shirt” on the memo line.

Opportunities to Serve…

Join our Vacation Bible School Team! This year’s Vacation Bible School will run from Sunday, August 2, through Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Whether you’d like to help with meals, tell a story or act in a drama, plan an art project or lead a game, or just be an extra big person to help manage little people, we need you. Talk with Rev. Miranda to learn more.

Hoops for Housing, Saturday, August 8: St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. If you’d like to help out with planning, publicity, or on the day itself, talk with Rev. Miranda.

General Convention 2015

General Convention Information Session, Monday, June 1, 6:30pm, St. Dunstan’s: The Milwaukee Deputation to General Convention 78 and Bishop Miller will conduct two information sessions in the Diocese in June to present topics, potential legislation and events scheduled for the convention. Come meet some of the deputies and learn what they and the Bishop will be working on this summer in Salt Lake City.

Episcopal 101: General Convention & Episcopal Church Governance, Sunday, June 7, 9am: This summer our denomination holds its triennial gathering, and Rev. Miranda will attend as a deputy from our diocese. Come for an overview of how Episcopal Church governance works, and an overview of the issues before General Convention this year. For an in-depth look at General Convention 2015, come on Mon., June 1!

Prayers for General Convention: Every three years, the Bishops and elected Deputies – both clergy and laypeople – of the Episcopal Church gather to consider issues and new directions in the life of the church, and through democratic process, to make decisions and set directions and priorities. This year we will also be electing a new Presiding Bishop, who is the public face of our denomination and helps run the national church office. Rev. Miranda is one of the elected clergy deputies from our diocese who will be attending General Convention, which takes place in Salt Lake City from June 23 through July 3. Please pray for the Convention, for all bishops and deputies, for the Presiding Bishop candidates, and for the mission of our church.

The Weeks Ahead…

Racial Disparities in Dane County – Guest Speaker: Principal Grace Okoli, Wednesday, June 3, 7pm: Principal Okoli is the principal of Falk School, the school we serve with our Backpack Snack Pack ministry and one of the highest-poverty schools in Madison. She will share about the challenges and hopes as she sees them, and take our questions. All are welcome.

St. Dunstan’s Middle School Youth and Parent Gathering, Friday, June 5, 6-8pm: This is a fun gathering, to get kids and adults together socially. We’ll meet at Vitense Golfland on Whitney Way just south of the beltline. We’ll start with dinner at their little cafe, talk about plans & hopes a bit over our meals, and then play a round of mini-golf. Younger and older siblings are welcome to come along for the ride. For questions, contact Rev. Miranda at or 608-238-2781.

Birthdays and Anniversaries will be honored next Sunday, June 7, as is our custom, on the first Sunday of every month. Come forward after the Announcements to receive a blessing and the community’s prayers.

Healing Prayer, Sunday, June 7: Next Sunday, one of our ministers will offer healing prayers for those who wish to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.

MOM Special Offering, Sunday, June 7: Next Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Minister’s food pantry. Groceries are welcome gifts too. Here are the top 10 needed items: sugar, cooking oil, cereal, meals in a box, jelly, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers (sizes 4, 5 and 6), and laundry detergent. MOM is always in need of quality bedding items such as comforters, sheets, blankets and towels too. Thank you for all your support!

Evening Eucharist, Sunday June 7, 6pm: A simple service before the week begins.

Church, Faith & Life Conversation, Sunday, June 14, 12 – 1pm: When are you most conscious of yourself as a person of faith, in your daily life? Does your faith support you in hard times? Why do you belong to a church – in five words or less? Come share open-hearted conversation about these and similar questions, with Rev. Miranda and others from the St. Dunstan’s community. This is the final opportunity to participate in a focus group (a loosely-structured, informal group interview) as part of Rev. Miranda’s Missional Leadership Cohort inquiry process. Anyone who’d like to take part is welcome.

Between Church, July 2015: Beginning July 5, you’re invited to simple outdoor worship between our two regular services. “Between Church” will meet from 9:15 to 9:45am, every Sunday in July – and maybe August too. We’ll gather at the stone altar to sing, discuss a short piece of Scripture, share blessings and concerns in prayer, and sing some more. Come as an enrichment to regular Sunday worship, or just enjoy this simple service as your summer worship.

Announcements

Announcements, May 21

Poetry and Spirituality, Sunday, May 24,9am, Chapel Meeting Room: One of our resident poets, Paul Thompson, will lead an exploration of the art of matching meter to song and setting poetry to music.  All are welcome!

 Pentecost Sunday All-Ages Worship, Sunday, May 24, 10am: We will share the story of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, and celebrate the Spirit’s continued action among us. Red is the church’s color for this holy day; consider wearing something red for church!  Our 8am service will follow our seasonal order of worship.

Saint Dunstan T-Shirts, $5.00 – BYOS: Bring in a plain T-shirt (at least 60% cotton) that fits you, and the logo “Saint Dunstan: Annoying the Devil since 943” will be applied (in fuzzy blue iron-on vinyl) for $5. Funds raised will go towards purchasing new tubs for our Backpack Snack Pack ministry at Falk Elementary School. Talk to Rev. Miranda with questions. Checks can be placed in the offering plate with “T-shirt” on the memo line.

Church, Faith, & Life Window Questions: Thanks to all who participated in our online survey! As a next step, some questions are posted on the windows in the Gathering Area. Share your thoughts on a Post-It or by writing directly on the question pages. Everyone is encouraged to respond! Questions will be up through May.

Opportunities to Serve…

Grace Shelter Dinner, Sunday, May 24, 7pm: Every fourth Sunday, a loyal group of St. Dunstan’s folk provides dinner for residents at the Grace Church shelter, and breakfast the next morning. See the signup sheet in the gathering area to help out.

Backpacks for Homeless Youth: If you have items for the backpacks, please bring them to the church as soon as possible. We want to get the backpacks packed and ready to go out to the young people who need them, before the end of the school year. Thanks for your generous support!

 Join our Vacation Bible School Team! This year’s Vacation Bible School will run from Sunday, August 2, through Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Whether you’d like to help with meals, tell a story or act in a drama, plan an art project or lead a game, or just be an extra big person to help manage little people, we need you. Talk with Rev. Miranda to learn more.

 Hoops for Housing Helpers Wanted! Saturday, August 8: St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. If you’d like to help out with planning, publicity, or on the day itself, talk with Rev. Miranda.

The Weeks Ahead…

Men’s Book Club, Saturday, May 23, 10:00 am, at St Dunstan’s: The book is “A Rule against Murder” by Louise Penny.

 Parish Office Closed, Monday, May 25th for Memorial Day. If you need to reach the office, Pamela will be in the office on Tuesday this week instead of Monday.

 Outreach Committee Meeting, Saturday, May 31, 8-10:30am: All are welcome to join our conversations about how St. Dunstan’s can best serve the world. We begin with an optional potluck breakfast at 8am.

Sunday, May 31, 9am: Discussing End-Of-Life Choices: The Rev. Pat Size will talk about advance care planning and the importance of conversations about end-of-life care. Pat will also preach that morning. Advance Care Planning is a process of understanding, reflecting on, and discussing future medical decisions regardless of age and current health status. Although sometimes connected to those who are chronically or critically ill, all individuals can express and record their healthcare wishes at any time. Remember, healthcare providers cannot respect your choices if they are not known. Come learn more about the Advance Care Planning process and why it’s important. All are welcome.

General Convention Information Session, Monday, June 1, 6:30pm, St. Dunstan’s: Two information sessions will be conducted in the Diocese in June on topics, potential legislation and events for the convention. Come meet some of the deputies (including our own Rev. Miranda) and learn what they and the Bishop will be working on this summer in Salt Lake City.

 Racial Disparities in Dane County – Guest Speaker: Principal Grace Okoli, Wednesday, June 3, 7pm: Principal Okoli is the principal of Falk School, the school we serve with our Backpack Snack Pack ministry and one of the highest-poverty schools in Madison. She will share about the challenges and hopes as she sees them, and take our questions. All are welcome.

 St. Dunstan’s Middle School Youth and Parent Gathering, Friday, June 5, 6-8pm: This is a fun gathering, to get kids and adults together socially; and we hope to squeeze in twenty minutes of serious conversation about ideas, hopes, and especially logistics for a middle school youth group, to begin meeting in the fall. Younger and older siblings are welcome to come along for the ride. More details to come. For questions, contact Rev. Miranda at 608-238-2781.

Episcopal 101: General Convention & Episcopal Church Governance, Sunday, June 7, 9am: This summer our denomination holds its triennial gathering, and Rev. Miranda will attend as a deputy from our diocese. Come for an overview of how Episcopal Church governance works, and a whirlwind tour of the matters before General Convention this year. (For a more thorough look at General Convention 2015, come to the gathering on Monday, June 1!)

Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 11:30am: Celebrate summer with food, fellowship, and fun! We’ll have good food and fun activities for all ages, including our Rogation Procession around the grounds, face painting, a photo booth, and more. Please bring a dish to share. Brats and hot dogs (including vegetarian options) and drinks will be provided. The picnic will happen rain or shine. Friends & guests are welcome. A sign-up sheet for set-up and clean-up helpers will be posted in late May.

 

Anglicanism, Hospitality, Sermons

Sermon, May 10

I know it’s Mothers’ Day, but I have a story for you today about fathers. Two fathers, a couple, who live and attend church in Orlando, Florida. Rich and Eric attend the Cathedral Church there, and when they became parents, they sought to have their baby son, Jack, baptized at their church. The Dean of the Cathedral agreed to the baptism, but he explained that the congregation includes some conservative folks who would have a hard time accepting and celebrating Rich and Eric’s partnership and parenthood. The Dean suggested doing the baptism at a smaller evening service, attended by more “open” folks. Fine. But then, a few days before the baptism, Rich and Eric got a message from the Dean. Some members of the congregation were opposing the baptism, and the Dean explained that it would need to be delayed, in order to resolve those difficulties. Angry and sad, Rich took to the Internet to share the story and ask for prayers. After an outpouring of support for the family and anger at the Cathedral, word is that the Dean and the family are discussing next steps, and that Jack likely will be baptized at the Cathedral soon.

Today’s lesson from the Acts of the Apostles is about baptism – and who’s entitled to it. This is the end of the story of Peter and Cornelius the Centurion. Cornelius was pious and generous man. But he was also a Roman, a member of the occupying army. Not quite an enemy combatant… but in that ballpark. And he was a Gentile, a non-Jew. The apostle Paul was going around saying that Gentiles could become Christians without following Jewish religious practices, including being circumcised. The apostle Peter was not on board with that, seeing it as wishy-washy anything-goes feel-good inclusivity. But then Peter has a holy vision, in which God says to him, “What God has made clean, you must not call unclean.”  And moments later he is called to the home of Cornelius, to teach him about the Christian faith. So Peter preaches the Gospel to Cornelius and his household. And they are so stirred by his words that the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and they praise God with wild abandon. And Peter says, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” It’s a rhetorical question. The only person likely to withhold the water is Peter himself, and his heart has been changed. Cornelius and his family are baptized on the spot.

Peter’s question should remind us of another one, from last week’s Acts lesson, just a couple of chapters earlier. Philip the deacon, walking the wilderness road, meets a court official from Ethiopia. Like Cornelius, he’s a pious man, with a heart open to God. Like Cornelius, he’s a Gentile, an outsider to the covenant. He’s not an enemy combatant -but he’s a black African, and he’s a eunuch;  his body has been mutilated in a way that would have made him ritually impure for a lifetime, within the purity codes of the Jewish religion. But Philip, like Peter, heeds God’s call to welcome this seeker into the body of Christ. After Philip preaches the Gospel to him, the eunuch says, “Look, here is some water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Well… Nothing. The eunuch is baptized, marked as a member of the household of God, clean and pure and whole in God’s eyes, and goes on his way rejoicing.

Can anyone withhold the water? What is to prevent me from being baptized? One of the central themes of the book of the Acts of the Apostles – and, for that matter, of the Gospel of Luke, by the same author – is the early church’s discovery, and rediscovery, again and again, that God’s mission is bigger than their understanding. That where they see barriers, God sees doorways. That where they see dividing lines, God sees connections. That where they see distinctions and differences,  God sees unity and belonging. As Peter says at the moment of his great epiphany,  “I truly understand that God shows no partiality.” God has no favorites. All who seek, find. All who enter are welcomed.

Good news. And…  the story of two thousand years of the life of the church is a story of the church’s forgetting this, or failing to realize it fully, again, and again, and again. The 19th-century poet and priest Frederick William Faber put this into words so beautifully in a hymn known to us as “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy.” It’s in our hymnal, but some of the best words aren’t included: “For the love of God is broader than the measure of the mind, and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind. But we make God’s love too narrow by false limits of our own; and we magnify its strictness with a zeal God will not own.”

We make God’s love too narrow by false limits of our own. That has been the story of the church, over and over and over again. Rich and Eric and Jack are only the latest to feel the sting of being told that they are only mostly children of God. Most of the comments I’ve seen on their case mirror my own immediate reactions: the Dean had NO RIGHT to create a barrier for this child’s baptism; my church would have agreed to baptize this baby in a heartbeat; et cetera, et cetera. But I’ve also seen a point raised that gives me pause.

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer moved the rite of Holy Baptism back into Sunday worship, into the regular liturgical life of the congregation, after centuries of baptism largely being practiced as essentially a private family rite, performed after church or at another time. In our baptismal rite, the congregation stands for the Church Universal, the Church in all times and places, as it welcomes a new believer. And our baptismal rite gives the congregation a voice. At the beginning of the rite, the congregation is asked, Will you do all in your power to support this person in her life in Christ? And you answer – WE WILL. I love that part! And at the end of the rite, the congregation says, “We receive you into the household of God,” and invites the newly-baptized to share the life of faith.

The question raised by this kerfuffle in Florida is, can you – should you – perform a baptism if the congregation gathered is unable, through their convictions, to commit to supporting that child, that family; and to receiving them as fellow members of God’s household? I don’t like saying that the Dean may have a had a point, in asking this family to wait. But the Dean may have had a point. I can’t imagine how awful and awkward and sad it would be to perform a baptism, to name a child, and mark him as Christ’s own forever, and have few or no voices from the congregation speak up to welcome and affirm. Should the Dean have withheld the water? No. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe there’s any justification in our church laws or our sacramental theology for turning away that family. Is it a real issue that the congregation of that Cathedral was not able to assent to Jack’s baptism with boldness and love? Yes. I do believe that. I think the Dean made the wrong call; but it was a tough call. The family was ready; the child was ready; God was ready; but the people weren’t ready. The church wasn’t ready.

Listen, I can’t talk about this situation in Florida from a position of smug inclusivity. I could, and would, baptize a child with two daddies – or two mommies – without a moment’s hesitation. But right now, I can’t tell a gay candidate for ordination that their sexual orientation won’t be an issue in some dioceses of our church. Right now, I can’t say yes to a gay couple who want to celebrate their marriage as a sacrament of the church. I hope those things will change soon. If that is your hope too, keep on praying.

But I don’t believe in preaching sermons that only point a finger elsewhere. I wouldn’t tell you the story of baby Jack and the Dean just to say, Thank God that we are not like them! … I’ve been asking myself, where does our church draw lines, create distinctions, make barriers? Where would today’s curious guest or seeker, today’s Cornelius or court official, find our welcome to be restrained, our hospitality qualified, our inclusiveness conditional?

It’s not an easy question to answer, which makes it all the more important to ask. We think of ourselves as inclusive Christians; it’s a strong value for us, that wide welcome. We Episcopalians often define ourselves against churches that exclude, that limit the access and authority of certain types of people. To paraphrase the immortal words of comedian Tom Lehrer, “Some churches do not love their fellow man, and we HATE churches like that!” We make a point of welcoming everybody. No, really – EVERYBODY. St. Dunstan’s has a welcome statement that we crafted and adopted, several years ago; you can read it on our website. I’m proud of that statement. I think it matters.

But when we adopted that statement, one of our members reminded us, You know you can’t just adopt this and then sit around feeling smug. You still have to actually welcome people. To use the language of the baptismal liturgy, each visitor and newcomer poses a question for the congregation: Will you receive this person as part of this household of God, and do all in your power to support her in her life in Christ? And the people of the congregation have to be able and willing and ready to say a resounding, WE WILL!…

There isn’t a clear-cut place in the life of St. Dunstan’s as a parish where we are drawing lines and placing limits around a category of people for whom Christ died, and we have to quit it. It’s not that straightforward for us. What is to prevent the stranger from being baptized? Who is withholding the water?  Where do we, unintentionally or accidentally-on-purpose, draw lines and build barriers that make it hard to enter, connect, belong?  The questions raised by these lessons from Acts – those questions require deep, reflective, risky engagement. They require the demanding and paradoxical work of looking for who isn’t here. Like those pictures they sold in mall kiosks, twenty years ago,  where you had to stand and stare at them until your eyes crossed, and then you might start to see the outline of … something. It’s kind of like that, figuring out who isn’t here, and then trying to figure out why.

We are a quirky church – St. Dunstan’s in particular and the Episcopal Church in general. And we’ve always kind of assumed that the people who would join our churches would be people basically like us. People who are literary enough to enjoy the high language of our liturgy. Who are musically trained enough to appreciate our classic hymnody. Who inhabit their bodies in such a way that they can sit still for 75 minutes. Who know how to dress and behave with basic middle-class decorum. Who’ll bring the right kinds of food to our potluck suppers. Who’ll somehow magically already know about all our pet projects and ministries and three-letter acronyms, so we don’t have to keep explaining ourselves. So tedious!…  I’d say our tolerances at St. Dunstan’s are pretty good; we’ve got folks who don’t fit that mold, in lots of ways, who are nonetheless beloved members of this fellowship of faith…  But we’re still haunted by that image of the archetypal Episcopalian. We still use “we” to mean “people like us”, without recognizing the lines we’re drawing.

In his book “People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity,” Dwight Zscheile talks about our expectations and how they shape our capacity to welcome the guest and stranger. He tells a story of visiting another Episcopal church with his family – a church that proudly proclaimed “Radical Hospitality” on a banner hung outside. Dwight and his wife are both Episcopal priests; they are white, middle-class, educated; they know how to dress and how to behave in church. Ideal guests, right? However: they had their young son with them. He was the only child in church. And they quickly realized, from the glares around them when their son so much as rustled his drawing paper, that they were expected to have him out of church – in a glassed-in “cry room” or a distant nursery tucked away in the basement.

Zscheile writes, “Radical hospitality is a wonderful idea, and I don’t doubt the sincerity of the leaders who [proclaim] it… Living into the reality is another thing, however…. In practice, the Episcopal Church has been best at including those who share its existing predominant socioeconomic class and culture…. The Episcopal Church has become a boutique, niche church, serving a narrow audience of self-selecting members.” He quotes another Episcopalian who described the Episcopal Church as being like NPR: with an audience that is “small, but discerning.” And in fact, there’s probably a lot of overlap between NPR’s constituency and that of the Episcopal Church – well-educated, affluent, liberal.  But, Dwight says, this rather self-satisfied posture can lead us to “abdicate responsibility for engaging neighbors who differ from us. We assume that those who want to worship how we already worship, [and] who think like we do, will find us, and we can then ‘include’ them.”

Those words convicted me. Because I have told myself pretty much exactly that: We’ve got a good thing going here, we Episcopalians; But we’re such a nuanced, sophisticated kind of Christian that not many people can really appreciate it. We’ll probably always be a small denomination; that’s just the way it is. It’s kind of a hipster thing: artisanal, small-batch church. You’ve probably never heard of it.

Zscheile challenges me to have more faith in the gifts of the Episcopal Way. He himself was raised unchurched, came to the Episcopal Church as a young adult, and fell in love. Listen to what he says about this church of ours, this way of being Christian: “Anglicanism offers a richly textured Christianity with ancient roots, expansive sources, a living commitment to justice and reconciliation, and space for people to explore, question, and grow along the way. It embodies the wisdom of centuries, not just the latest fads. Its historical embrace of…  cultural context … mandates that it speak the language of the people. At the same time, it is inhibited in many places by a traditionalism that obscures the power of its traditions; by elitism that restricts [access to] its treasures; and by a lack of theological and spiritual clarity and urgency that would fuel a renewed sense of purpose. Episcopalians still largely assume that people will find the church, rather than recognizing that [we are pushed] out into the world, on the arms of God, to serve and embrace the stranger.”

THAT’S Peter in Cornelius’s living room,  making the choice to let the baptismal waters flow.  THAT’s Philip standing by some muddy roadside puddle with the Ethiopian court official, acknowledging that Jesus has already chosen this man as his own, and our job is just to assent and receive. THAT’s the hard and hopeful and necessary work for us: of trusting that what blesses us here, could bless others too, and daring to offer, proclaim, invite.  That’s the work that should tug at our imaginations as we begin to envision what this church will look like, could look like, in five years, or ten, or fifty; as we craft a vision, in words and worship, poetry and song, marker and glue and pipe cleaners and Lego, of St. Dunstan’s as the church of our wildest dreams.

Announcements

Announcements, May 14th

 St. Dunstan’s Day Celebration and Bishop’s Visitation

Today we celebrate the feast day of our patron saint, the tenth-century English bishop and reformer, Dunstan. Our diocesan bishop, Bishop Steven Miller, will lead us in worship on this special day. At the 9am hour between services, there will be time to meet with the Bishop to share any questions, hopes, or concerns about the diocese and larger church.  At the 10am service, we will also celebrate the confirmation of Colin Marquart. Colin and his family, and Colin’s priest Father Scott Seefeldt, are visiting us from our sister parish Trinity Episcopal Church in Baraboo. Colin is an active member at Trinity, where he participates in youth group, the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew, and as a worship assistant. He is an athlete, volunteer, and mentor in his community, with an interest in computers and engineering. Welcome, Colin and family, and thank you for sharing this blessed occasion with us! Loose plate offerings this Sunday will go to Bishop’s Purse, a fund like the Rector’s Discretionary Fund which the Bishop can use to help various causes in the life of the diocese, to assist people to attend conferences and workshops, and to assist our seminarians and people in preparation for ordained ministry.

Sunday School, 10am: Our Sunday school classes will meet this Sunday during the 10am service. Our “Godly Play” class (ages 3 – 6) will learn about the Mystery of Pentecost, while our “Seasons of the Spirit” class (ages 7 – 11) will hear about the calling of Matthias. All welcome!

Saint Dunstan T-Shirts, $5.00 – BYOS: Bring in a plain T-shirt (at least 60% cotton) that fits you, and the logo “Saint Dunstan: Annoying the Devil since 943” will be applied (in fuzzy blue iron-on vinyl) for $5. Funds raised will go towards purchasing new tubs for our Backpack Snack Pack ministry at Falk Elementary School. Talk to Rev. Miranda with questions. Checks can be placed in the offering plate with “T-shirt” on the memo line.

Christian Formation meeting, Sunday, May 17, 11:45am: Our Christian Formation Committee will meet to review and plan programs, with a special focus on Vacation Bible School. All interested folks are welcome to attend and participate.

Church, Faith, & Life Window Questions: Thanks to all who participated in our online survey! As a next step, some questions are posted on the windows in the Gathering Area. Share your thoughts on a Post-It or by writing directly on the question pages. Everyone is encouraged to respond! Questions will be up through the rest of May.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, May 17, 6pm: A simple service before the week begins.

Younger Adults Meet-up at the Vintage, Sunday, May 17, 7pm: The younger adults of St. Dunstan’s are invited to join us for conversation and the beverage of your choice, at the Vintage Brewpub on South Whitney Way. Friends and partners welcome too.

Opportunities to Serve…

Join our Vacation Bible School Team! This year’s Vacation Bible School will run from Sunday, August 2, through Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Whether you’d like to cook, act, read a story, plan a project, lead a game, or just be an extra big person to help manage little people, we need you.  Talk with Rev. Miranda to learn more.

Grace Shelter Dinner, Sunday, May 24, 7pm: Every fourth Sunday, a loyal group of St. Dunstan’s folk provides dinner for residents at the Grace Church shelter, and breakfast the next morning. See the signup sheet in the gathering area to help out.

Hoops for Housing, Saturday, August 8: St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. We’re looking for help with referees, concessions, and more! We’re also asking people to think about forming or joining a team. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. If you’d like to help out with planning, publicity, or on the day itself, talk with Rev. Miranda.

Backpacks for Teens Without Families: St. Dunstan’s Outreach Committee invites the people of St. Dunstan’s to fill five backpacks, to be distributed to teens in the Madison school district who are homeless and living on their own, to help them through the summer months. Take a card from the display in the Gathering Area and bring the item(s) back by May 24th. Thanks for your generosity!

The Weeks Ahead…

“Fitting Words and Music: The Craft of Songwriting,” Poetry & Spirituality, Sunday, May 24, 9am, Meeting Room: One of our resident poets, Paul Thompson, will lead an exploration of the art of matching meter to song and setting poetry to music. All are welcome!

Pentecost Sunday All-Ages Worship, Sunday, May 24, 10am: We will share the story of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, and celebrate the Spirit’s continued action among us. Red is the church’s color for this holy day; consider wearing something red for church!

Parish Office Closed, Monday, May 25th for Memorial Day. If you need to reach the office, Pamela will be in the office on Tuesday this week instead of Monday.

Sunday, May 31, 9am: Discussing End-Of-Life Choices The Rev. Pat Size will talk about advance care planning and the importance of conversations about end-of-life care, and introduce Honoring Choices Wisconsin, an initiative to encourage and support advance care planning. Pat will also preach that morning.

Racial Disparities in Dane County – Guest Speaker: Principal Grace Okoli, Wednesday, June 3, 7pm: Principal Okoli is the principal of Falk School, the school we serve with our Backpack Snack Pack ministry and one of the highest-poverty schools in Madison. She will share about the challenges and hopes as she sees them, and take our questions. All are welcome.

Announcements

Announcements, May 6

THE WEEK AHEAD… Hat and Tie Sunday, May 10: St. Dunstan’s has a long tradition of inviting folks to dress up for Mother’s Day, with a fancy hat and/or tie. If you’d like to participate, you can wear your own or borrow one from the collection at church. It’s our custom to take photos of the whole congregation after the 10am service that Sunday; we hope you’ll stay a few moments to participate. This Sunday we will also take up a special collection for scholarships for the Diocese of Milwaukee’s camp program, Camp Webb. These scholarships help kids from around the diocese to enjoy camp regardless of their financial circumstances. To contribute, write “camp” on the memo line of your check.

United Thank Offering (UTO) Ingathering and Blessing of “Little Blue Boxes,” Sunday, May 10:  If you took home a UTO box and put in some coins in thanksgiving for the blessings in your life, please bring it back on Sunday, May 10, for the boxes to be blessed and sent on their way. You can also make a gift to UTO by placing a check in the offering place with “UTO” on the memo line, as an expression of your gratitude for all God’s gifts and blessings.

Sunday School, May 10, 10am: Our Sunday school classes will meet this Sunday during the 10am service. Our “Godly Play” class (ages 3 – 6) will learn about Saint Julian of Norwich. The older class will explore part of Jesus’ farewell speech in John’s Gospel.

Ascension Eucharist, Thursday, May 14, 5:30pm: Celebrate a festive service on the Feast of the Ascension, with our Thursday evening “Sandbox Worship” community. A simple meal will follow.

Church, Faith & Life Focus Group, Thursday, May 14, 7:00pm: Share your thoughts and experiences about how your faith is (and isn’t) part of your daily life. Any interested folk are welcome to attend.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE… Tools for Tanzania Update: St Dunstan’s has raised $1100 towards this project of getting improved agricultural tools to the Diocese of Newala, our companion diocese in rural southern Tanzania. The Companion Diocese Committee will continue to work on a plan to get the tools and the training to their destination. Thanks for all your gifts to this very successful fundraiser!

Backpacks for Homeless Youth: Summer can be a difficult season for homeless teens who are supported by school staff and resources during the school year. St. Dunstan’s Outreach Committee invites the people of St. Dunstan’s to fill five backpacks for homeless teens, to be distributed through the Transition Education Program, a program of the Madison school district to support homeless kids and youth. Helpful items include light blankets, flashlights, fast food cards, toiletries, and more. Take a card from the display in the Gathering Area and bring the item(s) back by May 24th; you can place them in the donation box in the Gathering Area, or put them directly in the backpacks, which are hanging outside the Rector’s office downstairs.  Thanks!

Coffee Hour hosts needed in May and beyond!  Please consider being a coffee host. Sign-up sheets for upcoming months can be found in the Gathering Space. For more information, contact Janet Bybee at (608) 836-9755. We are especially looking for contributions towards our festive coffee hour with hosting Bishop Miller on May 17. Thanks for lending a hand.

Join our Vacation Bible School Team! This year’s Vacation Bible School will run from Sunday, August 2, through Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Whether you’d like to help with meals, tell a story or act in a drama, plan an art project or lead a game, or just be an extra big person to help manage little people, we need you. Talk with Rev. Miranda, Sharon Henes, or Evy Gildrie-Voyles to learn more.

Hoops for Housing, Saturday, August 8: St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. If you’d like to help out with planning, publicity, or on the day itself, talk with Rev. Miranda or Evy Gildrie-Voyles.

THE WEEKS AHEAD… Women’s Mini Week 2015 – Early Bird Registration Discount Ends May 15! Mini Week will be August 13 to August 16, at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, Wisconsin. This year’s theme is “Surprised by Joy!” For registration materials and to answer questions, visit the website: www.womensminiweek.org.

Racial Disparities in Dane County – Knowing, Caring, And Acting: Our conversations about racism continue on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:15pm. All interested participants are welcome. A selection of handouts from our first series of conversations is now available in the Gathering Area.

Community Teach-In: Young, Gifted & Black, Saturday, May 16, 1pm, hosted by St. Dunstan’s: The Young, Gifted & Black (YGB) coalition has gained attention locally over the past year by speaking out strongly on issues of racism and racial disparities, policing and incarceration. Several area churches are hosting “Teach-In” events with YGB, as an opportunity for them to share their perspective and concerns, and for attending church and community members to listen and ask questions.

St. Dunstan’s Day Celebration and Bishop’s Visitation, Sunday, May 17: We will celebrate the feast day of our patron saint, the tenth-century English bishop and reformer, Dunstan. Our diocesan bishop, Bishop Steven Miller, will lead us in worship on this special day. At the 9am hour between services, there will be time to meet with the Bishop to share any questions, hopes, or concerns about the diocese and larger church.

Sunday School, May 17, 10am: Our Sunday school classes will meet next Sunday during the 10am service. Our “Godly Play” class (ages 3 – 6) will learn about the Mystery of Pentecost, while our “Seasons of the Spirit” class (ages 7 – 11) will hear about the calling of Matthias. All children are welcome to participate.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, May 17, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins.

Younger Adults Meet-up at the Vintage, Sunday, May 17, 7pm: The younger adults of St. Dunstan’s are invited to join us for conversation and the beverage of your choice, at the Vintage Brewpub on South Whitney Way. Friends and partners welcome too.

Ladies’ Night Out, Friday, May 29, 6pm: Join our monthly get-together as we dine at area restaurants and enjoy good conversation among women of all ages from St. Dunstan’s. This month we will meet at Biaggi’s, 601 Junction Road, Madison. For more information or to arrange a ride, please contact Kathy Whitt at or call Debra Martinez at (608) 772-6043 by May 25.

General Convention Information Session, Monday, June 1, 6:30pm, St. Dunstan’s: The Milwaukee Deputation to General Convention 78 and Bishop Miller will conduct two information sessions in the Diocese in June to present topics, potential legislation and events scheduled for the convention. Come to meet some of the deputies (including our own Rev. Miranda) and to learn what they and the Bishop will be working on this summer in Salt Lake City.

Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 12:00pm: Come for good food and good conversation at our annual June parish picnic.  We’ll have good food and fun activities for all ages. The picnic will happen rain or shine. Mark your calendar and watch for more details!  

Vacation Bible School, August 2 – 6, 5:30 – 7:30pm (with a 7pm pickup option for younger kids): We had a lot of fun with Vacation Bible School last summer, and plan to do the same this year! Our theme will be “Message Received: Hearing God’s Call.” Using drama, art, and games, we’ll explore the stories of five people called by God, from the Old and New Testaments, and how we hear God’s call today. Dinner is included. Mark your calendar and spread the word – and if you’d like to help out, talk with Rev. Miranda!

Announcements

Announcements, April 30

“Church, Faith & Life” Parish Survey – Open Through Sunday, May 3: Thanks to all who have already taking our simple survey! If you have not, please take a few moments to fill out the parish survey about how your faith is part of your daily life, and how your church connects with your faith. The survey will close after this coming Sunday. Click this link to get to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/StDunstans2015

THIS WEEKEND… Makers’ Guild, Saturday, May 2, 2 -4pm: Bring your own current handwork – sewing, knitting, painting, beadwork, whatever! – or help out with creating “Pentecost boxes” for the kids of the parish, as we look towards the Feast of Pentecost on May 24.  All are welcome!

Episcopal 101: Anglican Prayer & Spirituality, Sunday, May 3, 9am: Join Rev. Miranda to explore the breadth of ways of prayer within Episcopal and Anglican Christianity.

Birthdays and anniversaries will be honored next Sunday, May 3, as is our custom on the first Sunday of every month. Come forward after the Announcements to receive a blessing and the community’s prayers.

Healing Prayer, Sunday, May 3: Next Sunday, one of our ministers will offer healing prayers for those who wish to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.

MOM Special Offering, Sunday, May 3: Next Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Minister’s food pantry.  Groceries are welcome gifts too. Here are the top 10 needed items: canned meat (tuna/turkey/chicken), boxed pasta, boxed flavored potatoes (au gratin, etc.), toilet paper, sugar, oil, canned pineapple, canned fruit cocktail, saltine crackers, and dish soap. MOM is always in need of quality bedding items such as comforters, sheets, blankets and towels too. Thank you for all your support!

Spring Clean-Up Day, Sunday, May 3, 12 – 2pm (rain or shine!): Join us after the 10 am service to put some “sweat equity” into tending our beautiful buildings and grounds. Wear or bring your scruffy clothes and work gloves.  Lunch will be provided.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, May 3, 6pm: A simple service before the week begins.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE… 

Backpacks for Homeless Youth: Summer can be a difficult season for homeless teens who are supported by school staff and resources during the school year. St. Dunstan’s Outreach Committee invites the people of St. Dunstan’s to fill five backpacks for homeless teens, to be distributed through the Transition Education Program, a program of the Madison school district to support homeless kids and youth. Helpful items include light blankets, flashlights, fast food cards, toiletries, and more. Take a card from the display in the Gathering Area and bring the item(s) back by May 24th.

Coffee Hour hosts needed in May and beyond!  Please consider being a coffee host. Sign-up sheets for upcoming months can be found in the Gathering Space. Thanks for lending a hand.

Join our Vacation Bible School Team! This year’s Vacation Bible School will run from Sunday, August 2, through Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Whether you’d like to help with meals, tell a story or act in a drama, plan an art project or lead a game, or just be an extra big person to help manage little people, we need you. Talk with Rev. Miranda to learn more.

Hoops for Housing, Saturday, August 8: St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. If you’d like to help out with planning, publicity, or on the day itself, talk with Rev. Miranda or call 238-2781.

THE WEEKS AHEAD…

Racial Disparities in Dane County – Knowing, Caring, And Acting: Our conversations about racism continue on Wednesday, May 6, at 7:15pm. All interested participants are welcome. A selection of handouts from our first series of conversations is now available in the Gathering Area.

Hat and Tie Sunday, May 10: St. Dunstan’s has a long tradition of inviting folks to dress up for Mother’s Day, with a fancy hat and/or tie. If you’d like to participate, you can wear your own or borrow one from the collection at church. We will also take up a special collection for scholarships for the Diocese of Milwaukee’s camp program, Camp Webb. It’s our custom to take photos of the whole congregation after the 10am service that Sunday; we hope you’ll stay a few moments to participate.

Bible Study, “Dwelling in the Word”, Sunday, May 10, 9am: Adults and youth are invited to gather in the Meeting Room for an opportunity to engage in some of the holy stories of Scripture with our minds, hears and Imagination.

United Thank Offering (UTO) Ingathering and Blessing of “Little Blue Boxes,” Sunday, May 10:  If you took home a UTO box and put in some coins in thanksgiving for the blessings in your life, please bring it back on Sunday, May 10, for the boxes to be blessed and sent on their way.

Sunday School, May 10, 10am: Our Sunday school classes will meet next Sunday during the 10am service. All children ages 3 to 11 are welcome.

Spirituality of Parenting Lunch, Sunday, May 10, 12noon: All who seek meaning in the journey of parenthood (at any age or stage) are welcome to come for food and conversation.  Child Care and a simple meal provided.

Madison-Area Julian Gathering, Wednesday, May 13, 7:15 – 9:00 pm at St. Dunstan’s: Thomas Merton called Lady Julian “the greatest theologian for our time.” Come to one of our monthly meetings and find out why — and learn about contemplative prayer. We meet the second Wednesday of each month. We’d love to see you.

St. Dunstan’s Day Celebration and Bishop’s Visitation, Sunday, May 17: We will celebrate the feast day of our patron saint, the tenth-century English bishop and reformer Dunstan. Our diocesan bishop, Bishop Steven Miller, will lead us in worship on this special day. At the 9am hour between services, there will be time to meet with the Bishop to share any questions, hopes, or concerns about the diocese and larger church.  

Men’s Book Club, Saturday, May 23, 10:00 am, at St Dunstan’s: The book is “A Rule against Murder” by Louise Penny. The story begins in summer at an isolated luxury inn where the main characters are celebrating their wedding anniversary. Enter the wealthy Finney family and other surprising guests. When a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body, it is up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth secrets long buried and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. As the waiters on the east coast say “ENJOY”.

Ladies’ Night Out, Friday, May 29, 6pm: Join our monthly get-together as we dine at area restaurants and enjoy good conversation among women of all ages from St. Dunstan’s.  This month we will meet at Biaggi’s, 601 Junction Road, Madison.

Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 12:00pm: Come for good food and good conversation at our annual June parish picnic.  We’ll have good food and fun activities for all ages. The picnic will happen rain or shine. Mark your calendar and watch for more details!  

Vacation Bible School, August 2 – 6, 5:30 – 7:30pm (with a 7pm pickup option for younger kids): We had a lot of fun with Vacation Bible School last summer, and plan to do the same this year! Our theme will be “Message Received: Hearing God’s Call.” Using drama, art, and games, we’ll explore the stories of five people called by God, from the Old and New Testaments, and how we hear God’s call today. Dinner is included. Mark your calendar and spread the word – and if you’d like to help out, talk with Rev. Miranda!

PARISH & COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES… Community Teach-In: Young, Gifted & Black, Saturday, May 16, 1pm, hosted by St. Dunstan’s: The Young, Gifted & Black (YGB) coalition has gained attention locally over the past year by speaking out strongly on issues of racism and racial disparities, policing and incarceration. Several area churches are hosting “Teach-In” events with YGB, as an opportunity for them to share their perspective and concerns, and for attending church and community members to listen and ask questions. If you cannot attend the May 16 event, but would like to hear more, ask Rev. Miranda about other dates and locations.

Healing the Heart of Democracy: An Evening of Music & Reflections by Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer, Saturday, June 6, 7:30pm, at the Monroe Arts Center in Monroe, WI: This is a remarkable event that invites us to reflect together on seeking the common good across all that divides us, as our nation moves into another highly-charged political season. Rev. Miranda plans to attend and would love for some other St. Dunstanites to join her. Carpooling is possible (Monroe is about an hour away). Tickets to the event are $10 adults, $5 for 18 & under, and assistance is possible if the cost is prohibitive. Talk with Rev. Miranda to learn more, or read about the event here: https://www.monroeartscenter.com/eventdetails?eid=121

Calling all Church Women! Women’s Mini Week 2015, August 13 to August 16, at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, Wisconsin: You are invited to the 39th Annual Women’s Mini Week. This year’s theme is “Surprised by Joy!” For registration materials and to answer questions, visit the website: www.womensminiweek.org or email us for an invitation at . More information and registration forms are in the Gathering Area.

Sermons

Sermon, April 12

Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 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 20:29-31)

Today’s Gospel text comes from the Gospel according to John. John is the longest and latest-written of the four Gospels, and arguably the most complicated  in terms of material, authorship, and dating… and I freely admit it’s the gospel that I’m least comfortable with.  It differs in many ways from the other three Gospels, the books of the Bible that tell the events of Jesus’ earthly life. John’s Gospel covers some of the same terrain, the author was clearly familiar with the other gospels. But he also introduces other characters, and tells of other events, not included in Mark, Matthew, or Luke.

The author of John’s Gospel uses language in distinctive ways, rich, strange, symbolic, philosophical, sometimes paradoxical. The introduction to the Gospel of John in my trusty Harper-Collins study bible notes that in John’s Gospel, “instead of speaking in parables and short sayings [as he does in the other gospels], Jesus speaks in long, difficult monologues about himself, his relation to God, and the need to believe in him.”  The lectionary will bring us some of those speeches later in the Easter season.

John’s Gospel is also notable for having the strongest sense of hostility between Jesus and the Jews, perhaps because it was written in a context in which the Christian and Jewish communities were in the process of splitting apart, painfully and acrimoniously.

John’s Gospel has a strong strain of dualism – drawing stark distinctions between spirit/flesh, light/dark, heaven/earth, above/below, of this world and not of this world. That’s one of the aspects of John’s Gospel that I struggle with, since my sense of the teaching and mission of Jesus has a lot to do with transcending those dualisms, reconciling heaven and earth, insiders and outsiders, spirit and flesh.

I know some of you visited the St John’s Bible, the contemporary hand-written and illuminated Bible project, while it was on exhibit at the Chazen earlier this year. The main image for the Gospel of John is a striking one: a figure all in gold stands against a dark, murky background. It’s hard to make out any details of the figure, to resolve it into clarity – partly because the outlines of the figure are roughly-scrawled, not precise; and partly because the figure is gilded with real gold, which, under the lights of the gallery, makes it almost dazzlingly bright. In that combination of brilliance and obscurity, the artist has really captured something of the character of the Gospel according to John.

Why does the gospel bear the name of John? Throughout the gospel, it refers often to “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This nameless character pretty clearly fills the space occupied in the other Gospels by John, son of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ closest friends. Long tradition assumes that the special language used for that disciple in this Gospel, means that he was also its author – or perhaps that the book was composed from traditions about Jesus that were passed on by John to the early Christian community that crafted the Gospel.

To be honest, this is another aspect of John’s Gospel that I struggle with a bit: this sense of there having been a BEST disciple. Here’s an example I noticed during Holy Week: in Mark’s Gospel, the earliest gospel, Peter is the only disciple who follows Jesus after his arrest; he follows him all the way to the High Priest’s courtyard – you know the story.

Here’s John’s version: “Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard;…  Peter was standing outside at the gate, so the other disciple spoke to the woman who was guarding the gate, and brought Peter in.” In other words, according to John, Peter only gets into that courtyard because John knows some people. Moments like this can make the voice of John’s Gospel come across as pretentious rather than profound, like that guy at the graduate student party who throws around a lot of big words to make sure you realize how brilliant and special he is.

But even though I struggle with John’s Gospel, I don’t dismiss it, and I don’t want to suggest that you should. The lectionary always brings us a lot of John’s Gospel in Easter season – because John has such a keen sense of Jesus’ divinity and cosmic nature. Remember how John’s Gospel starts: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through him… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John has the strongest sense, of the four Gospels, of Jesus as a divine personage or being who existed before and exists beyond the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth.  And the many theological discourses in John provide rich material for reflection about who Jesus was and is, what his life and ministry mean, and what God is doing in and through Jesus, for the world. So in the season when we celebrate the risen Christ, we receive John’s words to help us see Jesus not just as a wise teacher, a compassionate miracle-worker, a courageous advocate, but as God incarnate, the eternal Word become flesh.

Today’s Gospel passage always comes to us on the second Sunday after Easter… which means it’s one of those passages that the preacher has to find something fresh to say about, year in, year out, for two or three or four decades.  There are several reasons this Gospel story always follows on the heels of the Resurrection. First and maybe most familiar, this text includes what is generally know as the “doubting Thomas” story. Widely preached as a reminder to us not be doubtful, like that skeptical jerk Thomas. I have some issues with that interpretation, but that’s not this year’s sermon.

A second reason this text is important for the church is that this is John’s account of the bestowing of the Holy Spirit, the gift of God’s spirit to the disciples and the Church – his equivalent of the Pentecost story. Six chapters earlier, in John 14, in what’s known as the Farewell Discourse, Jesus’ long final speech to his disciples, Jesus told them that God would give them the Spirit:  “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” And here in John 20, Jesus himself gives the gift of that Spirit, breathing on and into the disciples.

That verb, “breathing on”, turns out to be pretty interesting. The author of John’s Gospel, who wrote in Greek, would have known the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, that somewhat unusual verb is used a couple of places – in Genesis 2, when God breathes the breath of life

into the first human being, and in Ezekiel 37, the story of the Valley of the Dry Bones, as God instructs the prophet to call the breath of life into the dead bodies scattered before him: “Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live” (Ezekiel 37:9). I’m sure the author of the Gospel of John  was intentionally evoking those scriptures in using that verb here; so when you visualize Jesus breathing on the disciples, it’s not just a little *huh*. This is power and purpose. This is the breath of life, a divine wind, a gust of holiness, filling their lungs and giving new life to their weary and fearful spirits.

The third reason this scripture comes to us every year, I think, is that this scripture addresses us. Listen again to John 20:31 – “These things 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.” The “you” in that sentence is YOU. And me. John is speaking to all the Christians in other times and places who are removed, in geography and time, from the immediacy of the first community of believers and their first-hand knowledge of Jesus. In a sense, this verse boils down the whole purpose of John’s Gospel:  to encourage readers and hearers to believe and trust in Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God. The authors of the other gospels, known to us as Mark, Matthew, and Luke, are conscious of those who will come after; that’s why they’re writing gospels.But in these verses,  John is the most direct about it. He does what’s sometimes known as breaking the fourth wall.

The fourth wall is an idea from theater. Visualize it: the setup of the stage has three walls, the back and sides, and the audience is positioned as if we were looking through an invisible fourth wall. We watch through that fourth wall, seeing everything, moreso even than the characters in the story, but separate, outside the story, looking on. The fourth wall is the invisible barrier that forever separates the audience from the stage, or, making the jump to literature, that separates the reader from the narrative. And most of the time it stays intact: we watch or listen or read, and the story maintains its integrity and separateness, until the curtain comes down or we close the book and walk away.

But sometimes, the fourth wall is intentionally broken. The actors or the author address us, the viewers or readers. They speak from the stage or the page or into the camera, cross the invisible boundary that separates us, and involve us in the story. It’s a move that brings into the open what has previously been understood but unstated: that the text – be it story, play, or film – is an object that will be circulated, performed, read, viewed; and that there are readers and viewers out there, who are receiving and responding to the text.

One famous example familiar to many comes from J. M. Barrie’s story, Peter Pan. In both the book and the play, there’s a moment when Tinkerbell, Peter’s fairy friend, is dying after having drunk poison; and all the children of the world are asked – called – to clap their hands if they believe in fairies, in order to save Tinkerbell. Peter addresses all the children who might be dreaming of Neverland, and shouts to them: “If you believe, clap your hands; don’t let Tink die!” It’s a sweet moment – and if you’ve had the blessing of reading this story to a child young enough to respond to Peter’s call, you’ve seen the intensity in their face, the conviction in their eyes, as they clap fervently for Tink’s life.

At the risk of likening the Gospel to a fairy story, John’s move here is not entirely different. He’s inviting, even challenging, his readers to respond, and not just to respond, but to believe. He’s saying, I can’t give you an encounter with the risen Christ; but I can give you the testimony of those who knew him, who loved him and followed him and came to see him as Master, Messiah, Lord and God.

Here as he approaches the end of his gospel, his account of the life and significance of Jesus of Nazareth, John breaks the fourth wall, looks straight into the camera, and says: This story is about you too, and it’s for you, too. Its challenges and puzzles, they’re yours as much as ours. Its promise, its hope: they’re yours too. Read, and let the story enter you, like that breath of life; wonder, and pray, and believe: so that you may join us, across time and space, in the fellowship of those who follow and trust in Jesus Christ, and so that you, too, may receive the fulness of life in God.

And that’s why, ultimately, I don’t really see John as the pretentious jerk at the campus party. Yeah, he uses a lot of big words, and he seems to think he’s got hold of something that nobody else really understands. But I think he wants us to understand.

Because after he’s been holding forth for an hour, there’s this moment when he actually looks at you, really looks at you,  and says, Listen, this thing I’m talking about: it’s just been really life-transforming. It means everything to me. It’s given me purpose and hope and joy, even when things are really hard. And I just want to share it.  I’d like you have it too.

So, this first Sunday after Easter, let’s meet John’s eyes, take his hand. Bust through that invisible wall, and share, across two thousand years, the wonder and struggle and joy of the life of faith.

6205 University Ave., Madison WI

St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church