Sermon 8/14/2022 “By faith…”

Sermon 8/14/2022 “By faith…”

Preacher: Jo J. Belser
Location: Church of the Resurrection, Alexandria, Virginia
Text: Hebrews 11:29—12:2
Day: Proper 15, Year C

Church of the Resurrection,
Alexandria, Virginia

First, I want to share how good it is to be back with you at Church of the Resurrection. I have missed you, one and all. And I give great thanks for the four months away you gifted me, and to each of you who shouldered my responsibilities while I was away. Please bear with me as I find my way back into the community that is this church.

I intentionally jumped into the deep end today when I scheduled myself to both celebrate and preach. I am very grateful for Rev. Susan’s forbearance as she unobtrusively “holds my hands” today, as she has done so well these past four months. Had I read the scripture lessons for today before I made the schedule, though, I would have been tempted to give away preaching duties. There are a lot of difficult messages being shared today: prophetic messages of destruction. The one I want to ponder today is the epistle lesson from Hebrews.

Our epistle lesson today is a continuation of last week’s lesson. We know Hebrews as a book, but originally it was a sermon, a long sermon by our standards, but possibly the best sermon ever written.

We don’t know the author of Hebrews or the audience, but the book is called Hebrews because the author made many references to Jewish history, expecting the audience to know these things. And whoever the audience was, they apparently were flagging, tiring in their faith due to persecution.

The argument in Hebrews, the thesis, is that belief in Christ Jesus is better than even the greatest things in Judaism:

  • Greater than the original covenant between God and humanity, with Christ Jesus fulfilling the promise of a new covenant given by God to the prophet Jeremiah (30:30) that God would give us a “new heart and a new spirit.”
  • Greater than the patriarchs, who acted in faith and forged the Jewish people as people of God.
  • Greater than worship by animal sacrifices now that Christ Jesus has given himself as their (and our) sacrifice.

In today’s excerpt from Hebrews, the preacher reminds us of three great events in Jewish history:

  • Salvation of our ancestors who were being pursued by their enslavers.
  • Victory by the “wandering Arameans,” Jesus’ ancestors, as they moved into the Promised Land and conquered Jericho.
  • Preservation of the Canaanite woman who helped them scout the Promised Land.

All of these, Hebrews says, were “saved” by their faith.

These ancient stories are inspiring stories. The author of Hebrews used the inspiration of these great people and events to stir up their faith. The ending of today’s lesson is a great All Saints’ type of lesson, reminding us that our ancestors who were “successful” in their life of faith are now surrounding us even today, looking down at us from wherever they are with Christ, approving and encouraging us in our faith.

I have given a great deal of thought to this topic of “faith” during our sabbatical. Lenore and I worshiped as part of a 10- to 14-person congregation at a Lutheran Church near our home. These were deeply devout, faithful Christians, all of whom were far older than us. The primary difference between the people of that very fine church and this fine church is that their age and infirmities have now limited their activities largely to Sunday worship. Here, though, I feel your great missional energy. I can’t wait to hear your stories of the things you now are doing to connect with and be of service to our neighbors. I can’t wait to say to each and every one of you involved in these endeavors, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

At first, I couldn’t see how our sabbatical stories—as-yet unexchanged—connect with today’s epistle lesson. But then I heard today’s lesson in a new way, this way:

“By faith, the people came together as a new congregation, avoiding all attempts to stop their coming together due to fear of Episcopal “competition” with other, existing congregations in this City of Alexandria.

“By faith, these people named themselves Resurrection people, built a church community and then constructed a place in which to grow their faith while they cared for the world around them.

“By faith, these Resurrection people welcomes immigrants, military members, broken as well as healthy people, old and young people, single people and married couples, rich and poor people, Democrat and Republican people and everything in between and beyond in both political directions, gay and straight people, and people of every nationality and race.

“By faith, they led the entire Episcopal Church in calling women into ordained ministry. Men and women alike, they built Carpenters Shelter, the Baileys Crossroads Shelter, Carpenter’s Lodging (now Community Lodging) transitional housing, affordable housing, and…. They created and operated a nationally known preschool for children of differing abilities, and a Boy Scout troop for children on the autism spectrum.

“And, by faith we survived our time “in the wilderness” while we built this new church building, and we are surviving the pandemic. (We are still surviving the pandemic, aren’t we?)

“And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of all the heroes here who made this happen, some of whom are now being “returned” to us in death in our fabulous memorial garden, built in faith and with great love. To name a few, there’s Barbara Bishop and Dibbie Green and MaryElizabeth Schuppin, and Gardner Von Scoyoc, joining Karl Boughan, Ric Molen, Will Williams, Jim Green, Dan and Martha Swearingen, Nancy Wills, Kate Donnell, and a host of other faithful Resurrection saints.

“I know some, but not all, of the many ways you are being persecuted, even today. I know there is no entity OUT THERE persecuting you; no government or other agency. But aren’t age and infirmity a persecution? Aren’t failing eyesight, falls, broken bones, encroaching deafness, cancer, along with inability to remember as much as in our youth persecutions, also? These and other age-related “persecutions” could sap our faith, if we let them. Instead, I see you all gathering your faith and coming together, as you are able, to continue to do the work that God has given us to do: to love God and love our neighbors.

One of our younger former members, an adult who has now moved away, once told me that he worshiped with us because he admired us. He said, “You all gather the ailments you rarely mention and get yourselves to church ton continue to change the world.” This was high praise, indeed.”

Our lesson today reminds us that all our former members, especially the ones who have “gone home” to Jesus, are cheering us on. I am cheering us on. We have the last leg of this earthly “race” to run. And we are not in this race alone. God has given us each other so that we can all finish well that great work God has begun in us. Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

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