We Give Because of What We Have Been Given                 Year A; October 26, 2014
Episcopal Church of the Ascension                       The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess

I. Introduction. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” These words are part of a prayer called “the SHEMA” found in Dt 6:4-9, which is prayed twice daily by all pious Jews. To the Shema Jesus added a passage from Lev (19.18): “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In the context of Hebrew understanding, “love” is an action verb. No only does one “feel” love, but one acts vigorously out of love. This kind of active love was described by Dr. Miroslov Volf here at Ascension two weeks ago as all about the giving and receiving of gifts. Such gift giving has been initiated by God in creation, personified in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ who became one of us, and exemplified by God’s sending the Holy Spirit to enliven us. As Miraslov Volf so eloquently writes, we give because God has given so generously to us and because God invites us to participate in that giving with him. We give, argues Volf, because God continues to give constantly to us. It is really that simple – all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever become has resulted from God’s gifts to us. God’s gifts are more exquisite, consistent, deeper, and broader than we can ever imagine. This is the power of one Holy, loving, triune God at work right here among us.
II. One of the greatest of God’s gifts to us is the church, the Body of Christ. It is where and with whom we gather to experience God’s presence in particularly powerful ways. The Church also provides us with a vital opportunity to respond to God with the reciprocal gift-giving of our own resources and talents. This Sunday each of us is being invited to place a pledge of our financial gift to the church on this altar. Our pledge is an opportunity to give back part of what we have received and take a step of active love, to express our gratitude for all we are given, and to share in the work of the Body of Christ, without which most, if not all of us as Jesus’ disciples, would flounder. As members of Christ’s body, we have opportunities to study, pray, and have fellowship together, and to minister to one another and to others. The talents and resources that we each give to the Body of Christ are multiplied many times over through our shared faith, service, and love. So today, please be generous.
One of the gifts that the church is receiving this week is an excellent letter written for the Parish Paper by our Associate Rector Brett Backus. I have asked Fr. Brett to share his letter with us this morning because I believe it to be a powerful articulation of the grace-filled presence of God in our parish and in the Episcopal Church. As Fr. Brett comes to join me, I also want to thank God publicly for the gift of Fr. Brett Backus to this parish. Those of us who have ministered with him as well as those of us to whom he has ministered know of the gifts he has brought to this parish – his wisdom, his compassion, and his commitment to helping lead us in the building of God’s Kingdom here at Ascension. Fr. Brett . . .


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

St. Patrick: Intimacy with God

The Reverend Christopher Hogin St. Patrick: Intimacy with God Jeremiah 31:31 – 34; Psalm 51:1-3. The Episcopal Church of the Ascension March 17, 2018 Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day. All sort of celebrations commenced. In Chicago, they dyed the river green. In Boston, a massive St. Patrick’s Day parade was held. Yet few people know about the man they celebrate. When asked the question, “who was Saint Patrick,” taken from a video clip, here was one of my favorite replies from a partygoer in Boston: “Uh yeah, he’s the guy on the Lucky Charms cereal box. He drove the snakes into the ha-bar!” Not exactly, but he is both a Roman Catholic AND an Anglican saint? Here at Ascension, we have a stained-glass window of him. Patrick, or Patricus (his Latin name), was born in 390 on the northwest coast of Britain. He grew up in a comfortable home. By all accounts he was a beloved child. His grandfather was a priest (when priests could still marry), and his father a de
Read more

Savior, Teach Us So to Rise

“Savior, teach us so to rise” The Rev. Canon Patricia M. Grace Lent IV – Year B Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-21 Church of the Ascension                                  March 11, 2018 “The soul of the people was greatly discouraged because of the way” Numbers 21:4 (KJV) Many years ago I was in trouble.   No, not legal or financial trouble – I had trouble in my soul…             the problem was spiritual. I was in a situation in which I felt unfairly treated, even somewhat abused             by someone I worked for; someone I also deeply respected and loved as a friend. I struggled daily with intense feelings of rage and resentment,             desiring revenge and retribution… even though I knew there had to be a better way to handle things. Over time, I began to live only in that space of anger and bitterness… those emotions becoming like close, comfortable companions, something I nurtured, tended to – and not in a good way.
Read more
The Brightness of True Light The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess Christmas Eve 2012 The Episcopal Church of the Ascension I. Introduction . Sacred space is filled with light. On our recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a group of us ascended to the top of Mount Sinai. We had anticipated a cold and treacherous trip to the mountaintop, first on camelback and then on foot, which would begin at 2:00 am. Leaving in the middle of the night allowed us to watch the sun rise from the peak of the mountain. Our small Ascension band was excited, but also apprehensive about mountain climbing in the pitch darkness of the middle of the night. But the experience was not to be what many of us had expected. In the midst of the darkness, we were enveloped in a canopy of stars that illuminated our way and permitted us to see the shadows of those next to us, in front of us, and behind us. And there were multiple shooting stars that punctuated God’s active presence
Read more