October 21, 2018: May God’s words alone be spoken, may God’s words alone be heard.  Amen.

What a joyous celebration we experienced last night at our anniversary evensong.  Our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, along with priests who had served this parish, other clergy of the diocese, and leaders of our towns of Bloomfield & Glen Ridge, were with us to give thanks for the 160 years this church has been a center for faith, renewal, restoration, and service in Christ’s name. Our choir was inspirational, and we are so grateful to them, and especially to our Director of Music, Bill Davies, for all their hard work.  It was a night to remember all that has been.  Today though, we must build on that legacy, and consider who we are now, and what we will be in the years to come.  And so today’s gospel is especially important for us to hear.

By now, you might be thinking that the followers of Jesus in the gospel of Mark should rightfully be called the “Duh-ciples,” because they just can’t seem to understand anything Jesus is doing or saying.  It’s like when folks ask me about my golf game, and they say “what’s your handicap?” I tell them “my handicap is mental.”  The disciples seem to have the same handicap – they just can’t get it right, no matter how much they try.

Today’s lesson is no different.  James and his brother John, those thunderous boys of Zebedee, were at it again.  These two come off looking like little teachers pets on steroids.  This time they asked Jesus to be in the places of honor – sitting on his right and left when he comes in his glory.  Or, to put it another way – “can we be your wing men Jesus? – your best buds?”  Jesus tells them they do not know what they are asking…which is likely what Jesus said to all of them just about every single day.  He says to these two “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

See, the thing is, Jesus has been trying to prepare his peeps as they near Jerusalem about what will happen to him there, but they all seem to think it will be some sort of crowning moment – as though everything will culminate in what we know will be a joyous reception as he enters the city, but without a clue as to what will happen.  For them, it seems that being his disciple is about claiming close relationship to him – having a bit of his fame rub off on them, in the way that those who are close to the ones in power have power themselves. 

But the message for all of us today is in this part of his response.  He tells them “whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”  If this sounds familiar, than you were likely in church last week, because the last verse of the gospel last Sunday was “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” 

Jesus is clear that being his follower is not about power, but about authority, not about ruling over others, but about serving them.  If this seems antithetical to the way the world works, especially lately in this country, you would be right…and, it is also why Jesus was ultimately killed. 

Now, you may be thinking – but, he was preaching a life of service, not of overthrowing governments – so what kind of threat could he have been?  Well, one thing we all know about those who govern – they either are serving those who put them into those positions, or they are ruling over them.  Jesus is talking not only to his disciples, but to everyone – including those earthly rulers who have power.  And, nothing will disturb a ruler who does not serve their people more than someone pointing out that they don’t serve their people, and they particularly don’t appreciate someone denouncing their acts, empowering those they rule, and speaking out against the injustice of their actions.

Jesus is speaking about what it means to be his follower – we must be as he is, and do as he models for us.  And that message is one that can get lost in the din of the world as it is today, which is why a story in the news this week was not only timely with regard to this gospel, but vitally important for the world to hear in the times in which we now live.  And no, I am not talking about the Mega Millions lottery, though – okay, how many of you bought a ticket and started dreaming about “what if”?  Right?  I mean, isn’t that the best – that moment before the numbers come in and you think… I swear God – I’ll give half to the church, or Alright God, let me prove to you that I can be a good rich person.  And then… the numbers come in and… you go to work the next day. Anyway, that is not the news story I am talking about – but, if you did win…I’d like to talk with you after the service today.

No, I am talking about the news of the life of someone born in 1917, in Ciudad Barrios, in El Salvador.  His father, Santos, hoped that his son would follow in his footsteps and be a carpenter, especially as he showed great proficiency in the tradecraft. But this young man felt a calling to the priesthood, and in 1941, he was ordained in the Roman Catholic church. For over 20 years he served humbly as a parish priest. 

 In 1974, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago de María, a poor, rural region, and later, in 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador.  Oddly enough, he was given this last appointment out of a sense that he was a safe choice – not one to rock the boat, a conservative, and one who would not threaten the power structures of what was then a very corrupt and oppressive government.  Many priests were disappointed in his appointment, because they felt he was not supportive of their efforts to stand with the oppressed against the government. Perhaps they were right…at least in that moment of time.

But, less than a month after he was made Archbishop, Fr. “Rutilio Grande, a Jesuit priest and personal friend of this man, who had been creating self-reliance groups among the poor, was assassinated. His death had a profound impact on the Archbishop, who later stated: “When I looked at Rutilio lying there dead I thought, ‘If they have killed him for doing what he did, then I too have to walk the same path.'””[1]

Think about that statement: “If they have killed him for doing what he did, then I too have to walk the same path.”  Or perhaps put another way… “the cup that he drank, I will drink, and the baptism with which he was baptized, I will be baptized.” 

This was no casual statement.  This was a very real commitment to walking the path of Jesus Christ – to serve, and to give his life if necessary, as a ransom for many. Because in that time in El Salvador, the government was oppressive, but things were going to get much worse.  “In 1979, the Revolutionary Government Junta came to power”…escalating violence into the now infamous Salvadoran Civil War. A war that lasted for more than 12 years and … included the deliberate terrorizing and targeting of civilians by death squads, and other violations of human rights, mostly done by the military. An unknown number of people “disappeared” during the conflict, and the UN reports that the war killed more than 75,000 people between 1980 and 1992.^”[2]  It was a war that was supported on the government side with aide from our own country. 

But this new Archbishop was not who people thought he was, or if he had been, the death of Fr. Rutilio Grande, changed him.  For this Archbishop would not be silenced. In 1980 after many killings of priests, he said in a speech “In less than three years, more than fifty priests have been attacked, But it is important to note why [the Church] has been persecuted. Not …every priest has been persecuted, not … every institution has been attacked. That part of the church has been attacked and persecuted that put itself on the side of the people and went to the people’s defense.”

The Archbishop continued to speak out against the oppression of the people by the government.  On March 23, 1980, in a sermon, he called upon the soldiers of the government to follow God’s command, not the command of the government, and to stop the persecution of the people.  The next day at mass he said this “…you have just heard Christ’s Gospel, that one must not love oneself so much as to avoid getting involved in the risks of life which history demands of us, that those who would avoid the danger will lose their life, while those who out of love for Christ give themselves to the service of others will live, like the grain of wheat that dies, but only apparently.”  After speaking those words, he then stepped forward to the altar, and as he was consecrating the Eucharist, gunmen entered the church and killed him.

By now you all likely know that I am speaking of Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, and now, this week, a saint of the Roman Catholic church.  I note Roman Catholic, as he has been a saint of our church for some time.  We remember him, and the martyrs of El Salvador, on March 24^th. 

Why am I talking about Oscar Romero?  What has he to do with the gospel message, the celebration of the anniversary of our church, or for that matter, stewardship – as we begin our season of stewardship today?

The thing is, Jesus is telling James and John, and all of us today, that following him means making choices.  Choices that are always, whether we realize it or not – about life and death.  And choosing life, may in some cases, lead to our physical death, as it did for Archbishop Romero.  But it isn’t always so, not even for all of the disciples.  As they lived their life in Christ, some were indeed killed, including James, but others, like John, died of old age. Discipleship isn’t about whether we live or die in a certain way, because we all will die at one time or another. Discipleship – living as Christ calls us to live – being him in the world today – means we must make choices. It means we must choose to drink from his cup, BECAUSE we were baptized into his baptism.

Our choices are not always going to be as risk taking as standing against an oppressive military backed regime, but Jesus will always command us to stand with the poor and the oppressed, to make the choices he made. 

If we do not do that than our faith is meaningless. 

If we cannot serve others, than this church has no reason for being.

And that is why we need to hear his story today, because for us to sit here in this beautiful church, restored at this table by the body and blood of our savior Jesus Christ, and then to leave here and do nothing with that – then yesterday should, and will be, the last time we celebrate an anniversary here – because that is not why this church was built, that is not what that baptismal font is about, that is not what this altar is for. 

We celebrated this month 160 years of this church – it wasn’t the anniversary of something long dead, but of something alive!  We welcome the oppressed and give them safe haven here, we feed the poor in Spirit who come through our doors, we care and educate children at a rate that is accessible to those in need as our primary ministry, and it is here we are reminded of the gospel news of God’s all inclusive love and are nourished at this table.  But what we do from here – that matters too!  It is the choices we make in our lives – the choice to stand for the marginalized, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to give voice to the voiceless, and yes, to stand against the powerful when they oppress the people – to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ – that all people of our sisters and brothers – and to love and serve them in his name.

This is the choice Jesus was giving his disciples.

This is the choice Archbishop Romero made.

This is our choice now.

In the news, there was this account of the canonization of this newest saint of the church.  “In the ceremony at the Vatican on Sunday, [Pope] Francis said, Romero “left the security of the world, even his own safety, in order to give his life according to the gospel — close to the poor and to his people.” …During the ceremony, Francis wore “the blood-stained rope belt that Romero wore when he was gunned down,”[3]

Today, as part of our stewardship season, you will, as we do each year, be given something blessed at the altar.  This Sunday, it is a red rope bracelet.  Let it be a reminder to you of the cincture (or rope belt) such as the ones that priests wear, like the one Romero was wearing that is now bloodstained, and may it be a reminder of the cost of discipleship. When you wear it, consider the choices you make in your life – what you do with your time, how you spend your money, where you go and why.   Think too about what it means to be a follower of Jesus – to drink from his cup, to live out his baptism, and how this place – your spiritual home, enables you to do this.  And remember that this church is only able to celebrate 160 years because of the choices people made before us – to support what happens here in prayer offered, in time given, and in financial pledges made. 

Think on all these things, because the choices you make this year in this time can be life changing – for you, for this church, and for the people we are called to serve.  This anniversary we celebrated can be one of many to come, or the last of the big celebrations we have.  The choice is entirely yours to make – we cannot make it for you.  But perhaps remembering these words of Saint Romero will help. He said, “…let us do what we can. We can all do something”

Indeed, we can all do something.

The question is: What will you do?

Amen.

For the audio from the 10:30am service, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here:

Sermon Podcast

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Óscar_Romero

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadoran_Civil_War

[3]NPR and the AP.

The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
October 21, 2018
Pentecost 22 – Year B – Track 2
1st Reading – Isaiah 53:4-12
Psalm 91:9-16
2nd Reading – Hebrews 5:1-10
Gospel – Mark 10:35-45