tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23243409.post-38445220818645389562008-01-24T16:05:00.000-05:002008-01-24T16:06:59.390-05:00Reclaiming Christianity<br />Sunday, January 20, 2008<br />Epiphany 2, Year A (RCL)<br />John 1:29-41<br /><br />In today’s Gospel reading, it’s clear that from day one Jesus was attracting followers. Just after his baptism and before his ministry truly began, Jesus was already adopting the disciples who had been followers of John and having such an impact on them that they themselves were running home to call their own family members to “come and see” Jesus for themselves. There was something about Jesus that from the very beginning caught people’s attention and drew them to him. Through his demeanor, his body language, his words, his actions, his habits, people quickly came to see and believe that Jesus was the Messiah; was the anointed one from God. And it was not only that Jesus was the anointed one of God that drew people to him, it was also that Jesus had an innate, incredible ability to convey to others that they were anointed by God as well. Jesus loved wastefully, he forgave without hesitation, he embraced the untouchable, he in the flesh showed us what God was like in the Spirit and because of that, people flocked to him.<br /><br />Even after his death, the community of early Christians that carried on continued in Jesus’ reputation of being generous, loving and kind. Luke writes in the Acts of the Apostles that the first believers “enjoyed the favor of all the people” and that “great grace was with them all”. A generation after the first believers, the theologian Justin Martyr summarized the appeal of the Christian community by writing, “We who once took most pleasure in accumulating wealth and property now share with everyone in need; we who hated and killed one another and would not associate with men of different tribes because of their different customs now, since the coming of Christ, live familiarly with them and pray for our enemies.” Shortly thereafter in the late second century, the early church father Tertullian wrote in a similar vein, “Our care for the derelict and our active love have become our distinctive sign before the enemy. . . See, they say, how they love one another and how ready they are to die for each other.” So, it’s clear that both during Jesus’ time, and the century or two that followed, that Christianity was seen by most as a way, as a religion of love, forgiveness, grace and tolerance. This is what Jesus taught and lived and this is what those early Christians were able to hold on to for a time.<br /><br />Unfortunately, times have changed. In our own day and age, no longer do most people associate Christianity with these characteristics. My former professor of ethics at General Seminary, and now the bishop of my former diocese in Southern Ohio, told a funny story about the changed face of the Christian church when he was interviewing for the position of bishop. He told a story of when he was a college student back at Portland State University in Oregon. One day, he was walking across campus there and walked past a preacher type who was handing out tracts on Jesus and salvation. When the preacher asked him if he was saved, he quickly replied without thinking, “No thanks, I’m an Episcopalian.” The purpose of his story to us, and my sharing his story with you, was to illustrate how far our modern-day perspective of the Christian church has departed from the teachings of Jesus and the practices of the early church. When confronted with Christianity today, many of us, including my former bishop, react to the judgment and the shame and the blame which usually follows.<br /><br />I myself had a similar experience back when I was student at Ohio State. On one bright and sunny spring afternoon, I was lounging on a piece of grass towards the center of the university’s famous green called the Oval. Unbeknownst to me, that day happened to be national “Coming Out” day and a group of gay and lesbian students had gathered for a rally at the north end of the Oval close to the main library. At the other end of the Oval I saw in the distance Brother Jed, an infamous fire and brimstone preacher who was known for getting into arguments with religion and philosophy majors; arguments which would always draw a crowd. Well, it was only a matter of time before both the gay and lesbian student group and Brother Jed’s crowd of onlookers grew so large that both groups began a conversation with each other. It ended with Brother Jed and his life-sized cross screaming judgments and condemnation down upon the gay and lesbian group, and their screaming back. Like my former bishop, I at the time was saddened by the impression that Christianity was leaving on the onlookers. I was concerned about the reputation I was getting as a Christian because of the hate spewed in Jesus’ name.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it turns out that quote-unquote Christians like Brother Jed have left quite an impression on those of my generation and younger, according to a new book called “unChristian” by David Kinnamin. According to a three-year objective study by Kinnamin, an overwhelming percentage of sixteen to twenty-nine year olds view Christians with hostility, resentment and disdain. And these negative views of Christians aren't just superficial stereotypes with no basis in reality, says Kinnamin. Rather, they’re based upon real experiences with today's Christians. According to his study, 91% of those outside of the church who are sixteen to twenty-nine year olds view Christianity as being “antihomosexual”, 87% see it as “judgmental”, 85% see it as “hypocritical”, 72% see it as “out of touch with reality”, 71% see it as “insensitive to others”, and 68% see it as just plain “boring”. Kinnamin concludes by saying that it would be hard to overestimate, “how firmly people reject — and feel rejected by — Christians”.<br /><br />So, where do we go from here? In asking the question I’m reminded of Gandhi’s words when he was asked why he wouldn’t become a Christian even though he so often quoted Christ, he replied, “I love your Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.” It would seem then that the path for us to take is the path back to the early church, back to Christ, back to the radical and inclusive nature of Jesus. If we are to once again be like our Christ, we need to work to reform the church within; to make it once again a place of love, of acceptance, of inclusion, of radical welcome for all. And we need to continue to tell others to “come and see”, to tell others to “taste and see” that the Lord is good as we did in last year’s Memorial Day parade, to tell our friends and family about a church where they are accepted wholeheartedly without judgment. <br /><br />Fortunately, on Sunday, February 10th starting before the 8 o’clock service and going all morning, we’ll have a chance to do just that. That Sunday we’ll be gathering together in the parish hall throughout the morning to bake and decorate Valentine’s Day cookies. Not only will we have a chance to spend quality time together as a parish family during this event, but we’ll also be taking bags of these cookies home with us to give to our friends and family, neighbors and coworkers, as a sign that we here at St James care for them, welcome them, and wish them a Valentine’s Day filled with God’s unconditional love for them. On Sunday, February 10th, I hope you “come and see” for yourself, I hope you “taste and see” that the Lord is good; I hope you join us in our effort to spread God’s love in a fun and spirit-filled and tasty way. <em>Amen</em>.The Rev. Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996742602813947057noreply@blogger.com