The Rev. Dan Rondeau
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School
You could say that John and I talked before we put this bulletin together, but we hadn’t because the hymn that John selected matches so well with what I wish to speak to you today. That last verse, "were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small, love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." This echoes of course the teaching of the apostle in the letter to the Philippines. I’m glad you listened attentively. Because that’s where we’re going to end up this morning. I actually have some things prepared here, but I’m going to toss most of it out because of what happened yesterday and what’s going to happen at the 10 o’clock service. Just before the 5 o’clock service yesterday, I was stealing a few moments with my wife, we were having a cup of coffee and we had just sat down, and the emergency pager went off. So when I called to find out what was the emergency, I found out that one of parishioners, Stan Jackson, was near death and Sally, his wife, was asking to do prayers, the ministration at the time of death. And so, you know this moment that we’d carved out was changed in an instant.
When I was in the room with Sally and Stan and their children and grandchildren, what was exceedingly important in the moment was the presence of our Lord, the presence of Christ, and of Christ’s church, the prayers of the Church in that moment for Stan. Probably many of you have not met Stan when he still had his health, he and Sally would host those newcomer luncheons that we would have once a month and so some of you may have met him, and some have not. But he really became too ill to volunteer his time to make folks feel welcome, part of the family here, at home at St. Margaret’s. So again, in that room, at that bedside, what was exceedingly important was that love so amazing, that love so divine that was in Christ that was a love given, a life given for Stan, for you and me. That life given so that at this moment, sorrow for the family, there could also be light, there could also be hope, there could be an expectation, a firm expectation that in a moment Stan’s life would change, that Sally’s life would change. But, it wouldn’t end. Because of the sacrifice of Christ. Because of the ministration of the church, because of the faith that Stan and Sally were able to appropriate through this parish family, through the word, through the sacrament, his life would change but not end, welcomed by our Lord into Paradise, a room prepared for him. What an amazing moment. One of those moments that is a privilege as a pastor.
It’s hard, even now, I take a deep breath, deep breath, but it’s a moment that is made possible by you, by the sacrifices you make. It’s surely been a very odd Lent. Somehow Lent just hasn’t seemed like it did in years past. When you think about it, our Lent started on February 21st in the usual way Ash Wednesday, "remember you are dust and to dust you to shall return." But we got to February 21st after an announcement in December by Robert that he would be retiring, and then we celebrate Christmas with that knowledge, and shortly after Christmas, our parishioner, Gerald Ford, dies. And it not only affected us at St. Margaret’s but it affected the nation. And no sooner did that get done and we’re trying to make sense of all of that, then we gather on January 7 to celebrate, 30 years of faithful ministry of Robert and send him into retirement with blessing and joy. And then February 21st, and we’re still trying to figure all of this out and it’s barely a month old all of this knowledge as we enter into Lent.
Sometime back in the summer heat of 2006, a decision had been made that during Lent of 2007, we’d hold before the congregation, hold before all of us, the theme of being God’s stewards, having received great gifts, and holding those up and celebrating those and saying, now, we really want this to continue, we want this light to continue but we need your help. I’m use to preaching maybe once a year on stewardship, not almost every Sunday; it’s not my most favorite thing. But for the good of the parish, I said all right and the decision was made, I’ll do that.
Here we are in this fifth Sunday in Lent and I’d much prefer to speak about what is in Paul’s readings and what he wrote in that third chapter portion that we read. And not really connect it to a theme of stewardship. But, I am going to do that, so there is a spiritual message in here and there is also a practical message that what Paul wrote and what we are hearing does have an impact on our day to day life.
At the 10 o’clock service, we’re going to have children out here; they’re hopefully going to be here and behaving somewhat nicely because I am going to be speaking to them here. Shivaun Nelson, our youth and family minister is going to help me. Did you hear in Paul’s chapter three, this idea of, it is of supreme value to Him, surpassing everything else, that he knows Christ, that He embraces Christ and more importantly for Paul that Christ has embraced Him. So I have a lot of reasons to boast, I was circumcised on 8th day as prescribed in the law, born of Hebrew parents. I studied the law more intently than anybody, I’m a Pharisees, I know that law inside and out and I have practiced that law, I am blameless in the practice of the law. But it doesn’t mean anything to me; nothing because I know Christ and more importantly, Christ knows me. I am keeping my eyes on Christ so that I will hear His call to heaven and paradise. So that is what Paul is saying and I’ve got to get that across to the children who are going to be here --- and again, picture yesterday, it’s not so important, in wasn’t so much me in that room yesterday, it was Christ present at that bedside. So, children up here, Shivaun helping me, and we going to be having a little dialog and it will be improvised and the ultimate thing is to take out a credit card. Shivaun, this is a credit card you can charge a $100,000 a year and not pay a cent, and if you just say that this money, that this, you know what we’ll take all of the mitts off of it, this is a card that you can use it until you drop over. So, this has a no-limit credit card, don’t worry about paying anything back, all you have to do is tell me that this is more valuable to you than knowing Jesus Christ, that could come second. Because then you could get, clothes and cars, and houses and pay for your seminar education and oh, you could do so much with this.
Does it remind you of the first Sunday in Lent? Tempter at Jesus? Oh, just turn that rock into bread because then you could feed all of the hungry of the world, oh, just jump off this temple because God’s Angels will catch you because that’s what the scriptures says, if you’re really God’s son. Oh, look at all of these nations, I could make you the most powerful person in the world, all you have to do is worship me. Shivaun, if you just put Jesus second, and money first, you can still serve Jesus and you can serve Him comfortably. So, what do you say Shivaun? Can you do that? Children listening intently, we hope. Shivaun’s saying as did the apostle Paul, "no, no, Christ knowing, Christ is first in my life is of more value than anything else. Take your credit card, put it away, Christ is first in my life." And again, we hope the children will hear, and I hope it’s the message that you hear. I hope that as I’ve had to talk week after week about, oh, we have this issue that we need to meet, and I need your help to make a sacrifice, that you can let go of some of that money because you need room to embrace Christ.
Just to finish this, a little story, what would that feel like that Paul was talking about? Knowing Christ is of more value than anything. What would that feel like? Let me finish with a little story. This is posed from a young girl to a monk. And this monk is renowned for his holiness. So closely, so intimately was this monk bound to Jesus that he bore the wounds of Christ in his hands side and feet, that’s not unknown among Christians so he was intimately bound to Christ that he even bore his wounds. And so this little girl goes to him and has a question for him, Father, the apostle says he wants to know Christ and he says he that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Christ. He says, "I regard everything as lost because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." She’s reading from the scriptures, and the monk looking at the young girl with amazement simply said "yes, that’s what the apostle says." Father you seem to understand what the apostle said, now my parents and everyone around here, they see the wounds of Christ on you we believe you carry these holy wounds because you know Christ like that apostle does --- Father, teach me to know Christ like this. Teach me to hold Christ like that, teach me count everything as rubbish, because I know Christ. Little girl, you don’t know what you ask, said the monk, but she persisted, oh, you are wrong, you’re wrong Father, I do know what I’m asking, I want to know Christ like you do, and like the apostle, please teach me. Very well said the monk --- now they were near a river bank and so wading into the water a little way, the monk motioned for the girl to come to him, which she did, and as she neared him, was she ever surprised, because he grabbed her and plunged her under the water and held her there, eyes opened wide, little bubbles coming out of her mouth, she was struggling to get out of his grasp, she was sure he was going to drown her. She struggled, clawing, trying to get out from under the water and into the air, her lungs aching for air. At the last moment, the monk hauls her up out of the water, spluttering and gasping for breath, when she catches her breath, she turns and begins to attack the monk, what were you trying to do? Drown me? Who gave you the right to harm me, you’re not a holy man, you’re a crazy man. The monk was able to restrain her attack a little bit, gets her calmed down so that he can continue his lesson. I’ve just given you your first lesson. As you seek to know Christ as the apostle writes in his letter. Little girl, when you long for Christ, as much as you longed for air as I held you under the water. When you long for Christ as eagerly as you longed for air when I held you under the water then you’ve begun your journey to counting all things as lost, as all things are rubbish, in order to know Christ.
So isn’t this our mission here at St. Margaret’s to know Christ, to long for Christ, to seek after Christ, to grab hold of Christ with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength, that we may long to know Christ as fervently as a drowning man longs for air, and this your mission and mine to make Christ known, as he embraces us and let others know about our Lord. So may we be ready to make Christ known in our words, and in our work, may our light be the light of Christ shining through us into this Coachella Valley to the glory of God and our heavenly Father.
I pray, come Holy Spirit, and convict us of our temped faith, convert us into a strong a vibrant faith and consecrate us until we do something with our lives.
Amen.
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