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Calvary
Episcopal Church
Gospel:
Matthew 13:31-33,
44-52 Once upon
a time a small group (Was it ten men?) gathered to see if they could perhaps
establish an Episcopal parish here in Memphis. And from that day, 170
years ago, from that tiny group, from that first desire, has come this
vibrant and thriving parish and all the parishes in this diocese, each
established as a mission by Calvary. Once many
years ago in a deserted and devastated downtown, one small group decided
to risk establishing a restaurant on the river. And from that courage
we see today so many new establishments and so much excitement, all of
which we call downtown Memphis. Once, way
back in 1776, a small group of families agreed to risk livelihoods and
lives, joining a movement dedicated to the freedom and civil rights of
each individual in a society. From that small group grew a great revolution
that has changed the world for all time and has given us the incredible
gift of the United States of America. And once,
two thousand years ago, a small group of simple fishermen and laborers
felt their own hearts quicken at the preaching and teaching of a carpenter,
and followed him, lived with him, learned from him. Their movement has
changed the world and each of us and will continue to call more and more
followers throughout the world, capturing hearts by the vision of servanthood. The Kingdom
of Heaven is huge but it starts with faith so tiny that it may be compared
to the size of a mustard seed. The seed is all that is needed. God takes
care of the growth. The Kingdom is within us, within you and within me.
And it has tremendous growth potential. But the seed is enough. Growth
will come. There are
times in our lives when our faith may grow thin, times when our trust
in God is a bit troubled or challenged or vulnerable. We know there are
millions of starving children around our world, but we also believe, at
the same time, that God is in God’s Heaven and will continue to help
us to find ways to change things. But if we find ourselves starving and
our children starving in our arms, we may wonder whether God really cares. I know about
suffering and death. I know that Jesus suffered and died. And I know that
God took care of it. Made it okay. Suffering and sacrifice for a greater
good. I am okay with that. But if the sacrifice is someone I know deeply
and love daily, and if the suffering is up close and personal, I may possibly
just find my relationship with God growing complicated. I may find my
faith just a bit troubled or challenged or vulnerable. Maybe even more
than a bit. I have a
friend of great faith and spirit, whose mother has been diagnosed with
a terminal illness. She describes herself as finding her feelings towards
God different than before the diagnosis, and her faith feeling thinner,
perhaps troubled or challenged or vulnerable. I am in a
place in my life where I know in my head that God exists, cares and will
make everything okay, but I don’t feel it. My loved one, Sunny, loved
Julian of Norwich and loved what Julian said: “All will be well;
all things will be well.” I know that in my head, I know that Jesus
Christ will make all things well. But right now I don’t feel it.
And that hurts and that is scary. It just may be that faith is something
that expands and contracts as we go through life. Jess Trotter
was a professor of pastoral theology at Virginia Seminary for many years.
During the middle years of his time on what we called “the Holy Hill,”
Jess Trotter was Dean of that great school. And it was during that time
that Jess’ 21-year-old son took his own life. Jess spoke of it, used
it in his teachings. And the most important and memorable thing he ever
said about it was, “I have been to the bottom and it is solid.” You might
say that my faith and that of my friend, our faith right now, is as small
as a mustard seed. I see her hanging on to that thin place, that grain.
And I see myself there, too. Sometimes a grain of mustard is all there
is. But it is
enough. It is all that is necessary. That mustard seed is all that we
need. I can, my friend can, and you can hurt and worry and even go off
the deep end if necessary, but we all are reassured knowing somewhere
within us God’s all-embracing arms are around us. We know that God’s
got this one covered too. Copyright 2002 Calvary Episcopal Church Gospel:
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 |
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