The Magnificat

Own photo of mosaic in Hagia Sophia

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Christ Church Cathedral

Micah 5:2-5a; Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55

Advent 4, December 23, 2018

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

There is an interesting thing about today’s lectionary. It is the Magnificat. The Magnificat is the song that Mary sings when she meets up with Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells her that she is blessed among women, and Mary responds with a song about what God has done and will do. The interesting thing is what an important place this song has in our tradition. So important that there are two ways we can include it in our liturgy today. It can be read in the Gospel reading or it can be done as the response to the first reading, in place of the psalm. This pretty much means that we cannot get through today without hearing the Magnificat or saying it together. The Magnificat matters. Actually for us as Anglicans, it is basically always a good idea to say the Magnificat. If you pray Evening Prayer or attend Evensong on a regular basis, you will notice that the Magnificat is always said or sung. While it is important to this day, this fourth Sunday of Advent - clearly since the lectionary committee went out of its way to be sure we say it, italso has meaning for us in the midst of daily life.

Why? What is it about the Magnificat that is so important, so meaningingful for us as followers of Jesus?

I think it tells us three important things about God and about ourselves. It tells us about MERCY, CHANGE, and PROMISE.

First, we reminded that God is merciful. That God loves us. That God cares for us. And it is very much worth remembering that this reminder comes from the mouth of Mary. A young woman who is about to have a baby. A woman who has been ostracized and possibly even shamed by her community. She is a woman on the margins. She is a woman after all. A woman at a time when women were regarded as property. She had no rights, no power, no authority. And yet here she is, doing what men do, what prophets do. She is speaking truths about God with authority and conviction. Such important truths that they are written down and preserved for generations to come.  

The fact that Mary is the one speaking of God’s favor, God’s love, and God’s mercy reminds us that our God is not just the God of the powerful. God’s mercy, God’s love are for all people, everywhere. Especially for those on the margins. Especially for those who feel unworthy of God’s love. And that my friends is an important reminder for each of us. In those moments when we feel unworthy, when we feel far more aware of our own shortcomings than our successes, it is in those moments that we must remember that we too are beloved of God. Our God is a God of compassion and mercy. May that inspire us to be generous with ourselves and with all those around us. May we be agents of mercy wherever we go.

Second, Mary talks about change. God is scattering the proud, bringing down the powerful and filling the hungry. Sounds like the undoing of the status quo. Sounds like bringing about change. This is not surprising for those of us who know the rest of the story. Those of us who know the life story of that baby in her womb. Those of us who know the powerful change that Jesus brought to the world in which he lived, and the transformative impact that his life, death, and resurrection have had on our own faith journeys. But it is worth remembering what a big deal it is that Mary knows all of this even before Jesus is born. She knows who he is and what is coming. What an act of faith for her to say all these things and then to live into the path that has been set before her. Can you imagine it? Imagine knowing that your child would have an amazing impact on the world, would change the course of history and bring hope and salvation. Imagine knowing that before you have even held the child. And imagine knowing that would also it come with enormous cost. A cost she was already beginning to experience in her own marginalization. Imagine knowing all that and still saying yes? Mary had deep faith and profound courage. I think it is important to note here that my favorite definition of courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. I don’t doubt Mary was afraid. How could she not be? And yet she says yes to God. Yes to being Jesus’ mother, even though the road would be so very rough.

And this brings us to the third element of the Magnificat and why it matters for us. It matters because the Magnificat is about promises. It is about God’s promises and our promises. Mary reminds us that God keeps promises. God does not forget them. God is faithful, and we are called to be faithful as well. This does not mean that God’s promises will always be fulfilled in the time or manner in which WE would like. It is important to note that God does not promise us an easy road. God certainly did not promise Mary an easy road. What God does promise is to be faithful. God promises to be faithful to who we know God to be. God promises to be Emmanuel, God with us. And God invites us to be faithful to our promises, to be faithful followers of Jesus. We are called to be faithful and courageous like Mary. We are called to trust in God’s abiding presence, even when we feel afraid. This means stepping out and stepping up to do the right thing, even when we are not sure how it is all going to turn out.

So, as this season of Advent draws to a close, I invite you to carry the Magnificat with you into the Christmas season, into Epiphany and beyond. Carry its truth. Carry its hope. Carry its conviction. Carry the bold and comforting knowledge that God is merciful, that God is bringing about change in the world, and that God is faithful. May those gifts and truths in turn inspire us to be merciful, to join with God in changing the world, and to have the courage to keep our promises, even when we feel afraid.

AMEN.

Christ the King

Mosaic in Hagia Sophia

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT

Christ the King, November 25, 2018

2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-13 (14-19) ; Revelation 1:4b-8;John 18:33-37

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Collect for today prays that we “may be freed and brought together under [the] most gracious rule” of Jesus, who is “king of kings and lord of lords.” It is a beautiful image to think of all humanity unified under one gracious and benevolent ruler. An image that seems impossible and like a fairy tale in our current reality where we are more profoundly aware of all that divides us. It seems naive to talk of unity. And what does it mean for us as Americans, who prize our democracy to talk of having a king?

I think we Americans have an interesting relationship with monarchy. On the one hand we are fascinated by it. Note how much news coverage the British Royal family gets on our TV networks and in our magazines, even when our Presiding Bishop isn’t preaching. Or even note how he is still referred to by the news media as the Royal Wedding Preacher. We are fascinated by royalty. And yet we are adamant in maintaining our democratic and republican principles in our government. We have not forgotten the words of the Declaration of Independence, that long list of grievances written to a far off king who, the founding fathers believed, had overstepped his bounds and abused his power. To be an American is to believe in the principle of self-governance, to believe that “We the people” have a right to have a say in how we are governed and by whom.

So, how do we reconcile our identity as Americans and our identity as followers of Jesus? Well the easy way out would be to say that all this talk about Jesus as King is not about the here and now, so we can just chalk it up to dreams for the future. This would be easy to do. Our reading today is from the book of Revelation, a book that is all about the end times, If Jesus is only going to become our king in the Eschaton (big, fancy, Christian word for the end of the world as we know it), then we don’t have anything to worry about. The American Nation and the Eschaton won’t exist at the same time, so there is really no conflict.

We could do that, but I think that doing so keeps us from doing some important reflecting on the role Jesus has in our lives now. Given the political realities of our world, it does not make sense to think of Jesus becoming a literal “king,” at least not in the way we understand monarchy here on earth. Although, from what we know of Jesus, our loving, merciful Lord, it is tempting to wish he would hurry up and become King of the World. Clearly he would do a far better job of governing us than we seem to do for ourselves.

So, what does it mean on a personal level for each of us to speak of Jesus as our King, as Lord of our lives? And yes, that is what we all agreed to do at our baptisms. We agreed to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Now, we could easily spend a whole semester on the person of Jesus, his identity as the Christ and the Son of God and what that means for us. Much ink has been spilled and will continue to be spilled by Christian writers over the centuries. But I know that one of the things many of you appreciate about me is the brevity of my sermons, so I will just focus on two aspects of Christ as King of our lives. The first is priorities and the second is trust.

I believe that setting Christ as the center, as the king of our lives means that we will have our priorities straight. If our focus is on Christ, on what it means to be a follower of Jesus, then everything else falls into place. It means that we keep our focus on what really matters in life. We keep our focus on the central Commandments of loving God and loving our neighbor. Jesus reminds us that living and acting with love is who we are called to be.

I had the privilege of hearing our Presiding Bishop preach the week before last at a meeting of various Commissions and Task Forces of The Episcopal Church. He reminded us that if it is not about Love, it is not about Jesus. Indeed. Walking the Way of Love, having Jesus as the center of our lives, means that Love becomes the lens through which we view everything. Whenever we are trying to make a decision, whenever we are wondering how to respond to someone else’s action, we have a simple question to ask: “What is the most loving thing we can do in this situation?” If it is not about Love, it is not about Jesus. Love must be the guiding principle of our lives.

If Love is central to our lives. If that is what guides us. If we can keep our focus there, then we will not be sidetracked by all the temptations of this world that would like us to put our focus elsewhere. This is an especially important reminder as we enter the holiday season, a time when we are inundated by messages about how our lives will be complete if only we buy a new gadget or a new car. At this time of year especially, it is so very easy to be tempted to think that the focus of our lives ought to be the acquisition or the giving of lots of material goods. We can be tempted to let our lives be governed by our to do lists or our internal list of “shoulds” to create a perfect holiday. That is a futile road to go down that will no doubt lead to disappointment and failure. Again we come back to the reality that Jesus is and must be the King, the Lord, the Ruler of our lives.

And this brings us to our second aspect of having Jesus as our King: Trust. And this can be trickier than it sounds. On the surface, it might be easy to say, of course we trust Jesus. I mean, he is Jesus after all. But even here, human temptations can get in our way. Having Jesus as our King means a rather significant power differential and that can make us wary. We are far too used to stories of how secular and religious leaders have abused their power. We are quick to list off leaders who have treated their subjects harshly. We point to our own Declaration of Indepence. As Americans and students of history, it is very easy to come up with a list of why monarchy is bad, and we would be wrong to trust in the leadership of a king. And this is where we must make a very important distinction. Jesus is not like any other king. Jesus is Jesus. He is not interested in earthly power or dealing with some internal sense of inadequacy that prompts him to belittle others, so that he can build himself up. Jesus is Jesus. His way is the way of Love. And the only way it will work for us to be true followers is for us to trust his leadership in our lives. We have to be willing to give up our own egos, our own desire for power or accolades. We have to remember where our priorities are. We have to remember who is the center, who is the leader of our lives.

Living with Jesus as the King of our hearts and Lord of our lives is not easy. I fall short of it on a regular basis, and yet I am continually inspired to keep striving toward that goal. To keep focusing on the Way of Love and to trust in his leading. I am inspired because I have experienced the freedom and the joy that come in those moments when I am able to get it right. It may seem counter-intuitive to say that freedom comes from submission, but indeed it does. For in submitting ourselves to Christ we are putting aside all that does not serve us. We are getting out of our own way. We are removing the stumbling blocks to our own flourishing.

So as we move into Advent, I invite you to think about where your priorities are and how you might be able to more fully trust Jesus as the Lord of your Life. Prepare a space for him in your heart and in your life, for living a life with Christ at the center is a blessing beyond our imagining. AMEN.

An Invitation to Shared Labor

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Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT

Proper 24B: Job 38:17,34-41; Psalm 104; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Two weeks ago at Clergy Retreat, we were invited to go around and identify ourselves with a favorite character from Scripture. You might be surprised (or perhaps not) to know that I chose Job. And so I was more than a little pleased to see our lectionary for today. Not only do we get a reading from the book of Job, we get my FAVORITE passage. We get God speaking to Job out of the whirlwind.

I could easily spend an entire sermon on all the things I love about the book of Job and why I think it is such an important part of our canon, but don’t worry I will restrain myself and focus in on our passage from today. I love this passage because it helps us to realign our priorities.

It could be easy to see this passage as punitive or demeaning. Depending on the tone of voice we think God is speaking in, it could certainly be read as a diminishing text. If God is harshly saying to Job “WHERE were you when I created the world,” then it would feel very harsh indeed. If God were taunting Job that could be quite cruel. Then this text would sound like a playground bully. But taunting and cruel are not words that fit with my understanding of God.

I read this passage, and I hear a quiet, gentle voice. This not a God who is raging at Job. It is a God who is kindly reminding Job of his place in the grand scheme of things. Sure, one could hear this and feel small. One could also hear this and feel a wonderful sense of relief. If we were not there to lay the foundations of the earth, if we do not create lightning and floods, if we do not need to provide food for lions or ravens, then maybe, just maybe this means we are not in charge after all.

I don’t know about you all, but I have found the news particularly overwhelming lately. From natural disasters to political crises to ongoing headlines about violence in our communities and around the world. It can feel as though we are all carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. But in our reading today we have an invitation to turn it over. It does not mean that we get to abdicate ourselves from the responsibilities of being a citizen or of being a follower of Jesus, but it does mean we don’t have to be in charge or in control of all of it.

There is a wonderful interview with writer Wendell Berry in which he reflects on the magnitude of the ecological crises that our planet is facing. He offers that our hope specifically comes in our smallness. He says that the solutions to the enormous problems we face will not come from some single act by those in the halls of power. “Instead, the answer will come from millions of people in thousands of places around the world learning to love and then starting to defend those local places — both their nature and their culture. Second, we need to accept that lots of little solutions may solve big problems well but, like all high quality work, it won’t happen quickly.”

Phew. The wisdom of Wendell Berry and the insight of Job have me breathing a huge sigh of relief this week. I hope they offer the same to you. It is not all up to us. We don’t need to decide it all or fix it all, and we certainly don’t need to do so on our own. Only together in a whole variety of small ways can we make a big impact. I believe that this applies not just to our ecological crises, but really to any huge, seemingly insurmountable problem we encounter in our own lives or in our communities.

Another thing our clergy retreat presenter, Rachel Hackenberg, invited us to consider was the way in which shared labor can decrease our pain. Again and again in Scripture, and in our own lives, we see how the reality of inviting others to share in our challenges to quite literally “share the labor” with us leads to transformation and new life.

In the book of Job, we see how the failure to share the labor ends up adding to one’s burden. What do Job’s friends do when they come to see him? They sit around talking about what sort of horrible things he must have done to deserve such pain and suffering - NOT helpful.

A better example would be the wonderful way the leadership of the Israelites is shared among Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. They need each other, and they support each other in their work (at least most of the time).

Throughout the Gospels, we see the disciples trying to share leadership - as in today’s passage where James and John assure Jesus that they can go with him to the end. They will do whatever they need to do. Lofty goals and determination that is not quite realized when it turns out the “end” involves Jesus dying on a Cross. But the women who follow Jesus do show us shared labor. They stay with Jesus. They go to the tomb together. They proclaim his resurrection.

Think about this in your own lives. Think about the times you have been carrying around some pain or hurt and then you have time with a dear friend. Maybe you pour out your soul to them. Maybe you stay silent, but that friend is willing to sit with you in the midst of the pain. Doesn’t that lessen the pain a bit -just to have it shared, just to no longer be alone in it?

So there we have it. Today we are invited to let go of some of our burdens or at least to allow them to be shared. We are invited to join Job in remembering that we are not in charge. We are not responsible for everything. The world is far bigger than we are. God is far bigger than we are. We can, and we should, do our part in our communities. And we can do that work together. For it is in practicing shared labor that we will be able to bring about transformation. AMEN.

Sabbath and Community

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT

Proper 21B; September 30, 2019

Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29; Psalm 19:7-14; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Oooh how I love today’s reading from Numbers. It is SO human. The Israelites are complaining to Moses that there is nothing good to eat. They are grumbling and wishing they were back in Egypt. So Moses goes to the Lord and complains that he has to lead these ungrateful people. Sounds a lot like the end of a family road trip when everyone is tired, hungry, and just wants to get out of the car! And it is worth noting the very human tendency to blame someone else rather than take responsibility for our own actions or embrace our own power to change the future.

Isn’t it amazing how our perspective can shrink when we are tired or hungry or stressed out? Here the Israelites are in the wilderness. They are free. They are being provided sufficient food and water. They are together. They have a leader. God is with them. They are not still in Egypt. They are no longer slaves. They are not being forced to do back breaking work making bricks for Pharaoh's buildings. There is so much that is new and good in their lives, but all they can talk about is the fact there is not any meat. They even go so far as to say that life was better in Egypt, because they had meat! Really?!

And then there is Moses. He has been put in charge of leading this whole nation. God is with him. God has confidence in him. Thus far God has empowered and equipped Moses every step of the way. Does Moses go to God to say, “God, please help me to remember how faithful you are and how you will continue to be with us. Please help me share this truth with the Israelites.” No, Moses goes to God and complains. He asks God why he even put him in charge of these people. Why does he have to lead a bunch of complainers? This is no fun, and Moses would like to give them back.

Can’t you just picture it? Moses is ranting and raving. Probably pacing back and forth, gesturing widely. And you can just see God, the ever patient parent, smiling and nodding, just waiting for Moses to get all the anger out of his system, so God can calmly explain why it is all going to be okay, and Moses can even have help.

Ah, there it is. There is the heart of the message I needed to hear today. Perhaps you do as well?

I will confess to easily falling into the same bad habits as Moses and the Israelites. I can lose my perspective. I can get too inwardly focused on my own needs and challenges. I can think I need to be doing it all by myself. I can forget to pause and reorient my vision and my priorities. I can forget to keep things in perspective. I can get too caught up in the need to accomplish and achieve and fail to keep myself grounded in God’s love and God’s abiding presence.

There are some very important reminders in today’s readings for those of us who feel overwhelmed by the problems of the world, or who feel pulled in too many directions, or who feel exhausted by the pace of life. The first reminder is that we do not need to do it all by ourselves. There is nothing in life that has to be done solo. Of course, things CAN be done solo, but choosing to work alone and feeling as though we are all out on our own are two very different things. Both in our Numbers reading and in the Epistle and even in in the Gospel, we are reminded that God invites his followers to do ministry as a team. Elders get appointed to join Moses in leadership. James is all about being in relationship. Healing happens when you go seek out the elders. Notice how everything in James is in the plural. There is nothing done just by one person alone. In the Gospel, Jesus does not stop someone from doing good works in his name, Jesus realizes that the work we are about in the world is huge, and we need all the hands we can find. Ministry, all our ministry, is meant to be done in a team. We are created to be in relationship. We are created to work together.

The other important reminder for us today is that we need to ground ourselves first and foremost in God’s love. I recently read a book entitled Sabbath as Resistance by biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann. This book serves as a wonderful reminder of the importance of sabbath. It is also very much connected with our reading from Numbers today. Brueggemann notes that the command for sabbath came to the Israelites while they were in the wilderness, once they had left their lives under Pharaoh's rule, where worth was entirely measured by the production of a commodity. Brueggemann draws parallels from that life to our own society, noting that “In our own contemporary context of the rat race of anxiety, the celebration of Sabbath is an act of both resistance and alternative. It is resistance because it is a visible insistence that our lives are not defined by the production and consumption of commodity goods.” (Preface) Like the Israelites, we are restless. Brueggemann invites us to take a journey, not out into a literal wilderness, but to relocate ourselves emotionally, liturgically, and economically through the practice of sabbath. Brueggemann defines sabbath as “the pause that transforms,” as “an acknowledgment that what is needed is given and need not be seized,” (p. 45) and as “the regular, disciplined, visible, concrete yes to the neighborly reality of the community beloved by God.” (p. 87)

Sabbath is a reminder that we are created to be in relationship with God and with each other. Sabbath is a reminder that our worth is not wrapped up in what we do or have or acheive. Our worth is wrapped up in God’s love. We are worthy. We are valuable, each and every person, each and every one of us, because we are beloved of God.

So, I hope in our readings this week, you will find permission to be gentle with yourself when you find yourself complaining like Moses and the Israelites. Take a deep breath. Pray. Ground yourself in God’s love. Reach out to the people around you who you love most. Cultivate the relationships that sustain you. Take a “pause that transforms.” Even if you can’t take a whole day off, find a part of a day, find a few hours. Even just a few minutes sprinkled through your day and your week will make a difference. And you deserve it. AMEN.

Bread of Life

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT

August 19, 2018, Proper 15B

Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:9-14; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I don’t know about you all, but I often get highly suspicious that the Holy Spirit is trying to tell me something when I begin to hear the same message from multiple sources. First off I think we are supposed to be learning something about bread, right? I mean it has been occurring over and over again in our Gospel readings for the past few weeks.

Again and again Jesus tells us that he is the bread of life. What does that mean? What is the bread of life? Well, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that the bread of life is the stuff of eternal life. It is the stuff that lasts. It is not flimsy or lacking substance. And this is where the message gets real and important for me. This is where it is no longer just about literal bread (although that is important too, and there will be more on that later), it is also about metaphorical bread. It is about that which sustains our souls. That which inspires us and gives us joy.

And this is where I think the Holy Spirit has been up to something. Two weeks ago, I spent a remarkable week at Yale Divinity School at a conference on the Theology of Joy and the Pedagogy of the Good Life. This conference is connected with work the Yale Center for Faith and Culture has been doing on the Theology of Joy, as well as a course they have been teaching, particularly to Yale undergrads on what makes a “Life Worth Living.” As you might imagine, there were lots of excellent presentations and conversations at a conference on Joy and the Good Life. I left that week feeling renewed and inspired. I also left reminded of how very important it is for each of us to be regularly asking ourselves, “What is it that makes life worth living for me, and am I living that life now? What do I need to do differently to be living a life that is more inline with my own values?”

In our American Society, land of rugged individualism and manifest destiny, it can be tempting to think this question of a life worth living is about what each of us desires as individuals. If we listen to the images and sound bytes of Madison Avenue, we can think that the life worth living is something that can be purchased at our nearest car dealer or big box retailer. But we know better than that. We know that a life worth living is not something you can find on a shelf or that will arrive on your front steps in a cardboard box. Our reading from Ephesians reminds that we can be easily tempted to waste our precious life: “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”

Temptations abound, and yet we seek to be wise and faithful followers of Jesus, we seek the bread of life. We seek that which is eternal and everlasting. We seek that which is real. We seek that which transforms. The question for us is not just about what makes a life worth living, as in “What do I desire?” No, for us, as followers of Jesus it is about how we are living a life that is worthy of who God calls us to be. We know it is not just about us. It is about relationship, about relationship with God and with each other. It is about a living a life of love. A life that feels rooted and connected. A life that inspires others to seek out the eternal Bread of Life.

So back to the bread. In a few minutes, when we celebrate communion, you will notice something a little different. Today we are having real bread. I want to share a bit with you about the recipe and why I chose to make it. I think it might help provide a tangible connection to our readings and the call we have to live more deeply into our faith lives.

As I think you all know by now, I am someone who likes to get things done. Efficiently and to a high standard, of course, being my preferred combination. Funny thing about making bread, especially this bread recipe. Efficiency is not possible. This bread cannot be hurried or made more efficiently. It requires time and investment, if I want to have delicious bread that is a joy to eat. This bread recipe is from Chef Mark Bittman, and it is his no knead bread. It does not require constant attention. It requires time. You mix the dough and then you let it rise for 18 - 24 hours. Then you bake it in a hot Dutch Oven. The result is a crusty boule with a soft and chewy middle. It has quickly become a favorite bread in our house, as long as we can remember far enough in advance to make the dough. And I have found a profound spiritual lesson in the act of making it. This bread recipe invites me to slow down, to pay attention, and to savor the present. I would guess that I am not the only one who could occasionally benefit from the gift of slowing down, of taking time for reflection, time to invest in something worth doing well, because the result nourishes body and soul.

So, I hope that in our readings today, and particularly in the bite of bread you receive at communion, you find an invitation to reflect on what gives you sustenance, what feeds your soul, what is that bread of life that gives meaning to you? What is God’s invitation to you to live more fully into who you are called to be? I hope you find that reflection fruitful, and I hope that you continue to find more ways to live a life more deeply connected to our Lord, who gives us the bread of eternal life. AMEN.

Learning about Joy and the Good Life

Walkway at Yale Divinity School

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

St. Alban’s, Simsbury, CT

August 5, 2018, Proper 13B

2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a; Psalm 51:1-13; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I spent this past week with fellow clergy, scholars, and teachers at a conference at Yale Divinity School on the Future of Joy and the Good Life. Yale’s Center for Faith and Culture has received a wonderful grant from the Templeton Foundation to study Joy and the Good Life.  This conference was an opportunity for those involved in the project to share some of their learnings and also to invite more of us into that work and conversation. As you might imagine, there was lots of food for thought and a lot of excellent presentations and conversations.

Now, if you are hoping that my experience of this past week means that I have for you some magical key to Joy and the “Good Life,” I am sorry to disappoint you. It is not that simple. True Joy and a “Good Life” is not the stuff of tabloids or magazines you can read while waiting in line at the grocery store. Finding Joy or cultivating a good life is not something you do in ten easy steps or 15 minutes once a week.

They are habits. Like any virtues, like anything worthwhile in life, it takes time and effort to discover joy and to live a good life. The good news is that you already have the tools. And no doubt many of you are already using them well.

The Good Life means, in the language of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, living “a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” That is the “Good Life” - the life that is worthy of our calling as followers of Jesus. It is a life lived in the Way of Love, as our Presiding Bishop describes it.

I think this is a truth that most of us know intrinsically, and sometimes it helps to make it explicit and to remind ourselves of this fact. The “Good Life,” the life we seek, the kind of life we want to be remembered for is one that is defined by character and virtue, not by the accumulation of wealth or even of accolades. Of course having nice things and being praised and appreciated for our accomplishments is wonderful, but they cannot provide us with true sustenance or help us to find meaning.

Material goods or outstanding professional achievements do not provide us with the “bread of life” that Jesus describes in our Gospel for today. Those things are just that, they are things. That are transient and tangible. They do not last. Wealth can come and go. If we stake our happiness or our identity or our self-worth on our achievements we will be sorely disappointed. Because someday we will retire. Or someday someone will do what we did, except they will do it faster, better, or more efficiently.

Joy is not fleeting. Happiness is. There is an important distinction here. A new friend I met at this conference, got me to look into the work of the Benedictine Monk, David Steindal-Rast  who writes and speaks about the importance of gratitude. He describes joy as the “happiness that does not depend on what happens.” Hear that again: Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens.

This is why it is a habit, a virtue that must be cultivated. It cannot be subject to our whims nor to the ups and downs of our lives. I also think it is really important to note that cultivating joy is not a Pollyana activity. It does not mean that we fool ourselves into thinking everything is wonderful, even when the evidence clearly says that it is not. Being joyful, having joy in our lives does not mean that our lives are free from suffering or free from tragedy. It means that we can always find joy, even in the midst of terrible pain and tragedy. It means holding on to our perspective, holding on to our faith, in the midst of our suffering. We can trust and believe that there is more to life than the darkness of this particular moment. We know deep in our bones that God is with us, and that not matter what is happening we are beloved children of God who will never be abandoned. The light will keep shining in our darkness. Hope is real, and we will not be overcome. Joy is finding and holding onto that hope, every day.

And that is what it means to flourish, to live the “Good Life.” One of the great insights of this conference for me was to be able to live more deeply into the fullness of what flourishing means. On the surface, it can seem strange to talk about flourishing, particularly if we are holding the life of Jesus up as our preeminent example. Think about it. Seemingly average Jewish teacher starts a career late in life (by the standards of his time), which seems to thrive briefly, but then he is deemed to be a problem for the authorities, so he is arrested and crucified. By most outside standards that narrative would not seem to describe a life of flourishing. But how could we not say that Jesus flourished? Here we are, over 2000 years later, a people who in fact believe that his life and teachings can continue transform our lives.

And so the world’s definition of flourishing does not stand. It is not about how long we live or about how much we earn or how much we accomplish in our lives. Flourishing, living the “Good Life” is about the kind of life we live. It is about the intangible aspects of life. It is about seeking out deep, nourishing, and life-sustaining relationships. It is about seeking to empower others. It is about recognizing the interconnectedness of our world and the need for community and collaboration. It is about living a life that reflects the belief that we cannot flourish if others are oppressed.

In case you were wondering, our reading for today from 2 Samuel provides a wonderful example of how not to live our lives. Right? It is the story of the prophet Nathan holding up a mirror to King David to show him how he has failed and fallen short of his own calling. David was so narrowly focused on his own selfish desires he did not care who got hurt in the process. He was even willing to kill to get what he wanted. This is not a life of joy or flourishing.

So that seems a pretty straightforward place to start. Cultivating joy and living the “Good Life” means not doing things we clearly know to be wrong, i.e adultery and murder. And yet clearly there is more to it than that. The Good Life cannot just be about abstaining from what is wrong. It is more active, more positive than that.

Perhaps one of the most valuable insights from this past week for me has been the awareness that joy does not happen in our lives by sheer force of will. We cannot just all of a sudden decide that we are going to be joyful. It really is a virtue and a habit. In some ways it could be said that joy is something that happens to us, when we are open and aware. So what is it that makes us open and aware? How might we, in the words of C.S. Lewis find ourselves “surprised by joy”?

I think there are two main things that we can do to ensure that there is plenty of joy in our lives. And note, you already have and do these things! You are doing them right now by being here in this community. I hope that like me, it is just helpful to be reminded of how incredibly valuable they are.

1. PRACTICE GRATITUDE - This can happen in lots of ways. You might keep a list or a journal. You might just make a practice of saying “Thank You” a little more often. You might just get in the habit of making gratitude the focus of the first prayer of your day or of your dinner table conversation. And no doubt many of you may have lots of other practices you find helpful. The how is not important. What matters is that you feel grateful on a daily basis.
2. DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND WITH EACH OTHER - When we feel connected, rooted, and as though we belong, we flourish. We are ready to withstand whatever life can throw at us. Like a well built house we are not rattled by the storms of life. And so we need to take time for prayer, time for worship, time for conversation, time for deepening our connections.

Jesus came that we might have life. Jesus came that we might have good life. Jesus came that we might flourish. I truly believe that Jesus desires us to live well. We have what we need to live lives that are marked by joy and gratitude. Flourishing lives. Together we can live the Good Life. Thanks be to God. AMEN.

David, Bathsheba, General Convention, and God's Miracles

Standing with members of the House of Deputies Special Committee on Sexual Harassment and Exploitation 

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT
July 29, 2018, Proper 12B
2 Samuel 11:1-15; Psalm 14; Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that lead us to the Living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Oh my. There is so much going on in today’s readings it is hard to know where to begin. We have adultery, murder, and then miracles upon miracles - Jesus feeds the five thousand, walks on water and makes the boat go immediately to the other shore. Phew. It is overwhelming.

Well, it seems to make sense to start with the complex and challenging story of David and Bathsheba. This seems like the stuff of a summer beach read or a Hollywood movie. Powerful man has an affair with a beautiful woman, impregnates her, and ends up “arranging for” the death of her husband, so as to cover his tracks and prevent the affair from being discovered. But if we just retell it that way, we miss out on some really important issues and lessons for us. As often happens with Scripture, if we stay on the surface, we can miss out on the deeper lessons. 

On the surface we can think this is just a story to remind us why adultery and murder are wrong, and on some level it is. And don’t worry, David does get his comeuppance for his sins. The OT reading in next week’s lectionary is the story of the prophet Nathan holding up a mirror to help David realize how gravely he has fallen short of who God has called him to be.

But the additional, deeper lesson here is one about power dynamics. A lesson our Scripture passage almost seems to gloss over. Note how the passage describes the interaction with Bathsheba, “So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her.” Hmm. That sure makes a very messy situation seem quite simple. David was king. David wanted this thing to happen, and so it did. Bathsheba has no agency in the situation. She has no power. There is no possibility that she might not want to commit infidelity. No question about what her own needs and desires might be. It is all about David and what he wants.

And just in case it was not abundantly clear this is a lesson about what NOT to do. This is a lesson about the improper use, and really the abuse, of power. David abused his power and authority to satisfy his own desires without regard to the effects it would have on those around them.

There is a cautionary tale here for those of us who enjoy positions of power and privilege to be very careful about how we exercise that power. We are not to confuse our own desires with what is best for the community or the whole. And just because we can do something does not mean that is what we should do. Good leadership is not about satisfying our own needs or desires. It is about putting the needs of the community above our own.

I have to say that I find it particularly powerful to have this passage in our lectionary so soon after General Convention. I had the privilege of serving as a Deputy to General Convention and serving as a member of the House of Deputies Special Committee on Sexual Misconduct and Exploitation. For me, one of the more inspiring things that happened at and through General Convention was the way in which the Church as a whole, and particularly those in positions of power and privilege in our Church, took responsibility for the sins of the past, for the ways in which women have been and are abused and mistreated by the Church. Along with that came resolutions, policies, and covenants that point to a different way forward. A way forward that promises more transparency, justice, and sensitivity to the reality of power dynamics. I truly believe we are at a turning point as a Church. Like David, we have sinned and abused our power. And like David, we are being invited by prophetic voices into a new and different future. One in which we exercise our power with grace and compassion. I am tremendously hopeful that our future will look very different than our past, particularly as it concerns women and those who have been previously marginalized and hurt by the Church.

So that’s the story of David and Bathsheba. Then we have those miracles. Kind of makes you wonder why the lectionary committee put these together. What does the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water have to do with murder and adultery? Actually, I don’t think it is a complete fluke that these lessons are paired together. Our Gospel lesson shows us the abundance of God, and the myriad of ways that God can surprise us with possibility and opportunity, even when we feel doubtful or fearful. How often have we been like the disciples? How often have we looked around at what we have and said this won’t work? This can’t possibly be enough. I cannot make this work with these scarce resources. Or how often have we been stuck in a place of fear, convinced that whatever is coming towards us cannot possibly be good?

There is an invitation here, an invitation to join God in finding abundance and hope, even in the midst of times when we feel overcome by fear or scarcity. God is at work and will often surprise us if we can be open to the possibility.

So, today, I hope those of us with power and privilege will feel challenged by the story of David and Bathsheba. Challenged so that when we are in positions of power and privilege, we might always use our power for good and never fall into the temptation of using our power to selfish ends. I hope those of us who have been victims of the abuse of power will feel heartened by the events of General Convention and the newfound willingness of the Church to hear and face the sins of the past, and hopeful in the opportunity for different way forward. I hope we are all comforted and inspired by our Gospel, by its invitation to see abundance instead of scarcity, to live from a place of hope and possibility rather than a place of fear. I do believe the future can be different. Let us go and join with God in making it so. AMEN.

Cultivating Hope

Our Garden Containers

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT

June 17, 2018; Prober 6B

2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17; Mark 4:26-34

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

It is that time of year again. Planting and growing season! We don’t have a large lot, so we opt to be container gardiners. Thanks to a friend, we have a great system that involves two five gallon buckets with a piece of PVC pipe and a yogurt container. The result of this contraption is that the containers end up watering themselves for days at a time. This is a really good thing, because as anyone in my family will tell you, I do not have a particularly green thumb. This system means that we actually grow herbs and tomatoes as opposed to ending up with a lot of dried out plants.

While these containers can go untended for a few days, they cannot be ignored completely. They need weeding, they need water, and they need fertilizer. Not to mention picking! Particularly with the herbs, if we don’t keep up they will all go to seed and be no good for eating.

This gardening experience makes me want to push back a bit on our Gospel reading from Mark. This parable of the mustard seed makes it all sound far too easy. It talks about how the earth just produces and all you have to do is plant it. Now my gardening knowledge is somewhat limited, but I think there are very few plants that you can just plant and ignore. If there are such plants, I would like to know more about them. They sound like the perfect fit for those of us lacking a green thumb!

No, I think our Gospel is missing the middle. It is not as though we plant a seed and presto we have a bush big enough for birds to nest in it. It takes time, care, and attention. And so it is with our faith lives. They too take time, care, and attention. We do not magically grow in our understanding of God or ourselves. The Kingdom of God does not just magically appear without us working to help build it.

Our reading from 2 Corinthians reminds us, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Absolutely. Our lives and our hearts are transformed by being in relationship with Jesus. And that transformation requires work. Harvests don’t just happen.

So, I think there is a two fold invitation in our readings today. First, there is an invitation to be on the lookout for what is new. Where is God at work? What seeds have been planted that are just beginning to sprout? Where are we finding signs of hope and possibility? Then, the second part is to see how we might be God’s hands and feet in the world to cultivate those seedlings into strong and sturdy plants.

I hope you all have a good long list in your own lives of how you see signs of hope and transformation at work in the world. We need those lists. We need to share them with each other, so that we do not become disheartened or overwhelmed by the challenges or losses we will inevitably encounter in our lives.

Here is my list for today, and I hope you might share some of your lists with each other in the coming days.

I find hope in:

• The beauty of God’s creation and the tenacity of plants to grow in adverse conditions.
• The joy and laughter of our children.
• The steadfast commitment of the young people (particularly the students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School) who are working for change in our government and our society.
• The myriad of ways, particularly in recent days and weeks, religious leaders and lots of faithful followers of Jesus have become more public in affirming that the way of Jesus is first and foremost a way of Love.
• My daily work of helping to form future leaders of The Episcopal Church who are inspiring and who see so much possibility in the midst of change.
• All the ways I see hardwork and faithfulness result in growth, whether it is in meaningful relationships or at the gym.

I am sure that by tomorrow I will have more things to add to that list. And I hope I will always remember that I am more aware of the signs of hope that are ever present around me when I take time to pause and reflect. When I ground myself in the abiding love of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. When I remember that I am a follower of Jesus. I do not need to be out there trying to figure it all out on my own.

Being aware of the signs of hope is the first step, and then we must cultivate them. The wonderful thing is that it is just like working toward any good goal. It is like eating better, praying more, sleeping more, getting more exercise or prioritizing more family time over work. If we can just get started our practices will become their own reward. We will feel so good that we won’t stop, even if it is hard work.

So, be on the lookout for signs of hope. They are everywhere. Be on the lookout and be ready. Be ready to help those tentative seedlings grow into sturdy plants. Just imagine all the wonderful growth we can inspire together! AMEN.