Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT
4th Lent, March 31, 2019
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.
Good morning friends. What a joy and privilege it has been to step up to this lectern (into this pulpit) so many times over the last six plus years. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly and for showing me what a holy community looks like. I have said it before and I will keep say that one of the things I treasure about the Cathedral community is that it is one that honors and celebrates difference. I have treasured being a part of this community because it helped me catch a glimpse the kingdom of God - of the marvelous diversity of the whole human family. My understanding of myself, of the world and of God is so tremendously enriched because of all of you. Because of what we share and because of our diversity. And so it is bittersweet to stand here today.
As I think you all have heard, I have accepted a new job. I now serve as the Deputy Executive Officer for the General Convention Office of The Episcopal Church. I believe you know that I have a passion for churchwide work, and I am excited to be a part of the leadership of the General Convention Office. I have only been at my new job since Thursday, and I am already having quite a lot of fun!
Since I am no longer on the staff of ECCT and soon there will be a new Dean of Formation, it makes sense for me to step away from here as a priest associate. I want to give space for my successor, and I need to live into the new realities of my schedule. We are not moving from West Hartford, so this is not a farewell. It is just goodbye for now. I will still be a priest of ECCT, and I will look forward to coming back to be with you all for events in the future.
And that is the end of my announcements. I did in fact still write you all a sermon for today, and don’t worry, I promise to maintain my usual brevity. One can only take so much change at once!
Change. That has indeed been a dominant theme in my life for the last few weeks. Not bad for Lent actually. I just about laughed out loud when I read today’s Epistle. “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Ha. Everything has become new. Indeed. New office. New commute. New job. New responsibilities. New opportunities.
Change can be hard, and there has also been a lot of joy in this for me. In fact, this is just how I like to do Lent. I like to focus on Lent as an opportunity to do something new, to take on a new habit, a new discipline. While I do think there is great spiritual value in the practices of self-denial and giving up something, I prefer to think of Lent as the opportunity to take ON something - some new spiritual practice that will so enrich our lives, so deepen our connections to God and each other - that we cannot help but keep doing it, even when we have finished off the last of the Easter chocolate.
As I think you all know, life has shown me that plenty of suffering comes our way without us doing anything. While I do believe that experiences of suffering can bring us into deeper relationship with God, I do not believe that means we need to seek out more suffering in order to make that happen. I do not believe our God is an angry God who desires us to experience pain or hardship. I believe God desires us to have abundant life, even in Lent.
In our readings today, I believe God invites us into new life. God invites us to partake of the bread, of the sustenance (spiritual and material) that truly feeds us. We are reminded that God desires for us a life of spiritual abundance, a life where we are in right relationship with God and with each other. God desires for us a life where we are thriving, where we feel renewed and inspired. A life where we are able to let go of the habits and practices that do not serve us.
A significant life transition, like starting a new job, has certainly provided me with an opportunity to reflect and take stock. What do I want to carry with me? What do I want to learn? What do I want to do differently?
Now, I am not necessarily advocating that you all need to go out and find new jobs. Blessedly there are lots of ways for us to do something new without engaging in a major life transition. You all did something wonderful and new just last Sunday by gathering together as a community in retreat from all the different Cathedral congregations. I am sure that provided a holy time to deepen connections with each other and with God.
No doubt you all have already taken on your own personal Lenten practices and disciplines. But if somehow you have not found it to be a fulfilling one or you feel like you could stand to do a little more, I invite you to think about what God might be inviting you to change.
As ECCT communities know, small changes can make a big impact. Think of our collective shift from using “and” instead of “but” in our thinking and our speaking, thanks to Ian’s invitation to live into the Guidelines for Mutuality. Changing one little word in our vocabulary invites us to live into a theology of abundance rather than a theology of scarcity. It invites us to think big and dream about what might be possible, rather than feel limited by our own fear.
So what might that small (or big) change be? How might God be inviting each of us to make a change? To start a new habit or stop doing an old one? What small shift in our vocabulary or our actions or our attitude might help us to know, and share, more fully the abundance of God’s Love with the world?
No doubt our world, and our own lives, are blessed when we live lives that are grounded in the abundance of God’s Love. AMEN.
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