The Fruits of Putting God First

Splendor of Creation in Maine

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

DFMS Noonday Prayer

Ezekiel 24:15-24; Psalm 79:1-8; Matt. 19:16-22

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. 

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” Well,  considering that you can see that I am still in my home office, and am present in chapel because I have my computer and the router downstairs is connecting me to the internet, you may have guessed that I did not follow through on Jesus’ command to the rich man before writing this sermon. In fact, I could not have written it without a most essential possession  -  my laptop! 

Now, if any of you have a Saint Francis moment after hearing this Gospel lesson, I am sure Amazon Marketplace or Ebay would be glad to help you sell all your possessions. Like Saint Francis, there is a good and noble history in the Christian tradition of choosing poverty as a way to serve God. I am not sure, however, that it is the path all of us are called to take. I think, actually, there is another layer of meaning in this reading. And it is one that can be particularly meaningful to us in these times when we may feel overwhelmed by all the anxiety in the world at present. 

It is worth asking why Jesus told this man to sell all his possessions. Was it really about the material goods or was there something else? I think what Jesus is emphasizing in his command to the rich man is that there is nothing that should come before your relationship with God. 

I don’t actually think Jesus is saying that possessions are all bad in and of themselves. He and the disciples needed clothes, shoes, food, and the occasional boat to travel around and conduct his ministry. It is not about the stuff. It is about how we view our possessions. Are we putting them above our relationship with God? 

At its root, the Gospel is asking us to check in on our priorities. Are we connected to God? Are we sufficiently grounded or are we finding ourselves distracted, frustrated or anxious? There is plenty to be anxious about in the world right now. The weight of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism weigh heavily on our hearts. There is much uncertainty about what our work and family lives will look like in the coming weeks. We could set ourselves spinning about all kinds of scary what ifs or simply be emotionally overwhelmed by the magnitude of suffering in the world right now. 

In some ways those are the easy roads to go down, we could just fall into them slowly bit by bit, task by task. We need to choose God. Choose Faith. Choose Hope. It does require some work on our part. But here is the really good thing. It is a small amount of effort for an immeasurable reward. We know this. It is why we come to chapel. It is why we cultivate the relationships in our lives that are life-giving. The ones with people whose wisdom and sense of humor always helps us find our center and keep a broad perspective. The people who help us see God and ourselves more clearly. It is why we spend time in the splendor of creation. It is why we take a few minutes to sit and breathe deeply, to savor a cup of coffee or tea or a delicious meal. It is why we read books that make us laugh, that make us think, that warm our hearts. It is why we spend time with friends and family, particularly those of another generation -those who see the world differently, connecting us to the past and the future. It is why we do all of these things and whatever else feeds our souls.

So, consider yourself reminded that you will be a better follower of Jesus, a better human being, if you put your relationship with God first. Take note of the myriad of opportunities we have to do that each day. Yes, we have tasks and important work to do. And, we must always make time for that which really matters. For in so doing, we will be enriched. Our hearts will be more open, and we will be less anxious. We will have and be able to share more grace and peace. No doubt the world could use more grace and peace. May we always have the courage to choose God, and may we share the fruits of that choice will all those we meet. Amen. 

John Donne, Death, and the Path of Life

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Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
DFMS Noonday Prayer, via Zoom
John Donne, March 31, 2020

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.

Today is the feast day of John Donne. A 17th century priest and poet. He is probably best known for his Sonnet “Death be not proud.” A fitting poem for today. One that reminds us of that all important truth that Death is not the end. Death should not be proud because it does not last. As Donne closes his sonnet, death too shall die.

Our Gospel reading for today closes with the line: “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life.”

Passing from death to life. Indeed we are. The hard part is that there is no time frame attached to that. We are indeed in the midst of death. We have lost and will lose those who are near and dear to us. We have lost and will lose friends. Through our wider communities and circles we know others who have died, perhaps of the virus or of some other cause. It can feel like a compounded loss in the midst of all the suffering and challenges of the present moment to be reminded that people will also still die of cancer, of heart attacks, of old age and in accidents. There will be still gun violence, natural disasters, and tragedy in the midst of a pandemic. And yet we are passing from death to life. From death to life.

The challenge, the pain, the heartache, the loss, the grief of this present moment is real. It can fill our hearts and our minds. It can weigh heavily on us. And it will likely still be there tomorrow, possibly even for days to come. And yet. It is also still true that we are passing from death to life. Death does not and will not ever have the last word. We are an Easter people.

Love and life have the last word. Today and always. This is the truth we need to hold on to even in the midst of news that breaks our hearts, even in the midst of an infection rate and a death toll that just continues to go up. Even as we worry for ourselves, as we fear for the lives and the livelihoods of those we love.

The fear is real. The loss is real. The death of our mortal bodies is real. The way forward does not come from denying the truths of our world nor the fullness of emotions in our hearts. The way forward comes from facing those realities and still choosing life. As our psalm for today says, “You will show me the path of life; * in your presence there is fullness of joy.” God indeed is showing us the path of life. It is the path of Easter. The path of life and love. The path to joy.

I hope that each and every one of us has people in our lives who help us to know where the path of life is, in whose presence we find joy. Hopefully for many of us those are people who are also stuck at home with us (although in the current circumstances of being confined together in small spaces, trying to do work and manage children and life, and everything, they may also be the people who can most grate on our nerves at the present moment!). Home life may very well be chaos currently or perhaps home is far too quiet right now, missing the hustle and bustle of friends and neighbors. Or for many of us, just being home this much is taking another sort of adjustment, as we have become accustomed to life on the road. However it may be that we find ourselves situated in these days, we are all being invited to follow the path of life. We are being invited to seek out those relationships, those connections, those activities that bring us the fullness of joy.

So make full use of the gifts of technology - of pen and paper, of phone calls and text messages, and even multi-time zone video calls with those far and near. Make full use of a few moments for quiet meditation or the opportunity to go for a walk. Whatever it is that will help to ground us in the truths of our faith, to more deeply connect us with God and with each other.

Indeed we are passing from death to life. Let us choose life. Let us choose joy. Let us choose hope. Today and each day ahead. AMEN.