YEAR C 2025 corpus christi

Corpus Christi, 2025
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
1 Corinthians 11:23-29
John 6:47-58
Psalm 116:10-17

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

So today is the feast of Corpus Christi.  It’s not a big deal in most Episcopal churches, but I believe it should be.  Corpus Christi is Latin for the “Body of Christ,” and the day is intended to direct our attention to and appreciation for the sacrament.  Of course, like many things in the Episcopal Church, there is no clearly stated theology as far as what happens to the bread and wine in the Eucharistic celebration.

Catholics totally have this stuff down, with their talk of transubstantiation, saying the bread and wine become the literal body and blood of Jesus, and some Episcopalians do believe that.  Protestant churches are on the other end of the spectrum, treating Holy Communion as a memorial meal that reminds us of Jesus, and some Episcopalians believe that.

But most of us are somewhere along the middle of these two extremes, believing that Jesus is somehow present in the bread and wine, and leaving it at that.  So with all that as background, toward the end of the service we will take the monstrance—which Pastor Ed across the street gave us—and place it on the Altar to display the consecrated host.  We will offer some prayers of devotion and sing a couple suitable hymns, the first of which was written by Thomas Aquinas for this feast day.  In some places, they finish the service with a parade around the neighborhood carrying the monstrance in procession.  But we will stick to using it for blessing the people at the end of the service.

And now you may be wondering, since we’re focusing on the body of Christ today, why did we sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for the sequence hymn?  Well, given that today is also Juneteenth, I believe there is a connection between the real presence of Jesus in the sacrament, and the real bodies of our fellow human beings around us.  While the slaves in Galveston were indeed free, they did not know they were free for more than a year after the Emancipation Proclamation.  Someone had to tell them, and make sure they knew it.  And this is exactly how sharing the gospel works in people’s lives.  People are free and reconciled with God, but they need someone to tell them that!

And the connection between the body of Christ and the bodies of people is made known in the incarnation.  God walked among us in the real physical body of Jesus, which sanctified—and made holy—being human.  Bodies are sacred because God has inhabited one.  Physical presence has spiritual weight, you could say.  And what God has called good, we must not call evil.  What God has called free we must not call enslaved.  As Jesus himself said, “Whatever you do to the least of these you do it to me.”

Jesus is somehow present in the holy sacrament.  And Jesus is gloriously present in every person you meet.  We are called to honor those around us and we are called to give thanks for the gift of the holy sacrament, the body of Christ, and the bread of heaven.

Amen

YEAR C 2025 trinity sunday

Trinity 2025
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Psalm 8

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

In Tolkien’s book, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” when everything is on the line, Frodo says “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”  And Gandalf replies, "So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: This is a very difficult time to be a preacher.  We can’t ignore what is happening in our country and in our world right now.  We can’t escape it in fact.  But complaining about it isn’t going to change anything, and will probably just cause more division.  We live in a time of anger and anxiety and disagreement.  But these are our times. 

We cannot change the times in which we live, but we can change how we live in those times.  We can choose where to place our trust and our hope.  Because politicians and governments are not going to solve things.  There is no cavalry coming over the hill.  And what we need above all else is hope.  Hope that things will get better.  Hope that this is all a temporary stumble and not a new normal.  But above all we need to live into the hope that only God can give.  And here comes the apostle Paul to show us the way.

In this morning’s Epistle reading, from Romans, Paul writes “We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Now FIRST off, we have to avoid the temptation to read that as though suffering is a good thing, being the first step leading to hope, right?  I mean, if we’re not careful when reading that little contorted sentence, we might end up thinking that an increase in suffering is actually a good thing, since it leads to endurance, which produces character, which produces hope.  Two key words to notice in that passage are “also,” and “because.”

Paul says we ALSO boast in our sufferings.  That whole thing about suffering is preceded by “We boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.”  He makes that statement, which we generally agree with.  We boast in our hope.  And the word that gets translated as “boast” is related to the word for “neck.”  Boasting is not bragging.  Boasting is holding your head up, keeping your chin up.  Standing tall in our hope of sharing the glory of God.  Right.  Totally makes sense.  But Paul goes on . . .

And we ALSO boast—or, hold our heads up—in the midst of our sufferings.   We ALSO walk in confidence with our chins up when we are suffering (or feeling hopeless), because suffering leads us through a pathway that leads us right back to to hope.

In essence, Paul is talking about hope.  No matter what happens, we can walk with confidence and hope.  And that whole little riff on having hope either way starts with Paul saying, “since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God . . . we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand.”  We stand in peace with God through grace, with our heads held high, because of Jesus.

This month at St. Timothy’s, we celebrate our 189th anniversary of ministry in Massillon.  For 189 years, this congregation has been gathering together to worship Jesus.  We hold our heads high in hope, and we hold our heads high in suffering as well, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts, just as Paul says.  For generation after generation.

This parish would not exist if God did not want us to be here.  Or, in a more positive way: we are here—in our little postage stamp of Massillon—because God wants us here.  God has a purpose for this congregation.  And that is why we will continue to gather for our 190th anniversary and beyond.  

And that, my friends, is the most important thing to remember on this Trinity Sunday.  It might not matter if you understand the Trinity . . . especially since nobody who is honest is able to do so.  What matters about understanding the Trinity is remembering the full presence of God in our common life together.  The most important thing to take away from here on Trinity Sunday is that God the Father is with you, God the Son is with you, and God the Holy Spirit is with you.  God walks in front of you, and beside you, and behind you.

And this morning, that same Trinity meets us at this altar, in bread and wine from God's creation, in the body and blood of Jesus, which is sanctified by the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the Father to inspire us to faith together.  And when you come forward and stretch out your hand, you can hold your head high with confidence and hope, knowing that God welcomes you unconditionally.  The Creator is with you, and the Spirit is leading you, and Jesus is coming to meet you once again in the Bread of Heaven and the Cup of Salvation.  No matter what may come in the days ahead—and there will be plenty—keep your chin up, and keep hope alive.  Because hope does not disappoint us.

Amen.

The Burial of Carolyn Flamm

Carolyn Flamm, 6/3/25
Isaiah 25:6-9
Revelation 21:2-7
John 14:1-6

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

There’s a thing you’ve read—or will read—in Carolyn’s obituary, “Any time with family was a good time.”  Any time with family was a good time.  This is far more profound than it first appears.  Because it sounds like an exaggeration at first glance.  Any time with family was a good time?  Even when we’re mad at each other?  Even when people aren’t getting along with each other?  Even funerals?  Are those times with family still good times?

I think if we view life as Carolyn did, the answer is yes.  Because a good time doesn’t necessarily mean a happy time.  Hours spent with those we love are important hours, in and of themselves.  A happy time and a good time are not necessarily the same thing.  And we can look at today to see how that is true.  We have gathered together to say farewell to our beloved Carolyn.  It is not a happy time.  But it is a good time.  Because we are honoring her and mourning her death together.  Any time with family is a good time.  Even when there are tears and we are grieving.  Being together in hard times is a good thing.

The first two lessons we heard this morning—from Isaiah and Revelation—both contain promises about tears being wiped away from our eyes.  There is no promise that we will not go through pain, and sorrow, and mourning, but there's a promise that God will comfort us.  God will swallow up death forever.  The home of God is among mortals, we are told.  God is with us.  Always.  Though we lose sight of the ones we love, God is with us in our pain.  And God will wipe away our tears. 

And this morning, we have gathered together to say goodbye to our beloved Carolyn.  To entrust her to God’s care.  To remind one another that she is safely in the arms of Jesus.  And that means we are gathered together as family.  Even if we are not related to one another, we are family, and we are here together.  And any time with family is a good time.  A sacred time.  A holy time.  God is among us as we gather, and God will wipe away every tear.  Because in Jesus, God has swallowed up death forever.

God bless Carolyn, and God bless you.

Amen.

YEAR C 2025 easter 7

Easter 7, 2025
Acts 16:16-34
Psalm 97
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
John 17:20-26

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The comedian Bob Newhart was the master of the one-sided telephone call.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just google “Bob Newhart telephone” later today.  I said later today.  

But what I mean is, Bob Newhart was great at holding a telephone in his hand and carrying on a conversation with himself, that seemed completely legit—and hilarious—giving you both sides of the conversation by way of asking questions and providing answers.  So, as the viewer, you have the sense that you’re really listening in on a conversation that is taking place, because he’s intentionally speaking so that you can hear him.

And in our regular everyday lives, we do this kind of thing all the time.  Telling someone something they already know for the benefit of someone else who is listening in.  It’s more of an announcement than a conversation.  You tell a person something you both already know, so that someone else in the room can hear you saying it.

And that is what Jesus is doing in today’s gospel reading.  He’s praying aloud so the disciples can hear him praying.  This is the section of John’s Gospel that we often call Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.  Because he is praying on our behalf, which is kind of like what a priest does for the people when we gather together around the Altar.  A priest prays on behalf of the people so everyone doesn’t have to pray for themself, but there’s more, which we’ll get to in a minute.

So here’s Jesus, praying to the Father.  We pick it up at verse 20 today, but for 14 verses before that, Jesus has been praying for his disciples, and then he says, “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word.”  And if you think it through, that part of the prayer is for us, right?  You and I have come to believe because of what those disciples have told us, one way or another.  Jesus is not only praying so they can hear; he is also praying so that we can hear, and everyone who came before us or will come after us can hear.  He is praying for all those who come to believe because of the disciples’ words.  That’s a lot of people!

But because of the way we tend to view prayer, it is tempting to think that Jesus is praying to the Father in order to somehow change the Father’s mind.  We want to think that the requests from Jesus are making some change in God.  But, of course, Jesus is God.  So I think the point of Jesus’ prayer is more of an announcement than it is a prayer.  Or, the prayer of Jesus doesn’t so much make it so; the prayer of Jesus makes it so we know.  It is for our benefit, for the disciples’ benefit.

And so, what is this “it” we are supposed to hear?  What is this message that Jesus is saying for our benefit?  Well, to be honest, it’s a little hard to pick out.  Because the language gets all “Gospel of John” on us, with the I am with you and you in me and them in me and so on . . . which starts to sound like the Beatles song, “I Am the Walrus.”  At least to me.

But the undercurrent of all of that is unity.  This is a prayer for unity.  That we would all be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one.  That in knowing Jesus, you and I also know the Father.  And, that the love with which the Father has loved Jesus may be in us.  The love that the Father has for Jesus may be in us?  Whoa!  That’s a pretty tall order, Jesus.  Like ending your prayer with “And a hundred million dollars, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”  That the love the Father has for Jesus may be in us.

And we’re tempted to think, well, Jesus was praying and asking for that to happen . . . It doesn’t mean that it has actually happened yet, right?  But if you look at the text, it’s not a request.  It’s a statement.  Remember, it’s less a prayer than it is an announcement.  And the announcement says, “I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."  We have that same love inside us.  Right now.  That same love that the Father has for Jesus is inside you and me.  Right now.

Jesus is not pleading on our behalf.  He is pleading so that we might see him pleading, and start believing.  Start believing that God is on your side and mine.  God’s love for us knows no limits, and we have that same love inside of us.  Each one of us, and all of us together.  Jesus says so in front of the disciples, and we are the ones who believe because of their words, just as Jesus said.  

And there’s a little line that kind of slips by in the midst of all this, where Jesus says, “you loved me before the foundation of the world.”  You may remember that John’s gospel begins with the phrase, in the beginning was the Word . . . that is, Jesus.  Before the foundation of the world, the Father loved the son, with the same love that is in you and me, remember?  And in a very real sense, that means this then:

The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus is a continuation of the words spoken at the creation:  It is good.  Jesus is pleading that we would recognize what is already there, see?  That deep love is in each one of us, because Jesus said it is there.  Even if we don’t recognize it, that love is there.  He is announcing in front of the disciples so they can hear it from his own lips, and then pass it on to you and me.

And we do a similar thing in this season of Easter, with our announcement “The Lord is Risen indeed!”  We don’t say that to make it so; we say it because it is so.  We announce it together as a reminder of what it means for us.  If he is risen, then she will be risen, and he will be risen, and we all will be risen.  The point of that resurrection proclamation is the same point of Jesus’ praying aloud: So that others may hear and believe, especially in those times when we need to be reminded of the faith and love we carry within us.  Right now.

And every time we gather at this Altar, we see a similar thing unfold in the Eucharistic Prayer.  It is a prayer to God, not a conversation with the people.  The priest stands here, on behalf of the people, and tells God what God has done to save us—which God already knows.  The priest reminds God about the time Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper—which God already knows.  The priest is talking to God, but for the benefit of those listening.  Just like Jesus does in the prayer we heard this morning.  The beginning of our Eucharistic Prayer is more an announcement than anything.  A weekly reminder of what God has done for us, and a chance for us to refocus our belief toward trusting that God will do it again.  And again.  And again.  Always bringing life out of death, joy out of sorrow, peace out of fear.

And as you come forward to receive the sacrament this morning, may you find it to be both an announcement and a prayer.  And may we all be reminded this day and every day, that the love of God really does dwell in our hearts, just as Jesus says it does.  And let us go and tell the others, so that they also might believe.

Amen.