What does it mean to Follow the Rules?

Proper 17B, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, September 1, 2024 by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP As baptized children of God, according to Matthew, it is the ministry of every baptized Christian to go out into the world in the name of Christ, preaching and teaching and baptizing. In the Book of Common Prayer, p. 855, “The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.” The Church, both Protestant and Catholic continues to be in great flux as it decides wither or not to maintain the long held hierarchical tradition handed down to us throughout the generations. The Church now celebrates the person of John Bunyun, who at one time was considered an itinerant and illegitimate preacher. I think John the Baptist would also have been seen by the Jews as an itinerant and illegitimate preacher, yet both of them have done what all Christians are called to do and that is to point others, both believers and non-believers, to Jesus Christ. That is our mission as Christians and has always been our mission as Christians. But how that has taken shape in the Church has, in face varied throughout history. However, Jesus tells us that time and again, just as he does in this gospel reading assigned for today: we are to point to him and what he has taught us. Jesus also bucks the Jewish tradition and laws by stating that we are called to follow the commandment of God, neither taking away from it, nor adding to it. There was once an early Lutheran leader in this country who believed that if you feel called by God to be a pastor, you should be a pastor. In his mind, it doesn’t matter what this or that person or congregation thinks. Jesus is highly critical of the rules of the Pharisees and seeks, it seems, more than anything else, to put everybody on a level playing field. All are equal in God’s sight. All were created in the image of God. None of us is better or worse than anyone else. All of us, even Job, must realize our humble position before God to be put right with God. We do not make the rules; God does. But if you do not follow the rules that people have placed before you, you can be truly out on a limb and sometimes that means that you may be feeling that you are all alone to face the world, that perhaps only God is your true friend. To that, I will quote one of my friend’s daily morning favorites, “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, he who formed you, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you: For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 42:1-3) There are times in our lives when we will have trials that will cause us to become discouraged or even depressed about our situations in life. There are times when we need to be reminded that God still cares for us and will see us through every storm, wind, or tempest however great and overwhelming it may seem at the time. God will preserve us in both this life and the next. Almost every single great hymn in Christianity has been written by those who have been through huge storms in their lives, but their faith in God has brought them through to calm waters time and time again. There is no magic pill or magic formula, we will always have storms, but we can also always rest assured that God is still at the helm of our boats and will calm those storms, however unbearable they may seem now. This specific text from the Gospel of Mark is a difficult one for us to understand except from a non-literal rendition. It seems to be written from a Gentile perspective. Gentiles are being brought into Christianity, but do they need to observe all these laws of the Jews to be faithful to Christianity? It’s not just Paul’s word, but is here, too. Jesus declared all foods to be clean. Yet we live in a world where some Jews continue to follow only a Kosher diet and some Christians insist on being vegetarian. Jesus tells us that we can do what we want with food. And it is not up to us to tell others what kind of diet to follow. Listen also to the continuity Jesus is imploring from the prophets of the Old Testament. Does not Jesus echo the words of Jeremiah? Remember? “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me.” The notions that obedience to God must come from the heart, and that the disobedient heart is the source of all wicked actions that take us from God, are at the core of the Old Testament prophets. The gospel in Jesus’ words for us is that God wants our heartfelt response, our full-hearted obedience. “…for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”

When Peter Nails it!

Proper16B, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Moses Lake, WA by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP If you are now confused and think that we read this before, be confused no longer. We did read the first few verses of this last Sunday. Today is the last of the “Jesus is the Bread of Life” gospel readings. Next Sunday, we switch back to Mark just in time for the school year that some schools have already begun like WSU. Othello School district begins August 30th, then has a break for Labor Day weekend, coming back to school again on September 3. I don’t know who the brain or brains were on this idea. There are some things I just don’t control. Just as most of us have no control over the lectionary texts or when school starts or stops, this gospel text is a prime example of those thought to be Jesus’ disciples simply walk away or betray. Most people will have questions about just what this all means and like most preachers, I was not there, so some of the questions will remain. We weren’t there, we don’t have the full context, and nowhere is it more than a guess as to what it all means. Maybe it just means that Jesus wants us to think about it. This is why this church does not have literalism as a measure of the meaning of the scriptures. We’re expected to use our brains. We don’t know everything. What we do know about the context is that Jesus is with a group of disciples, not just the twelve and he is in Capernaum. It is not a crowd nor is it the Jews or the Samaritans or any other larger grouping. Even with this smaller group are many negative reactions. They are grumbling, not believing, turning back, mentioning betrayal. If we were to look at any of the gatherings of people in our past, we were likely seeing the same reactions to the leadership of groups outside the church. We can dismiss those reactions and say, “Well, we are only human.” Or, more importantly, we can focus on the faithful. Why do we still have the faithful in Christian communities, even in small places? Why do some refuse to walk away or angrily walk away when the Christian community they are with disappoints them? What is it about Jesus that keeps them coming back to once again support that belief in Jesus and take that with them into their lives outside of the church? Why are some faithful no matter what obstacles to faith are present? Why do some go away and come back years later? But perhaps the most important question of all asked is in our gospel text itself: “This teaching is difficult. Who can accept it?” Another suggested translation from the Greek is, “This is a hard word. Who is able to hear?” Who is willing to commit to the teachings of Jesus and walk in his ways? Who is willing to immerse oneself in Jesus when all around you are several other versions of Christianity, Judaism, agnosticism, and atheism? Does that discount our beliefs or make us wonder why we are here? I propose that we all need to regularly ask ourselves the same question that truly can be the overall theme of this section of John’s gospel. “Lord, to whom shall we go?” How else can be the answer than to commit to Jesus? Verses 66-68 summarize what it is to commit to Jesus. 1) putting Jesus first, 2) continuing to walk with Jesus, 3) willing not to leave, 4) recognizing Jesus as the only source, and 5) recognizing that Jesus is the only source— (who else?) of eternal life. John reminds us that the whole book of John is about knowledge or knowing as well as relationship. It is one thing to intellectually know many things about Jesus and acknowledge Jesus as the Lord who brings eternal life and still another to live into that knowledge. Commitment means that we take what we know about Jesus and apply it to our lives in such a way that we internalize in our thoughts and behavior the same as Jesus’ life here on earth was an example of what we ought to strive towards. It is to keep our gaze on Jesus as the compass and the place where we attempt to stay on course, in each situation allowing Jesus/God to work through us showing to others how God loves us and continues to love us despite the obstacles in front of us. Jesus teaches us to both confront and treat each other with respect. Our church teaches us to distinguish between scripture and reason, a needed element in the modern world. Be open to others’ thoughts and ideas, but also listen to other sides of the story and be slow to judge. Proclaim the gospel of peace. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Alleluia. ---Brian Stoffregen, Gospel Notes—John 6:56-69, August 14, 2024

Jesus is the Staple of Life

Proper14B, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Moses Lake by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP Jesus is the bread of life. As we sat and we talked a bit about this passage, this gospel text, I was keenly aware of those who would rather avoid this text and others very focused on the “complaining.” Still another of the sisters in my order said quite clearly, “Jesus is the bread of life because he is a staple just like bread is a staple in many cultures.” I pondered those words as I sat down to eat something at the airport I never had before, might not have again. It was crawdad on a bed of rice, with 2 pieces of bread perched on top. I have led a very sheltered life having lived over sixty years of it in the state of Washington in four different places. New Orleans was a list of many new things including riding the streetcar to the restaurant that served turtle soup with a touch of sherry in it. I wondered what the answer would be for those who live in New Orleans. Would bread be the answer? By looking at the portion size of bread compared to rice and the fact that red beans and rice is a thing, I’d say no. Well, it could be a staple, but I think rice is used more. Both are starches and add carbohydrates to a dish. Carbohydrates are a source of energy. Carbohydrate-loading is or once was a thing that athletes have done before a big game or competition. According to the National Geographic Society, A food staple is a food that makes up the dominant part of a population’s diet. Food staples are eaten regularly—even daily—and supply a major proportion of a person’s energy and nutritional needs. I would argue that my family’s staple foods were bread, coffee, milk and eggs. Those were the items that were always kept in stock. Even after all of us kids were grown, those were the items always on the grocery list. They were considered necessary. Jesus is the bread of life. He is necessary every day for sustenance. He is the bigger portion of life for believers. What about office supplies? There are certain office supplies that are kept depending on what is demanded for organizing outlines for presentation handouts that people can take with them to use to remember details. There are both paper clips and staples. Which is most useful? Is it a staple or a paper clip? Do you want the papers secured tightly? Do you want to be able to take and use a collection of papers? Either way, you can take it with you. It no longer requires the internet once it’s printed out and organized. The power could go out, but we’d still have candles and prayer books and a piano. We’d still have access to worship. Paper would also be considered a staple. Even though we have computers and zoom meetings, paper and in person remain a good way to get through a meeting and has been around for many years. Paper, staples and paper clips are considered essential items. Jesus had only his thoughts to organize and present. He interacted with his disciples and the crowds. He got to know them in a very intimate way and used several illustrations as to what the kingdom of God is like. But to say that “I am the bread of life” is a more sweeping revelation as to why we should listen to what Jesus is saying. This tells us why Jesus himself is essential to our understanding of the relationship of Jesus to the God of Israel. It is essential that the people understand the connection, the fulfillment of the prophecies of previous generations of believers in the God of Abraham. Before the scriptures were written down, it was essential to use one’s memory to recall the stories of Jesus, to continue to talk about Jesus. The memory of Jesus is kept alive by telling the story of Jesus to those around us at places both inside and outside of church. Jesus himself is essential to the message. And Jesus is an example of not only storytelling but finding different ways to tell us about the kingdom of God. He tries several times to tell us what the kingdom of God is like. Storytelling was a staple for Jesus. It was meant for us to understand who Jesus is as God’s son. But what are we missing when we put that focus on Jesus? What does it mean to partake in the Eucharist which means “thanksgiving”? Doesn’t it also mean that in our giving thanks, we share with others? That we reach out to others in their time of need? That we give to people what God gives to us? Jesus confronts the people who appear to be following him just for the food. Beware of that banquet we partake in both Eucharist and coffee hour. There is more that is essential. God gives to us freely in Jesus, but we are to share that gift. We are not to complain so much that we become greedy with our resources or that Jesus does not always fill our every wish. Jesus says that there’s work to be done. It is essential that we share freely what we have with others. It is essential that we warmly welcome all to worship with us this Jesus who is the bread of life and to give from what we have. Jesus is more than food. Jesus is essential. It is essential to call on him and listen to him and share Jesus with others.