Sermon for Sun Jin 12, 2011 Day of Pentecost "We are all God's glory."

“The Glory of God is a human being fully alive.”  This quote from Irenaeus is one that I have found to be deeply comforting and inspiring in my ministry.  Irenaeus also said, “God became human, so humans could become like God.  Christ became what we are, so that he might bring us to be what he himself is.”  Diana Butler Bass in her new book “A People’s History of Christianity” wrote “Salvation is a kind of dance, a process of growing ever more to be like God.”  I love this as well, it speaks to the wonderful nature, the wonderful goodness that we find in all of creation, and in our own selves as well.  We are constantly in a process of becoming, a process of imitating Christ. 

Sarah Thomsen, a singer in Duluth captured the process of coming fully alive, this dance of salvation, if you will, in her song, Little One, the first verse goes like this:

Hey there little one

You’re life has just begun

You’re learning how to cry

You’re learning how to smile

You are a blessed one

You are a Holy One

Part of the process of salvation is discovering the goodness within our own selves.  Discovering our divine spark, the holiness that we already possess.  The process of salvation is not simply following the rules and making sure that we don’t cuss and swear too much, it is developing a relationship with God and with our own bodies, understanding that our bodies, created and made by God are a whole and complete picture of the potential of the divine presence, the reality of our own divinity.  And of course, part of this process of salvation, this dance of salvation is learning that we do not participate in this process alone.

Oh child may loving arms

Surround and keep you warm

There as you learn to crawl

To catch you when you fall

And may you learn to stand

Held by a loving hand

That when Christ came to earth as a little baby, born in the same way each of us was born, lived his life the same way each of us have lived our lives, died the same way, albeit a little more painful than most of us will die and then was raised, in that process Jesus took on human flesh and carried it back to God so that our flesh would be made holy and divine in the spirit of God. 

Stephanie Paulsell, a professor at Harvard University wrote in her book, “Honoring the Body”, “We have a difficult friendship with our bodies.  Our friendship with our bodies bears witness to God because the body reflects God’s own goodness.”  We are all created in the image of God, and therefore are all endowed with the same spark of divinity.  No single person is greater than another and no single person is loved by God more than any other person, this is clear to us, we all carry the spark of the Holy within us and it gives us all access to the holy, to the deep and passionate love of God.

Thinking about the divine spark within us, Louis Pasteur, a theologian, said, “The Greeks have given us one of the most beautiful words of our language, the word “enthusiasm” – a God within.  Happy are they who bear a God within.”  But it is difficult to bear a God within, it is hard to have a deep and abiding friendship with our bodies.  Our bodies betray us, our bodies don’t work like they are supposed to, our bodies breakdown.  This very breaking down of our own bodies is probably a piece of what causes us to not see as clearly the goodness of God within our own souls, within our own bodies.  This is a piece of what causes us to not believe that we are holy, how can this, yes I gestured to all of me, who we are, be even remotely divine or holy or even good? 

This is when Paul’s letter to the Corinthians becomes important and helpful, for our gifts, the gifts given to us by the Spirit are what make us holy and blessed in the eyes of God.  Our bodies by themselves cannot make us fully alive, can they?  We must engage the gifts of the Spirit in order to accomplish that feeling of being fully alive.  Whatever our gifts may be, they have been decided upon already by the Spirit for the benefit of the community.  The community as the Body of Christ is a Pauline image that has stuck in a major way for us Christians.  It is by no means the only way that Paul used to describe the beloved Community of God, but it is one of the ways that he used to help the Corinthians come to a place of understanding for their own roles in the community that they lived in. 

The Corinthians at the time of Paul’s letter were having disputes over who was the greatest and what roles and gifts were best for the community.  Paul squashed that as quickly as he could, saying that if you used your gifts to attain status then the spirit was not being honored.  If the community delineated who was superior and who was inferior by placing upon the differing gifts each person had a value of some sort, then the holiness of God was being diminished.  On one level it is comforting to hear that the early Christians were subject to the same kind of issues we are subject to today, isn’t it?  This understanding of the gifts we receive got me to thinking about the people who worship here in this building. 

I started thinking about the people who have a gift of creativity. Gloria Hoglund and her writing ability, able to capture pictures of real life in gritty, compassionate ways and describe them with a great fullness. 

Sarah Brickson and her dance, graceful and attentive, a gift, not for her, but for all of us. 

I thought of Maggie and Cindi, and their gift of music and composition to this community, a gift they have given us with great passion. 

John Belk and his cello, his ability and gift for music will take him far and we will be able to watch him grow into that. 

I thought of Tien Belk and the Sundays that she bakes delicious homemade goodies for us all. 

I thought of Heather Hunt and her voice and leadership, and Walter Cogswell and his vast musical talent and all the musical gifts they bring to our worship here as well.

Sara Logan, who can write thoughtful and solemn prayers that send us deep into that place of holiness as we listen to God in our midst. 

I thought of Elaine Madigan and her ability to speak through writing her experience of the Holy Spirit and the spirituality it moves her to feel.

I thought of Mary Martin, Zara Renander, Jane Eschweiler and Dale Dienes, these four people lay hands on those who come to church seeking healing and wholeness and prayers.  Their compassion and their presence has brought a depth to our worship that is profound. 

I thought of David and Lindsay Becker, without whom we would have no garden to share with the community and to inspire our mission.

I thought of Ricky Nolan, Donald Fox, Douglas Kruger and the work at the Shelf of Hope that they do, their gifts help us to accomplish justice in our neighborhood, by feeding those who are hungry. 

I thought of Lou and Linnah Schoen whose work on racial injustice moves us constantly to look at how we are creating an equitable and just community. 

I thought of Ed Anderson, George Hoglund and Don Rosenquist who work tirelessly to maintain and care for this beautiful old building, that like our bodies, is slowly falling apart, you three are the equivalent of Medical Doctors of this parish. 

I thought of Katie and David Olson, and Chris Bowman, who have immersed themselves in the politics of the Diocese, not because they felt obligated to do so, but because the gifts they have been given can bring transformation to the Episcopal Church in Minnesota in ways that no one else can accomplish. 

I thought of Joanne Cogswell, and her gift of humble hospitality, she hates that I am saying this right now, but there is no one in this parish who exhibits the kind of practical hospitality that she does, making sure that people are fed and welcomed each and every Sunday.

I thought of Tom Hara and his dedicated service at the 8AM Eucharist, where almost every Sunday he is serving at the altar, carrying on the traditions that were taught to him by the saints of this parish when he was a child. 

I thought of Charlie Hample, who is deeply committed to this place, not just its maintenance, but its thriving, who by his work and passion has carried us into a place where we can confidently move forward as a community of faith positioned to accomplish God’s work in the world.

I thought of Sean Huizinga, who we will baptize today and the loving and caring family he has.  Two young people who are so in love with him and proud of him and his accomplishments.  Two parents who look caringly and compassionately over his life, catching all the good and forgiving all the challenging parts.  I thought of Sean and the love that he will see when he looks at the two of you looking into one another’s eyes and how blessed he will be.  And I thought of Sean and how lucky we are that we get to witness first hand the life of a child that will change the world, that will change this community and already has in so many ways.  I hope that all of us gathered together today feel the same great joy as we witness a human being coming fully alive through baptism and community.  And may Sean’s baptism remind us of the Holy that resides in us, as all of creation knows resides in it.

Hey there little one

The moon the stars the sun

The hills and valleys low

The trees and flowers know

We are all blessed ones

We are all Holy Ones.

We are all blessed ones, we are all Holy ones.  We are the Glory of God.