September 11, 2005

LAKE JAMES

NORTH CAROLINA

Proper 19 September 11, 2005

O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 27:30--28:7 ; Psalm 103; Romans 14:5-12; St. Matthew 18:21-35

“And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. ³⁵So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

One of Jesus’ first miracles was the healing of Peter’s mother in law. So Peter had a wife, and he likely had a brother in law, cousins, uncles, aunts. Peter was part of a family. Families sometimes have difficulties in relationships. In today’s gospel Peter comes to Jesus with just such a problem. The New Revised Standard Version we read translates the Greek word “adelphos” as “another member of the church.” A more literal translation is “brother” – or brother in law. And the Greek is not, “if” but “when.” It is inevitable that we sin against the people we love; and Jesus requires us to forgive – always. We pray as he taught us, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In the same way we forgive, we are forgiven.

I quoted from St. John’s account of Jesus’ resurrection appearance to the disciples. I could have as well quoted from St. Matthew 18:18-20 in the passage just before today’s gospel. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

The Christian Church is a community of forgiven sinners, and when we fail to forgive one another we fail our Lord Jesus, and we hammer another nail into his hands and feet on the cross.

This is my last opportunity to preach to you as your priest in charge. While I was on vacation in Brooksville, Maine, I got a call from Tom Bell as Junior Warden telling me that the vestry had decided not to continue my service as priest in charge. My letter of agreement with the vestry provides that the vestry, or the bishop, or I, may give 30 days notice to end our relationship. I think it is important for us all to have an opportunity to say “good bye” to one another.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve Christ with you and among you in the last 18 months. I think we have done some good work in Christ’s service; we have worshipped in spirit and in truth, and we have had some fun together. I ask you to forgive me what I have done wrong or have failed to do, and I offer my forgiveness. Forgiveness is a matter between a person and God. Forgiveness takes place in the soul as each individual soul relates to the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us when we are baptized and as we cultivate our relationship with God through prayer, spiritual study, and receiving God’s grace in the sacraments.

Forgiveness is an inward and spiritual act. It shows outwardly as we release the forgiven person from the bonds of our own bad feelings and show to them the same love of Christ we hope to receive. The risen Jesus promised his disciples on that first Easter evening, “²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” St. Matthew records that Jesus in his earthly ministry promised, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

So we claim today the presence and the power of Jesus to forgive and to live as forgiven sinners.

Jesus goes on to tell a story, a story about a servant who is forgiven much but who fails to forgive as he has been forgiven. In the past few weeks we have heard many stories about the hurricane and the effects of the hurricane. I’ve shared a few of those with those of you whose e-mail addresses I have. We’ve all heard and read other stories on television and in the newspapers. Two things have caught my attention.

One is that the usual suspects have been saying the usual things playing the blame game. Republicans have been saying that the corrupt Democrats in political office are responsible; Democrats have tried to fix responsibility on the Republicans in the White House and the Congress. My mother used to tell me that when I point one finger at someone else three point back at me. We in Western North Carolina know about hurricanes and the blame game. The blame game serves to keep the core constituencies riled up and active but it has little positive effect.

The other thing that has caught my attention is how gracious and generous people are when they see a need. I’ve suggested in e-mail several ways we can contribute to the relief of those who are suffering from the effects of the hurricane. I’ve printed these out and will have them available in the parish house after church.

Two concluding comments: First, this is September 11, 9-11-05, four years after Arab Muslim terrorists destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Canter, attacked the Pentagon, and failed to do more damage because of the actions of the brave passengers on the fourth plane. Our country came together then. We are still engaged in armed conflict with similar Arab Muslim terrorists in Afganistan, Iraq, and other places. Forgiveness releases us from feelings of anger and hatred toward those who murdered so many Americans and frees us to take action.

And finally, we are engaged in a conflict within our Anglican Communion. The majority in the Episcopal Church has a view of sexual morality that the majority of the whole communion does not share. There are people of good will on both sides of this conflict. Sin has been committed on both sides of the argument. I pray that we will be able so to forgive those whose opinions differ from ours that we may be able to affirm that they may be wrong, but they are not evil.

Will you open your bulletins and close with me in the collect for today:

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