Sermon for Proper 17, Year B: True Religion:
Song of Songs 2:8-13, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
St. Faith’s Episcopal Church, Cutler Bay, Florida
Preacher: The Very Rev. Jennie Lou D. Reid+

As we worship, grant us vision, till your love’s revealing light, in its height and depth and greatness, dawns upon our quickened sight, making known the needs and burdens your compassion bids us bear, stirring us to tireless striving, your abundant life to share . Amen.

I drive downtown for a book reading one evening this week. I am interested to see the author, a public radio news reporter, and to hear his analysis of Cuba since 1850 and of a leading Cuban family in Miami since 1959. At the reception before the reading, I enjoy catching up with friends I have not seen in a while. In the midst of this lively scene, I see an Episcopalian approach me, shaking his head. At a meeting we both attended in June, I predicted that our church’s national Convention might choose to remove barriers to ordained ministry for gay and lesbian persons, and at that time this man responded with shock and dismay. So, I am not surprised when the man asks, “Why did you do those things at General Convention?” – as if I personally as an Alternate Deputy shoulder the blame or receive the credit for the decisions reached in the 900-member House of Deputies. I respond with information, but information is not really what the man wants. His idea of true religion rests in mandates and traditional practices. He does not imagine that those who support full inclusion of all the baptized in the life of the Church also care about the practice of true religion. But the truth is that Christians of goodwill, who want to follow Jesus faithfully, do not come to the same conclusion on ethical questions. When it comes to ethics, there are always competing goods – like love and purity, welcome and accountability, forgiveness and standards. The way forward is often debatable and perplexing.

One of the petitions in our collect today is that God, the “author and giver of all good things,” will “increase in us true religion.” Webster’s Dictionary explains that the origin of the word religion is two Latin words re meaning “back” or “again” and ligare meaning “to tie or bind together.” Another word coming from this verb is the word ligament, the strong stretchy tissue in the body that holds bones or organs together. So, religion is a practice that ties back together people and God. And true religion will produce a strong bond between the human and the divine.

When people today challenge the church for making a decision that seems to “go against the Bible,” we do not need to go any further than Mark, Chapter 7, to witness Jesus himself defending disregard of the Jewish community’s rules about righteous behavior. In this encounter the Jewish leaders complain that Jesus’ disciples are not washing their hands properly before eating. At other times the Pharisees complain that Jesus’ disciples are not observing religious fasts or that they are plucking heads of grain as they walk through the fields on the Sabbath, thus doing work on the sanctioned day of rest. These religious leaders likewise accuse Jesus himself of breaking God’s commandment to observe Sabbath rest when he heals people on this seventh day of the week, the Day of Creation when God rests. They also complain that Jesus breaks God’s law by eating with sinners and outcasts. Jesus insists that the rules are superseded by the divine call to love, forgive, and strive for justice.

God’s commandments are wise and good. But over the centuries human teachers have reflected on the Torah and developed traditions that sometimes veer from the Lord’s original intent. Christians can also lose sight of the essence of Jesus’ teachings. In addition, we can develop a sense of pride and self-satisfaction when we put all our energy into obeying rules. In the end, we practice true religion by the grace of God, rather than through our own achievement. Jesus teaches that true religion flows from the heart that longs for God.

In his letter to the Church, James also reflects on the nature of true religion. For James the faithful Christian needs to develop an attitude of humble listening for the still, small voice of the Good Shepherd, whose word is planted within each of us to guide us along right pathways. Righteous living requires perseverance, self-discipline, and compassion in action. James challenges Christians to care for the most vulnerable people in society and to resist the lures of worldly values. Our actions provide evidence of the depth of our faith. Two of the commitments the congregation makes again at every Baptism capture the concept James develops in his letter. We promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving [our] neighbor as [our]self” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” As we recommit ourselves to pursue these ideals, we pray for God’s help, knowing we cannot accomplish such lofty goals on our own.

This week as a nation we have reflected on the life and legacy of Edward Kennedy, a Christian man who lived his faith in the public, political arena. His forebears were Irish immigrants, who became financially successful and influential American citizens. Teddy’s father encouraged his children to serve the public good. One son became President of the United States. Another served as Attorney General during the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960’s. A daughter founded the Special Olympics, an international celebration of athletic achievements of disabled children. In March of 1962, at the age of 30, Teddy became a United States Senator, a position he held for 47 years, until his death a few days ago. His human flaws were many. He certainly did not pursue the Christian ideal James calls “keeping oneself unstained by the world.” But with great passion and staying power, he did care for orphans and widows and other voiceless ones of society who need an advocate. In his first term in the Senate, Teddy worked tirelessly for the Civil Rights legislation that ended the public policy of racial discrimination. Over the years he advocated for legislation that promoted justice: reasonable accommodation for the disabled, fairer policies on Immigration, penalties for hate crimes (especially those directed at homosexual persons), and a public education system that serves all children. With a deep commitment to universal access to health care, he established community health care centers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and the S-CHIP program, providing health care for children in low-income families. He even helped create Meals on Wheels. Ted Kennedy would not let America turn a blind eye toward the needy. We had to see them, even if we chose to do nothing to help through our national government. The Lord inspired and blessed the work of this “doer of the word.”

Our sphere of influence is much more modest than that of a United States Senator, but we, too, can strive to walk the path of “true religion.” The Daughters of the King, Episcopal Church Women, Altar Guild members, Sunday School teachers, Eucharistic Visitors, Choir members, Hospitality Committee members, Lay Readers, Gardeners, advocates for Good Stewardship of the Environment, Food Pantry contributors, Newcomer Committee members and many others seek to serve God and stay connected to God with the support of other Christian pilgrims. The Cursillo Movement offers another tool for helping Christians grow in faith through intentional mutual support and encouragement. My own Cursillo weekend felt like an immersion in the Grace of God, and my work with the team preparing for the Women’s Cursillo weekend just two weeks from now has been an inspiring reminder of the love and joy that come our way when we seek intentionally to create a beautiful and meaningful experience for others beloved of Christ. A group of Cursillo graduates from another church in South Dade have even committed themselves to donating food to St. Faith’s Food Pantry monthly, for the love of God. Outside church activities we practice true religion when we look out for others and act for their benefit – trying to provide direction for unfocused students, pausing to let a car into a long stream of traffic, or taking a meal to a neighbor recently home from the hospital. The opportunities are endless!

The strange and wonderful text of the Song of Solomon – the Song of Songs – reminds us that God is the one who initiates our desire for true religion. Like a lover, God longs for us to be tied back together with each other again, lost in the mutual delight that is the essence of our relationship. God calls to us, saying, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” We come away with God when we take time for prayer and meditation, especially when we can be silent long enough to rest in God’s pleasure and to remember that we are beautiful and beloved. God’s generous grace that embraces us in our flawed humanity and deems us precious, empowers us to share this profound Good News with others in word and deed. This week, we celebrate God’s generous grace that empowered one man, vulnerable to abuse of alcohol and to indiscretion with women, to work tirelessly over four decades to lift up the lowly.
Thanks be to God for this amazing grace! Amen.

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The Hymnal 1982, hymn 610, verse 3
Mark 2:18-20
Mark 2:23-27
Mark 3:1-6. Note that after seeing Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath, the leaders set about to destroy Jesus.
Mark 2:15-17
The Book of Common Prayer 1979, page 305