WEBVTT 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:28.159 Good morning and welcome to St. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:28.800 Thomas. 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:34.719 We were planning to do a baptism today, but we're not going to do it because somebody got sick. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:44.000 So instead, if you pick up your red book of common prayer, this is the slightly different service when we didn't do a baptism. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.840 We'll begin on page three hundred and fifty-five. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:12.960 Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:17.599 Amen. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:20.319 Let's pray together at the bottom of the page. 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:29.120 Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid. 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:42.240 Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name through Christ of the Lord. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:43.199 Amen. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:36.319 Let us pray. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:50.399 Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:51.199 Amen. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:56.319 As you're being seated, our children are invited to children's chapel in the back with Mr. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:57.120 Allen. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:38.560 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, Come, make gods for us who shall go before us. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:45.839 As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:55.759 Aaron said to them, Take off your gold rings that are on your ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:02.079 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:09.040 He took the gold from them, performed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:17.120 And they said, These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:21.360 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:28.480 And Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow shall be the festival to the Lord. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:35.040 They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:40.639 And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to rebel. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:45.120 And the Lord said to Moses, Go down at once. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:50.879 Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:55.759 They have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:08:02.639 They have cast for themselves an image of a calf and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it. 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:09.279 And said, These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:16.800 The Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:25.199 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them, and of you I will make a great nation. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:40.879 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:52.159 Why should the Egyptians say, It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth? 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:59.360 Turn from your fierce wrath, change your mind, and do not bring disaster on your people. 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:22.080 Remember, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore by to them by your own self, saying to them, I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever. 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:28.639 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring upon his people. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:35.039 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:52.000 Reading from the Psalms. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:16.480 Happy are those who act with justice. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.039 And always do what is right. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:24.080 Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you have before your people. 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.679 And visit me with your daily help. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:33.679 That I may see the prosperity of your elect and be glad with the gladness of your people. 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:37.440 That I may glory with your inheritance. 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:40.799 We have sinned as our ancestors did. 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:44.320 We have done wrong and dealt wickedly. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:47.600 Israel made a bull calf at Horeb. 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:50.480 And worship the golden image. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:57.120 And so they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that feeds on grass. 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:00.080 They forgot God and their Savior. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:03.440 And who had done great things in Egypt. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:06.399 Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:09.440 And fearful things as a red sea. 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:16.799 So God would have destroyed them had not Moses, the chosen one, stood before God in the breach. 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:20.480 To turn away my wrath from consuming God. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:14.960 I urge you, O dear, and I urge you to be of the same mind in the Lord. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:35.679 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the word in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:38.879 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.279 Again I will say, rejoice. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:45.120 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:47.279 The Lord is near. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:58.399 Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:08.480 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:32.080 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:39.279 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:42.080 And the God of peace will be with you. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.919 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:52.559 Glory to you. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:17:02.639 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:08.960 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:19.359 Again he sent other slaves, saying, Tell those who have been invited, Look, I've prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything's ready. 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:21.279 Come to the wedding banquet. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:31.200 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:33.279 The king was enraged. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:37.599 He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:43.279 Then he said to his slaves, The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:48.799 Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:54.400 The slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:56.720 So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:06.720 When the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, Friend, how'd you get in here without a wedding robe? 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:08.799 And that one was speechless. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:17.279 Then the king said to the attendants, bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.680 The gospel of the Lord. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:57.200 Because I hope you're feeling like, wow, I'm not sure if that's praiseworthy. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.680 That's like those are like some hard scriptures today. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:05.359 So they put us in a bind, these people who made electionaries. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:10.960 So I'm going to do my best not to get out of it, but well, to take these things seriously. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:25.440 And the first thing you need to hear me say, and I know I've done this for the last two weeks, this particular parable, once again, has been leveraged against Jewish people for 1,500 years, and not only is that wrong, it's sinful and evil. 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:28.240 So here's the terrible read of the parable. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.000 Do not leave home with this. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.920 You may have brought it with you. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.440 Don't leave home with it. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:39.599 The terrible read says, ah, look, the king is God, and look, all the invited guests, those are the Jewish people. 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:46.640 They don't want to come, and look, they abused the prophets and they killed Jesus, so God will murder them and burn down their city. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.920 And that happens in Germany. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:52.079 And I don't mean in the 1940s. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:20:06.799 I'm talking about in the 1100s, that happened over and over and over again because people took this parable and said, aha! That's the kind of God we serve, the God who burns down cities. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.559 I hope you don't worship that God, actually. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:12.799 I do, because that's really hard. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:14.640 Really hard. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:23.279 And maybe it's helpful up front to say, sometimes when we hear scriptures, we don't always realize that there's a couple of different possibilities going on. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:27.279 Sometimes the scripture is prescribing how we ought to behave. 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:29.200 Love your neighbor as yourself. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:30.240 That's a prescription. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:30.960 That's good. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:34.559 Sometimes those scriptures describe us. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:39.440 And at the end of describing us, we're left with a choice. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:41.759 We want to keep living like that. 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:46.799 Or do we want to do what Paul says to the Philippians? 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:51.680 Do we want to do what's honorable and just and pure and pleasing and commendable? 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:59.519 Sometimes the scriptures push us into what we've settled for so we can choose something bigger. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:04.160 I don't know if that's the case here, but I think it is. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:07.599 Now I do have to tell you, there's this bit about uh clothing. 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:14.400 The guys were in the wrong clothes, and my last parish would love to sing a particular spiritual called I Got a Rob. 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:15.519 Does anybody know this one? 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:16.640 I got a robe? 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:18.720 Here's the words. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:23.359 I got a robe, you got a robe, all of God's children got a robe. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:28.240 When I get to heaven, gonna put on my robe, gonna shout all over God's heaven. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:29.920 Heaven. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:31.519 Heaven. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:35.359 Everybody talking about heaven ain't going. 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:40.960 So I was listening to Howard Thurman this week. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:44.480 Howard Thurman's a black theologian who wrote in the late 1930s. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:50.400 And Howard Thurman imagined the setting to this particular spiritual, and it comes right out of the parable, right? 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:50.960 I got a rope. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:52.160 You were in the wrong clothes. 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:59.759 And Howard Thurman imagined that this spiritual was written by people, obviously, who were brought here as chattels against their own will, and they were singing. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.519 In it while they worked. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:02.720 Slow. 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:04.640 Spirituals aren't fast, they're slow. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.319 They're work songs, right? 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.400 I got a rope. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:11.359 You got a rope. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:19.119 And then they get to that chorus, and that's when they look up at the plantation house and they sing with their overseers right there. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.000 Everybody talking about heaven ain't going. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:26.079 Now that's a rough twist on that, isn't it? 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:31.440 See, I usually think people who aren't going are the ones who don't think like me. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:35.119 But that's a different twist, isn't it? 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:39.039 And I think we just need to be honest about this, right? 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:45.200 Normally when we hear a parable, we think, especially when there's a king, oh, like that's a thinly veiled analogy. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:48.240 So God's the king, and like some people are some people. 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:55.119 So we like to say when we hear a made-up story, like so and so represents such and such, and so here's God the king. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:56.160 That's what we normally do. 00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:59.519 I mean, where would you put God in the story other than the king role? 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:08.799 The king invites people, and then when they don't come, invites them again, and then kills them and burns their city down. 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:11.039 And somehow the banquet's still good. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:13.279 Like maybe there's sternos under the food. 00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:14.480 Well, all is this happening. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:17.119 Normally it takes a while to burn somebody's city down. 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:19.359 And then the king brings everybody in. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.680 Did you notice good and bad? 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:23.519 Good and bad. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:30.480 Now, I don't know if that means morally good and bad, or if that means folks you want at your party, folks you don't want at your party. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:38.799 And all of a sudden, somebody came from Lord of the Streets where they've been sleeping under a bridge, and the wedding planner says, You're not wearing the right clothes. 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:40.960 I live under a bridge. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:43.039 And what happens? 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:48.000 He gets well bound up and thrown in the darkness. 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:52.880 And I gotta ask, is that how God is? 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:56.160 Or is that how we are? 00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.039 I don't mean as individuals. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:05.200 Sometimes I do, but uh, is that how we are corporately? 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:12.720 There's this other real interesting image that we get out of Exodus, and I don't know, you probably know this story, right? 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:19.440 The people are down at the bottom of the mountain, and Moses is up on top, and he's been gone a long time, and they start to get impatient. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:22.799 He's been gone a long time, so uh we need something else, right? 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:24.720 Maybe he's not coming back. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:29.920 So let's make us something else to look at, because we like looking at stuff, we people do. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:34.000 So who steps in but the high priest, his brother Aaron? 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:35.680 And he's real excited to step in. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:36.720 I don't know if you noticed. 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:40.319 If you know the rest of the story later, he's like, no, the people made me do it. 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:42.400 But in this story, boy, he's real excited, right? 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:45.200 And he says, Give me some stuff, I'll make you something. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:47.119 And I don't know if you know the story. 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:53.519 He's not making them pictures of Isis and Osiris and these Canaanite gods, Baal. 00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:56.240 He's making them a picture of God. 00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:58.160 That's the plan. 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:00.720 We can't see Moses anymore. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:03.759 We need to look at something, so make us a thing that looks like God. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:08.559 So Aaron makes them a bull or a calf. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:11.680 Pretty common in the ancient near race that you've got bulls. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:13.759 Baal is represented by a bull. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:19.759 Uh and God's talking to Moses, and God says, Hey, Moses, this again, I mentioned this to you last week. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:20.240 It's great. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:22.160 If you've ever had kids, you do this, right? 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:26.799 You say to your partner, uh, you'll never guess what your daughter did today. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:28.799 Wait, I thought she was ours. 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:30.400 Oh no, today she's yours, right? 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:31.920 And this is what God does to Moses. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:33.759 They're like a wedding couple here. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:36.880 God says, Moses, you won't believe what your people did. 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:39.359 And keep in mind, they're God's people, right? 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:41.359 You won't believe what your people did. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:45.039 They made this thing that's supposed to look like me, and it doesn't. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.319 It's not flattering at all. 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:51.119 So I'll tell you what, I'm gonna kill all of them, and I'll start over with you. 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.759 God ever told you that when you were praying? 00:25:58.240 --> 00:25:59.279 I hope not. 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:02.160 And Moses says this real interesting thing, doesn't he? 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:04.240 God, that would damage your reputation. 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:07.599 If you do that, people would think poorly of you. 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:16.079 Besides, you made a promise, you should keep your promise, and God says, Fine, fine, I won't kill them all, like you said. 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:19.279 You ever prayed like that? 00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:22.720 I mean, it's biblical, isn't it? 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:24.799 I mean, that's what happens. 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:32.559 I mean, I guess we could just as well pray like that right now, given what's going on on the other side of the world, right? 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:35.839 God, this is damaging your reputation. 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:40.079 These people call on you by name and they're dying in the streets. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:41.680 This doesn't look good. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:45.200 I usually think I shouldn't pray like that. 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:46.640 That'd take a lot of boldness. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:51.359 But to be honest with you, the reason I don't pray like that is because I don't think God kills God's people. 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:52.720 I don't think that. 00:26:54.079 --> 00:27:02.960 And I know this story comes right out of the scriptures, so maybe we could say, hey, you know, maybe God's testing Moses to see if he'll step into the breach. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:06.720 Maybe he's just saying, Will Moses step up for his people? 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:11.359 I I don't love it because then because it's like, what if Moses failed that test? 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:13.759 You know, like what if Moses didn't? 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:16.160 That's a lot hanging on one person. 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:36.319 So it makes me wonder if sometimes we build images of God just like the Hebrew people, and instead of looking like golden calves, they look like God with a paddle and a book where God writes everything naughty and everything nice, and if you don't get it right, there'll be coal in your stocking for eternity. 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:44.480 And I'm not sure that's how God is, but I'm pretty sure that's how we usually think of God. 00:27:50.319 --> 00:28:00.720 This whole story about the party, again, not only is the time scale unreasonable that you destroy a city while you've got a banquet going. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:03.039 By the way, the banquet's in the city you destroyed. 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:06.559 So I, you know, I think it's meant to be hyperbolic. 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:08.960 And who's not dressed right? 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:13.680 I mean, I guess it could be somebody who's not faithful, but it could also be Jesus himself. 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:17.440 Didn't he get thrown out of the party he went to? 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:19.359 That's what we call Holy Week, right? 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:25.359 I don't know that God always has to be the king when we hear a story. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:34.079 And sometimes I wonder, you know, we have this great thing we do in the Episcopal Church, and it is great. 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:39.839 We have these signs that say the Episcopal Church welcomes you. 00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:42.480 It's lovely, right? 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:43.519 Welcomes you. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:48.240 Sometimes that means the Episcopal Church welcomes you to be yourself. 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:51.359 You get to come in and you're welcome. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:52.640 As you are. 00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:58.000 Sometimes that means the Episcopal Church welcomes you to do what we do. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:03.440 And if you don't do what we do, there's the Presbyterians. 00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:07.279 I'm not even talking about the Episcopal Church. 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:09.359 I'm talking about church, right? 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:20.640 And I'm not calling any names, but I'll tell you, last year the bishop made a tour and he went to every convocation and had like a town hall meeting, and the one in our convocation was down in Lamarque. 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:28.880 And somebody in the church said, Hey, Bishop, like we aren't having a growth in attendance, and like how do we grow our attendance? 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:33.680 And the bishop just sort of said very unbishoply, why would anybody want to go to your church? 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:36.000 Well, because we really like what we do. 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.079 We have our all of our good friends here. 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:39.279 I mean, that was the reply. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:41.039 Well, but they don't know you. 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:43.599 So they're not friends with you. 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:47.920 So if that's what you got, why do they want to come when you're not friends? 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:50.400 Have you like invited people? 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:57.599 Well, but the bishop, like, if people don't come, we're not going to be able to afford what we do. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:59.680 Oh, oh, so this is this is interesting. 00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:00.480 It's our bishop. 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:02.400 So you want people to come pay for what you enjoy. 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:03.359 That's what you want. 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:07.759 You want people to come pay for what you're already doing because you like it. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:10.720 But what if they wanted to do something different? 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:14.160 And that's always the interesting question, isn't it? 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:21.039 I mean, what if they wanted to do something different, like say Amen during the sermon? 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:24.720 Well, maybe we'd wrap you up and throw you out, right? 00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:36.799 Or uh what if they wanted to come in and I don't know, like do something real dicey, like like put their hands in the air, or uh, I don't know, wear Anglican prayer beads or something like that. 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:39.839 What would we do with folks that came in different? 00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:43.200 Uh we might get real nervous. 00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:44.319 We, me. 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:47.680 Once upon a time, five years ago, a guy came into service at 8 o'clock. 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:51.759 Some of y'all might have been here, and during the sermon, and it was one of my better ones, let me tell you. 00:30:51.839 --> 00:30:54.000 I mean, I was really waxing eloquent. 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:55.920 He got up and started talking. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:00.000 And I had no idea what he was talking about, and I don't think he did either. 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:04.160 He just got up and started talking, and everybody started looking for the exits. 00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:05.759 I mean, everybody. 00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:07.759 Especially the vergers. 00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:11.200 And um, I I don't know. 00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:12.720 I don't have a lot of sense. 00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:18.240 I don't I don't always have a lot of sense, but somehow I just knew not to say anything, right? 00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:22.559 So he said what he wanted to say, which didn't make sense to me. 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.400 And and then he said, thanks everybody, and he walked out the door. 00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:33.440 And maybe that was the only time in his life he was allowed to talk in church without being interrupted. 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:38.400 And I gotta tell you, uh, that was the sermon. 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:44.640 That hey, like the people bring in, you notice they bring in everybody. 00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:47.599 They bring in everybody, the good and the bad. 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:52.960 I mean, the people who don't vote like you, or the people who have DSM5 diagnoses, he did. 00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:54.559 He was bipolar schizophrenic. 00:31:54.640 --> 00:31:55.920 He told me that later, right? 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:57.279 So that's what he was doing. 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:00.240 He was being himself. 00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:03.519 He was being himself. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:10.240 And I thought, wow, that was so lovely that you were able to be yourself, and I don't know if I could do that every week. 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:12.559 I'm just being honest with you. 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:15.759 Could I do that every week without having a breakdown? 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:16.640 I don't know. 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:21.200 And that's what makes me wonder if this isn't what Jesus is actually inviting us to consider. 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:23.759 What kind of party do we like to throw? 00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:28.240 I like to throw parties where everybody's got a good attitude, you know? 00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:36.640 I like to throw parties where people match the dress code and they're grateful to be at the party, but apparently that isn't the kind of party God throws. 00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:39.519 God throws the kind of party where everybody's invited. 00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:41.279 In fact, maybe even compelled. 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:47.759 If you read Luke, they're compelled, like, get in there, and we're chaperoning to make sure you get in. 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:51.440 And then there's this whole bit about the guy not wearing the right clothes. 00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:58.000 And I guess God would get really mad if we don't wear clothes that we don't have, but maybe not. 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:07.759 And it makes me wonder what maybe what's missing from this story is somebody like Moses who stands in the breach and says, that guy just got done sleeping under an overpass. 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:09.119 He is with me. 00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:17.359 I don't know if that'd be a fun party, but it'd be a joyful one, don't you think? 00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:24.799 And I wonder if sometimes we don't go to what we think is God's party wearing exactly the wrong clothes. 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:33.119 They might be nice clothes, but they look like dour and they look a little sad and they look like God don't smite me with all your wrath. 00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:36.640 Instead of what this says, God's having a party. 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:38.960 Like a good party. 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:44.000 Are we ready to enjoy the party God's got in mind? 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:49.920 Or do we think the party's ours? 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:52.960 Because if it's our party, we can cry if we want to. 00:33:56.880 --> 00:33:58.400 But this isn't our party. 00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:00.079 This is God's party. 00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:01.279 And you're invited. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:02.799 You're invited. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:06.400 So is the person at work you can't stand. 00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:12.880 So is the person you saw on the TV that you don't think should even have a fair trial. 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:15.119 I mean, this week. 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:18.079 The good and the bad. 00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:24.960 They're invited to God's party, even if they're wearing clothes you don't like. 00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:36.159 And maybe this is, you know, I don't want to overdo stewardship, but maybe this is the real question about our stewardship. 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:40.960 Are we interested in our kind of party or are we interested in God's kind of party? 00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:45.280 Parties that I like to throw, I got a lot of control over. 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:50.239 They feel real good, and usually I feel good like a host, and I get lots of thanks, and that's great, you know? 00:34:50.320 --> 00:34:54.400 Like there's a room for that, but I that's not the party I I read about here. 00:34:55.679 --> 00:34:57.679 That's not the party I read about here. 00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:02.559 The party I read about is about inviting people, well, who don't belong. 00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:08.239 And and maybe just doing this thing Moses does and standing in the bridge. 00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:10.320 He he's with me. 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:13.119 She's with me. 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:19.599 So if you need us to bow, we'll go out together and we'll have our own party with God. 00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:26.239 Now, we're getting ready to dedicate a window, and I don't want you to think images are bad. 00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:29.039 It's just that images are real powerful, right? 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:31.039 Images are real powerful. 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:38.800 The whole problem when we limit God to an image, we say this is God, this calf, right, is we said God isn't in other stuff. 00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:47.679 The beautiful thing about images, when we do them well, is they remind us, frankly, that God loves beauty. 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:51.519 God created and designed it and invites us to rejoice in it. 00:35:51.679 --> 00:35:57.840 When we do images well, they remind us not only of pretty, they tell us the deeper story of our faith. 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:04.320 Like, hey, you might be in a part right now where you can't join that party, and don't worry, the world used to be like that. 00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:06.800 The world used to be formless and void. 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:09.360 It wasn't a great party place, it was a mess. 00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:11.599 Light and darkness were combined somehow. 00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:12.480 Imagine that. 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:14.719 So was land and sea and sky. 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.400 There wasn't anything, it was just a mess. 00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:17.519 So, what did God do? 00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:18.880 God made it a better party. 00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:24.079 God took that chrysalis and breathed life over it, and what do you know? 00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:26.079 It turned into a butterfly. 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:30.800 And God loves seasons. 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:33.440 Boy, don't you love seasons all of a sudden? 00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:36.480 Boy, I love this season that showed up a week ago. 00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:38.239 Thank God for fall, right? 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:40.400 God loves this and gives this to us, right? 00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:41.119 And what do you know? 00:36:41.199 --> 00:36:46.880 There's seasons in our church calendar, that's why we wear green and red and blue and pink and white. 00:36:47.039 --> 00:36:48.639 You'll see all those in that window. 00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:50.000 Reminds us, right? 00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:53.360 There's seasons, there's rhythms in our life, right? 00:36:53.440 --> 00:37:00.079 There's times of joy, and there's times for working hard, and there's time for fastening those belts, and there's time for letting them come out. 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:08.320 God made all that and reminds us if you're in one of those seasons of not feeling good, it's okay. 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:09.599 It's okay. 00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:12.159 Spirit can breathe new life on that, right? 00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:14.000 Spirit can breathe new life. 00:37:14.159 --> 00:37:16.159 Not just on the world, but on you. 00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:20.000 So if you're not fit for God's party, then you're like me. 00:37:20.480 --> 00:37:31.599 And uh rather than feeling worse about yourself, hey, maybe the Holy Spirit might just turn you into a butterfly so that you can join God in a lighting beauty. 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:36.559 Well, folks, on folks who have never been to a party for once in their life. 00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:38.880 I mean, that's the truth. 00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:43.760 I get to go to parties, but some people are never invited. 00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:45.119 Never. 00:37:47.679 --> 00:37:55.440 And God sure thinks the party would be a lot more fun if we all came and chose to enjoy ourselves. 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:17.280 Now, if we were doing a baptism, we would do the apostles' creed, but since we're not, we're going to do the Nicene Creed, and that's on page 358 of your red prayer book, page 358. 00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:43.599 We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is being and unseen. 00:38:44.480 --> 00:39:00.559 We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, the eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, life from light, through God and God, beyond made, of the one being with the Father. 00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:02.960 Through him all things were made. 00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:07.519 For God and God came down from heaven. 00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:14.159 By the power of the Holy Spirit, he became from the Virgin Mary and was made man. 00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:18.159 For our sake he was fine and heart of the Father. 00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:20.400 He suffered the heaven and third. 00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:25.119 On the third day he rose again, in accordance with the scriptures. 00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:30.000 He attended to heaven, and in the speaker and the Father. 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:43.840 We believe in the Holy Spirit, glory and provide, who the beast of the Father and the Son. 00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:47.599 With the Father and the Son and Christ, glorified. 00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:50.159 He spoke unto the prophets. 00:39:50.880 --> 00:39:52.960 We believe in one holy God and after. 00:39:54.480 --> 00:39:56.800 We acknowledge one back to gifted. 00:39:58.079 --> 00:40:02.480 We look for the prospect of the dead and the life of the world to come. 00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:03.840 Amen. 00:40:05.280 --> 00:40:09.440 Now we are going to ask God's blessing on our new creation window. 00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:12.960 And in order to do that, I have some holy water here. 00:40:13.039 --> 00:40:19.280 And I'm going to invite you, if you choose, you don't have to, to join me by going out into the hallway. 00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:23.519 I have a statement from Christine that talks a little bit about the art. 00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:25.119 And then we have a blessing prayer. 00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:26.719 So if you come, bring your bulletin. 00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:29.920 If you want to stay, I think you'll still be able to hear me, it'll be fine. 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:36.639 And you'll have lots of chances to look at it, but invite you to join me in a in a procession here to the window. 00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:39.920 And it's a memorial to their daughter Ella. 00:42:40.159 --> 00:42:43.360 The window lies that you see above you. 00:42:48.400 --> 00:43:03.599 Harmony stained glass, and installed ten days ago by each day and night is represented as a chapter in the evening and morning. 00:45:24.559 --> 00:45:27.280