WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.919 Son and Holy Spirit. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:09.519 There is one body and one Spirit. 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:15.279 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:19.359 Let's pray together. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:28.079 Almighty God, under whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:40.880 Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord. 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:41.840 Amen. 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:43.200 The Lord be with you. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:46.159 Let us pray. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:54.079 O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:04.480 Increase and multiply upon us your mercy, that with you as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:11.120 Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:12.319 Amen. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:42.640 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:47.599 They ravaged the Ammonites and beseeched Rabbah. 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:50.319 But David remained in Jerusalem. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:02:02.159 It happened late one afternoon when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house that he saw from the roof a woman bathing. 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.719 The woman was very beautiful. 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:08.719 David sent someone to inquire about the woman. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:16.879 It was reported, this is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:23.599 So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:28.240 Now she was purifying herself after her period. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.360 Then she returned to her house. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:37.360 The woman conceived, and she sent and told David, I am pregnant. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:43.199 So David sent word to Joab, send me Uriah the Hittite. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.560 And Joab sent Uriah to David. 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:55.520 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared and how the war was going. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:02.000 Then David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:09.039 Uriah went out of the king's house and there followed him a present from the king. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:17.840 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his Lord and did not go down to his house. 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:28.400 When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, You have just come from a journey. 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.280 Why did you not go down to your house? 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:44.240 Uriah said to David, The Ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths, and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are camping in the open field. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:50.159 Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:55.919 As you live and as your soul lives, I will do no such thing. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:04.240 Then David said to Uriah, remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.319 So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:16.399 On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:25.360 And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his Lord, but he did not go down to his house. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:32.319 In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:44.399 In the letter he wrote, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him so that he may be struck down and die. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.959 Hear what the Lord is saying to God's people. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.720 They make known the glory of your reign. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.759 That the peoples may know of your power. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:22.240 Your reign is an everlasting reign. 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:29.920 O Lord, you are faithful in all your words. 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:36.319 The Lord upholds all those who fall. 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:42.720 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord. 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.000 You open wide your hand. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:56.079 O Lord, you are righteous in all your ways. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:02.639 O Lord, you are near to those who call upon you. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:52.000 I pray that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 00:06:53.680 --> 00:07:12.000 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:23.279 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:32.160 To him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:33.360 Amen. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.759 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.160 Thanks be to God. 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:24.079 Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:29.279 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.960 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:37.759 Now the fat the Passover, the festival of the Jewish people, was near. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:46.080 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat? 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:50.879 Jesus said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:56.960 Philip answered him, Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:05.360 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, There's a boy here who has five loaves and two fish. 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:07.759 But what are they among so many people? 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:11.120 Jesus said, Make the people sit down. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:16.480 Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:18.320 Then Jesus took the loaves. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:24.639 And when he given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated, so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:32.000 When they were satisfied, Jesus told the disciples, Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:33.759 So they gathered them up. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:40.320 And from the fragments of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:48.000 When the people saw the sign that Jesus had done, they began to say, Well, this is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:55.519 When Jesus realized they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:02.080 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.759 It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.360 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:15.519 When they'd rode about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:17.519 They were terrified. 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:20.639 But Jesus said to them, It is I. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:22.639 Do not be afraid. 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:28.559 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.919 The gospel of the Lord. 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:54.799 Oh, you beat me. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:55.600 Good. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:01.279 I'm not sure if you realize, we are part of something called the Revised Common Lectionary. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.320 This informs most of our services in the Episcopal Church. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:20.000 And normally what we do is in a three-year cycle labeled years A, B, and C, we read scriptures each week from the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Old Testament, from the Psalter, from New Testament epistles, and from the Gospels. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:43.519 And the authors of the Rise Common Lectionary, or maybe I should say the compilers, they had some decent sense when they put this together to realize that there are stories in the Bible that maybe shouldn't be shared in public because after all, talking about Judges 19, if you've read the Bible, you know what I'm talking about, over a fried chicken dinner lunch, well, it's challenging. 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.919 You might go home and read Judges 19 now and you'll see why we don't read it in church. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.480 It never shows up on Sunday in the lectionary because it's unsavory. 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:54.080 I'm just going to tell you. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:58.000 Somehow this reading from 2 Samuel's made it in today. 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:02.159 I don't know what the guys were thinking, but since it's there, I feel like we'd better talk about it. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:03.679 And here's what I want you to know. 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:07.600 I grew up in a church in which David was presumed to be the hero. 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:09.519 He had a heart after God's own. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:11.600 The guy couldn't really do much wrong. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:20.320 Now, sure, he ends up doing some bad stuff, but the way I learned this story as a kid was that Bathsheba was a seductress. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:30.080 And she was up on the roof doing some kind of dance, and that's what overcame David's better judgment, and so he's only partially to blame. 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:31.840 It's really this lady's fault. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:37.200 And I want to tell you the story goes to great pains to resist that reading. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:39.840 So here are the pains the story goes to. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:44.000 The lady's called Bathsheba, which in Hebrew means perfect daughter. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:49.200 Her father is called Eliam, which means my God's people. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:53.840 And her husband is called Uriah, which means the light of God. 00:12:54.240 --> 00:13:02.320 So the light of God's wife, who is the perfect daughter, is on top of the roof, ritually bathing. 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.240 That's important, ritually bathing. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:08.320 We usually think we worship God when we do things like come to church or sing hymns. 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:12.879 Part of the Torah is purifying yourself outwardly. 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:21.759 And so this woman was likely getting into a 50-gallon drum of water to wash off any ritual impurities. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:25.200 The city of Jerusalem, and David took it. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:48.799 He's built his home above everyone else's so he can look. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:53.919 Notice the text tells you it's the time when kings go to war. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:14:01.200 David's not only a king, the scriptures say he's a pretty good fighter and a pretty good general, but notice where he's not. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:03.600 He's not at the fighting. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:07.200 I want to tell you, I think the story is telling you, he planned this. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:14.399 Because Uriah, it turns out, as we continue to read 2 Samuel, is one of David's mighty men. 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:19.519 That is to say, he's one of like the fab five, along with David. 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:27.360 David knows the guy intimately, has seen his wife before, and he's engineered things. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:34.159 I don't think I'm reaching here so that he can do exactly what happens in this story. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:37.840 Notice that Bathsheba has no voice. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:41.840 She has no agency whatsoever. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:49.039 She's taken and consumed like a piece of bread, and then there's this problem David has to deal with. 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:53.759 He didn't plan on her becoming pregnant, so what's he going to do to hide the evidence? 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.960 He's going to call the light of God back from a battle. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:01.120 Turns out the light of God is a Hittite, not a Jewish person. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:03.360 The text is really clear. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.320 This Hittite is more faithful than David. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.600 David tries to cover this up. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:11.120 Go down and wash your feet. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:14.000 Again, we wouldn't talk about this except we just read it. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:17.840 Hebrew is a language that has fewer than 8,000 words. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.559 By the time of Jesus, no one was even speaking it. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:22.639 They were just reading it in the synagogue. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:24.159 People spoke Aramaic. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:36.639 Well, it turns out because the language is so word poor, and because the Hebrew language actually is a little bit prudish, sort of like in the puritanical Amish sensibility, it likes to use euphemisms. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:45.840 One of the euphemisms that happens throughout the Hebrew Bible is the word feet, which sometimes means feet and other times means genitals. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.360 So when David says, go down and wash your feet, he's not saying go down and wash your feet. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.759 He's saying, go sleep with your wife. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:16:02.720 And Uriah the Hittite, the light of God, who's not Jewish but is more faithful than the king, says, How could I possibly do that? 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:10.000 David even tries to get him drunk, still fails. 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:12.320 And notice what he's gonna do. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:21.840 He's gonna engage one of his own bodyguards in difficult fighting and pull back, regardless of the cost of the other human beings. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:27.279 David is sent in battle to cover up this indiscretion. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:30.000 This indiscretion is called rape. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:32.240 We can call it a couple of different ways. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:44.639 We could call it active, we could call it statutory, but please understand this woman cannot say no unless she's willing to forfeit her life. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:58.799 What's gonna happen next week, and as the scriptures continue, is that the prophet Nathan's gonna come to David and say, look, you wronged Uriah by taking something that wasn't yours. 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:05.519 And I'm just gonna disagree with the scriptures because David didn't just wrong Uriah, he wronged Bathsheba. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:14.240 In the biblical worldview, women were objects and they were property, and what David did wrong was he took someone else's stuff. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:25.359 Of course, what's missing is that this woman had no choice, no voice, no advocate. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:29.680 Now, this is the guy, you've read Psalm 51. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:37.359 The words are attributed, against you only have I sinned and done what was wrong in your eyes, and that's factually incorrect. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:47.279 The man sinned against Bathsheba, he sinned against her husband by killing him, and he sinned against his entire people by abusing power, and all of that's wrong. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:51.680 Now, what does that have to do with feeding 5,000 people? 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:54.880 I may not do this right. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:00.079 See, the thing you may not know about the lectionary is it's not just samplings from the Bible. 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:13.440 The point of the lectionary is to pull from four different sources of the Bible, and lectionary preaching is designed for the preacher to weave all the stories into one coherent whole. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:15.839 And that's challenging sometimes. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:19.920 Here comes Jesus feeding the 5,000. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.000 And I want to tell you, uh, that's what we've got artistically on the floor here. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:36.240 This is modeled off of a mosaic that's about 1,600 years old, found in Capernaum, where the site, there's a church built on the site where Jesus supposedly did this. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:40.799 So this mosaic is a copy of the one found in that church in Israel. 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:43.680 Um you know this story. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:47.920 Here is Jesus testing his disciples. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.519 Clearly they failed. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:56.559 And this is pretty common, by the way, the people who know Jesus best, the religious folk, tend to let him down the most. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:58.000 This is what happens in the story. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:00.480 A few tidbits to put forward. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:04.880 Uh Andrew usually gets credit as being the faithful guy. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:07.759 He says, Look, I found this boy who's got stuff. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:11.200 But I want to suggest to you, Andrew might be being sarcastic here. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:17.200 Here's more than 5,000 people, and he's got, he's found one little boy that's got some stuff. 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:18.799 Now, here's a word about the stuff. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:25.200 He's got two fish, but they're not marlins, they're not beluga whales, they're not even king salmon, they're like sardines. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:26.720 Two. 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:30.799 Please understand the quantity. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.480 This is lunch for a child, not for an adult. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.400 He's got five loaves of bread. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:40.400 Please don't think two-pound loaves that come from an artisanal baker. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:43.200 Please think smaller than an English muffin. 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.720 Five little half English muffins is what he's got. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:48.480 And John is the one who does this. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:49.839 No other gospel does it. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:53.599 John is really clear that these are barley loaves. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:59.519 Now that may not be important on the surface, but I want you to know, and I learned this from my dad a long time ago. 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:01.759 Some of you may remember this, maybe not. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:06.640 My dad grew up in rural Kentucky in the late 40s, and his family was by no means affluent. 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.640 But one thing they were not gonna do was eat wheat bread, because that was for poor people. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:12.720 So my dad grew up eating white bread. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.480 Now the tables have turned, right? 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:16.400 But this was a really big thing. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.160 He was not gonna eat wheat bread. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:19.839 Well, the same is true in this story. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.200 Barley loaves are the poorest of fare. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:26.880 What's the analog? 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:36.000 Little kid went through the Wendy's drive-thru and got two things on the 99 cent value menu, which you know are not nutritionally good for you, and that's all they got. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.119 And Andrew says, Ha, look, here's this kid's got this stuff. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.039 Let's just pass that out, Jesus. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:42.799 Let's see what happens. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:46.640 Then the miracle happens, right? 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:49.359 Now we don't know how this works. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:55.519 Some people think that this is sort of like spell casting, and Jesus said some magic words and then things multiply. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:08.720 I want you to know, interestingly enough, there was a New Testament scholar who wrote after World War II, a German guy named Rudolf Boltmann, and he said, you know, a lot of times people can't even relate to these miracle stories because they don't see those things happening in everyday life. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:13.039 So Rudolf Boltmann did something called the demythologization of the New Testament. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:18.880 He tried to say, let's take some of the mythic miracle stuff out so people can relate to the story. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.839 And Rudolf Boltman said, Hey, here's maybe what happened. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:28.880 This little boy shares what he's got, and other people realize maybe they could share what they have too. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:33.200 And in the end, not only does everybody get some, but there's some left over. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:38.160 Rudolf Boltman says the miracle in the story is that people share. 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:45.680 I actually don't care which one you believe or one of the other ideas about how this works. 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:54.640 It is clear what the story is telling us, and it's something that children almost always nail us on as adults. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:56.880 This story is about scale. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.480 Maybe you've heard that starfish story. 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.960 It was real popular 20 years ago. 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:18.880 You know the one where there's like a child and a grandpa, and they're walking along the beach after a big squall, and there's all these starfish that have washed up on the shore, and the kid knows when the starfish dry out, they're gonna die. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:22.480 So the kid starts throwing the starfish back into the sea. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.720 Grandpa says, Oh, sweetie, you're never gonna make a difference. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:35.680 And the little boy says, or the little girl, depending which version of the story, takes a starfish, throws it in, and says, I made a difference to that one. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:50.319 Kids are really clever about this, because I don't know if your parents ever tried to shame you when you were a child, like you bought you a donut and you ate half the donut, and then you put it down, and they said, There are starving children in Africa. 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:53.039 And you know what children are doing that adults will never do? 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.599 They'll say, Let's mail it to Africa. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.359 And adults say, No, no, no, it won't keep. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:00.079 You eat it. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:10.319 You know, what's amazing is that kids will actually do something like, let's mail it, or um, I'll share my chicken nuggets with 5,000 people. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.400 I mean, that's what happens in the story. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:22.079 Because somehow kids, unlike us adults, seem to understand that making a difference for that one when we put that in the hands of God makes a difference for the cosmos. 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:39.039 This is actually one of those promises of faith that we don't usually buy into, even though we give it lip service, is that if we put even poor fare, like little English muffins made out of wheat sweepings into the hand of God, God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:50.079 And in general, what we do is we talk ourselves out of serving because we don't have enough to give, and this story actually pushes us to consider we all have something to give. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:55.119 And in the arms of God, not only will there be enough, there's plenty left over. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:02.160 Now, what does that have to do with David's story? 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:17.680 Well, I want to suggest to you that for me, anyway, the link comes from this letter to Ephesians, where Paul prays that people will conceive increasingly of the depth and the breadth and the width and the height of the love of God. 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:30.799 And I want to suggest to you actually, most of my own religious upbringing focused on spiritual life, religious life, church life, praying, singing as personal comfort and edification. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:36.160 Where you're having a hard time, go to church and you'll feel better. 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:41.599 Moments of just being distraught, read the Bible and calm your spirit. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:45.759 You pray so that you can have more peace in the world. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:51.680 And for some reason, the church that raised me forgot that there's a whole lot of justice that's important in practicing love. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:25:03.759 What we grew up doing, at least the way I came up with, is that love was about that wide, and it was about the benefits I got spiritually out of following Jesus or praying. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:11.519 And Paul and these stories are pushing us, I suggest to you, that that's a pretty narrow bandwidth. 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:15.680 And that frankly, love without justice isn't very loving at all. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:19.519 Here's a story about Jesus meeting people's physical needs. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:31.759 Here's a counter story about a man abused power, completely running over woman and husband, and then we have some lovely psalms later that probably made him feel better to pray. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:45.599 But please understand, we're being asked to widen the practice of love and faith so that even broken pieces get picked up. 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:58.000 We're being asked, I want to suggest to you, as part of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to advocate for women like Bathsheba who have no voice, who have no protector. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:11.920 We're being asked to say, because you've got a position of power, whether you're a president or a Supreme Court justice or a congresswoman or a congressman, abusing your authority is not okay. 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:13.359 It's sin. 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:24.559 We're being asked to advocate for Bathsheba, even if we can only do it really small ways. 00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:28.160 Really small ways. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:38.720 And I think we're being asked to stop talking ourselves out of sharing what we have because somebody else might have more. 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:43.039 Now, this happens sometimes during communion. 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:46.799 I count the wafers before uh the service, and sometimes I miscount. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:50.960 So maybe there's eight more people in line, and I've got three wafers left. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:54.480 I could run back to the sacristry and get some more and bless them on the spot. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:57.119 But usually what I do is I start breaking them into little bits. 00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:58.799 And look, they're not very big to begin with. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:26:59.599 You all know that. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:03.119 But when you get a quarter of one of those things, it's kind of hard to dip in the wine. 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:09.119 But what I always say, right, is that God can do a lot with a little, and this is part of the mystery of faith. 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:17.359 That bread that doesn't even taste very good, it doesn't matter whether you've got a whole piece of something that doesn't taste very good or a quarter of a piece. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:23.440 Strangely enough, the mystery of our faith says, it's enough to nourish you so you can go nourish the world. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:35.920 And if that's true for the bread, don't you think it has to also be true for the greetings we give one another? 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:46.480 For the trust that we keep with one another, for the advocacy that we give one another. 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:49.599 Well, I believe it's true. 00:27:50.160 --> 00:28:04.880 I believe that these small bits not only are enough, but the scripture tells us that faith, hope, and love expand infinitely in God. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:13.680 Now the end of the story is really interesting because here's the disciples going across in a boat, and look, we've heard the story a whole bunch. 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:16.480 There's this big squall on the sea. 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:23.200 It says a strong wind is blowing, and it's interesting that that word wind also means breath and spirit. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:31.039 There's a strong spirit blowing on the water, and here comes Jesus walking atop the waves. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:36.640 Water in the Bible is a symbol of primordial chaos, and notice what Jesus does. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:40.640 He doesn't just stay in the boat, he dares walk upon it, and he doesn't sink into it. 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:51.119 And this is part of our promise is that the gospel is asking us to dare tread on seas of chaos to advocate for people like Bathsheba and Uriah. 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:56.480 The gospel's asking us to do this in the smallest of possible ways. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:03.200 There's a hungry word out there, and God would delight for us to be nourished in that world. 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:09.920 So we come to this table to receive even the smallest bits each week so that we can go and nourish the world. 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:16.079 Not just with our personal piety, but with our practice of justice, which is pious. 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:19.200 And that's why we're going to baptize somebody today. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:21.279 You see, this is a really wonderful thing. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:31.920 Now, we don't always get to do adult baptism in the Episcopal Church, and it's lovely that we get to, because part of what we're doing, and I love what we have here, you won't find it really anywhere else. 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:36.079 Somebody actually called me a month ago and said, I saw that thing and I want one for my church. 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:37.119 How do I get one? 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:40.720 Which is kind of funny because that took a year to get that one. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.960 What I love about it is a couple of things. 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:52.559 When we baptize somebody, we're acknowledging that every human being is a pearl in God's oyster. 00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:55.599 What better visual is there than that? 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:04.160 You know, the other reason we use shells, I think I've told you this before, is actually from a pilgrimage route that started about 1600 years ago, the way of St. 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:04.720 James. 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:07.519 In Spanish, it's called Santiago de Compostelo. 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:15.759 So what was happening is pilgrims throughout Europe were walking a really long way, like the French way is 850 kilometers. 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:19.920 They were walking to this church towards the coast in Spain. 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:22.960 They would have this pilgrim's mass and then they'd go to the beach. 00:30:23.119 --> 00:30:29.279 And the beach, they thought when the world was flat, that if you went far off the beach, you'd fall off the world. 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:38.400 So what they did when they made this pilgrimage is they went to the beach and they picked up shells and they brought back shells from the edge of the earth. 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:44.079 And they were so important they took them to their churches and told the priest, baptize with the shells. 00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:47.279 If you're ever wondering why we do it, that's the story. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:56.079 Because someone went to the edge of the world and brought back this shell, the symbol of life, this symbol of beauty that comes off the edge of the world. 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:01.519 Well, we've got this little baptismal shell that went into outer space on a space shuttle. 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:02.480 Not this one. 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:04.000 That one's too heavy. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:07.119 We got this one. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:16.160 Part of what we say is not only are we pearls in God's oyster, but God would like us to expand the horizons of our universe. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:25.519 Part of growing the width and dip and depth and breadth of our faith is to stop living in a two-dimensional world that's all about our own comfort. 00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:45.519 We're supposed to live in a three, a four-dimensional universe in which our comfort and nourishment intersect with the growth of love for every created, not just human being, but with creation itself. 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:50.240 The two ought to inform one another. 00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:53.359 This is why we baptize. 00:31:53.599 --> 00:32:03.359 Because just in a moment, you're going to say, whether you mean it or not, and I hope you mean it, that you're going to do everything in your power to uphold Sally and her life in Christ. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:08.640 This is a holy promise you're going to make in the holiest of places in church. 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:10.319 We often do it. 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:12.000 But here's the invitation. 00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:14.480 We don't just say it today, we follow up. 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:19.039 Whether it's Sally or Jim or Mike. 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:22.240 Because when this happened to me, someone else said those words. 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:23.200 We will. 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.880 We will. 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:28.079 I don't know what you got to offer, Sally. 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:31.759 Maybe it's some chicken nuggets. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:35.119 I don't know what you got to offer Jim. 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:36.799 Maybe it's a new hat. 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:41.359 But I do know this. 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:44.880 The miracle of this icon. 00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:51.599 And as we say here at St. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:55.599 Thomas, we can do more together. 00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:03.039 So into these solemn promises, into the sacrament, I invite Sally and her family to come on. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:30.400 Sally, do you desire to be baptized? 00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:33.759 Now these words are not just for you and your family. 00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:37.839 I'm going to extend it in the congregation because this is something we all get to renew. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:39.920 So please follow along here. 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:48.160 Sally, do you, church, do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God? 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:57.440 Do you renounce the evil powers of this world, like we read about in the David story, which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God? 00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:03.680 Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God? 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:08.719 Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:13.280 Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:17.760 Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord? 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:18.800 I tell you. 00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:26.639 Will all you who witness these vows do all in your power to support Sally in her life with Christ? 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:27.920 We will. 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:35.840 Then please join me in standing as you're able and let us join with Sally, who's committing herself to Christ, and renew our own baptismal covenant. 00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:38.400 Do you believe in God the Father? 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:41.199 I believe in God the Father Almighty. 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:46.159 Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:50.079 I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son of the Lord. 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:53.599 He was deceived by power of the Holy Spirit. 00:34:56.000 --> 00:35:00.719 He suffered not to crucified by the Holy Spirit. 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:03.119 He was sent to the death. 00:35:03.360 --> 00:35:10.559 On the third day's coming, in this end of God, and seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:13.760 He will come again to judge the thing of the dead. 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:16.480 Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? 00:35:16.800 --> 00:35:28.000 I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the light of every rest. 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:34.480 Will you continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers? 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:36.239 I will with us so. 00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:38.800 Will you persevere in resisting evil? 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:42.880 And whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord. 00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:44.639 I will with Christopher. 00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:49.280 Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ? 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:51.039 I will with God so. 00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:57.360 Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as you love yourself? 00:35:57.760 --> 00:35:58.239 I will. 00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:50.000 Keep her in the faith and communion of your holy church. 00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:52.239 Lord, hear our prayer. 00:36:52.639 --> 00:36:56.079 Teach her to love others in the power of the Spirit. 00:36:56.639 --> 00:36:58.000 Lord, hear our prayer. 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:02.079 Send her into the world and witness to your love. 00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:04.480 Lord, hear our prayer. 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:08.480 Bring her to the fullness of your peace and glory. 00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:10.639 Lord, hear our prayer. 00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:25.679 Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, your Son, may live in the power of his resurrection and look for him to come again in glory, who lives and reigns now and forever. 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:26.480 Amen. 00:37:27.519 --> 00:37:30.800 We thank Almighty God for the gift of water. 00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:35.840 Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. 00:37:36.320 --> 00:37:41.840 Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:55.599 In it, your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us through his death and resurrection from the bondage of sin into everlasting life. 00:37:57.039 --> 00:37:59.679 We thank you, Father, for the water of baptism. 00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:02.159 In it we are buried with Christ in his death. 00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:04.400 By it we share in his resurrection. 00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:07.760 Through it, we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:17.199 Therefore, in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:29.280 Now sanctify this water, we pray you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that Sally, who is here to be cleansed from sin and born again, may continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior. 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:34.400 To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and forever. 00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:35.360 Amen. 00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:50.079 Sally, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:53.519 And all God's people said, Amen. 00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:07.119 Sally, you are anointed by the Holy Spirit, and marked as Christ's very own forever and ever. 00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:08.400 Amen. 00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:15.519 Let's sing Sally into the family of God. 00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:32.559 Sally, Sally, God claims you, God helps you, protects you, and loves you to walk me a child. 00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:48.159 Sally, Sally God claims you, God helps you, protects you, and loves you too. 00:39:48.639 --> 00:39:50.000 Let us pray. 00:39:50.320 --> 00:39:57.039 Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon Sally, your daughter, the forgiveness of sin. 00:39:57.199 --> 00:39:59.679 You've raised her to the new life of grace. 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:02.320 Sustain her, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:12.400 Give her an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and persevere, the Spirit to know and love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:13.360 Amen. 00:40:13.840 --> 00:40:16.239 Let us welcome the newly baptized. 00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:28.239 We receive you into the household of God, confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood. 00:40:28.400 --> 00:40:30.559 And now we can do what we do outside of church. 00:40:30.719 --> 00:40:32.320 We can celebrate with our hands. 00:41:44.960 --> 00:41:46.480 And thanks for joining us today. 00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:48.639 A few announcements to call to your attention. 00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:50.719