SAVE THY PEOPLE AND BLESS THINE HERITAGE
Hebrews 10:32-39; 12:1-3

A sermon given by the Rev. Richard H. Taylor
January 29, 2006 / 4th Sunday after the Epiphany

Well, the last time.

Let me let you in on some of the way my mind works. As we wound down the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany lessons through early January, I looked at these last four Sundays as your Pastor and said to myself, "what do I want them to remember?"

I have this prideful attitude that many preachers have, that says that people remember what they hear in sermons. Maybe you don't remember them as a literal text. But somewhere deep inside – in your instincts, your assumptions, you remember past sermons.

So I asked myself, of all the sermons I could give, of all the texts I could preach on, all the ideas that I could cover, what did I most want you to remember?

So on January 8 I talked about Congregationalism, the way we live together; what we learn in Acts about the nature of community.

On January 15 I reminded us of the challenging inclusiveness that scripture calls us to, such as that outlined in the Epistle of James. I illustrated that by citing many of the brave, risky, difficult decisions Beneficent Church has made in its past.

Then last Sunday, what do I want you to remember? I want you to remember the words of Jesus. So I read the Sermon on the Mount. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said…

Now today.

Now I'm giving you these sermons about the future. What are you going to need in the future to live out the Christian life? What tools, what ideas, what creative juices will you want to draw from then? Sermons prepare you for tomorrow.

But note, in every case, I have prepared you for tomorrow by turning to the past: what Congregationalism is, the history of Beneficent Church, the words of Jesus.

I guess you can use today to remember me as well. That's not required in your life, its unnecessary. But if you do, I want you to remember me as being a deeply traditional person. As a matter of fact I want to suggest to you that your strength in the future will grow, be radiant, full of bright shining light, as you root yourself in tradition.

We've had this discussion before. I've told you how I tell friends that I am still an evangelical, a conservative, and they laugh. They tell me Beneficent Church is the most liberal Christian Church in the State. How can you possibly be conservative, evangelical, a traditionalist?

But I am, and I invite you to be that as well.

I actually think we need to rethink the meanings of liberal-conservative, left-right in America. For when I look way over here on my right at conservative religious people often what I find is people who want a real experience of spirit, real caring people, honestly enjoying each other's presence. What they are against is the modern consumerist, materialist intrusion into the same. Then, way over here on the left with the greens and the environmentalists I find people who want to sustain the real and natural world, and what they are opposed to is the capitalist, materialist, consumerism that seeks to destroy it.

This desire for the traditional is just what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews is calling for as well. The text begins "But recall [recall] those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,… abuse… persecution… [Yet] you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions… knowing that you possessed something better and more lasting…" This is another text that says there is something more lasting than possessions.

Remember. Remember the text. Be willing to face struggle, sufferings, persecution, poverty. Find the confidence, the assurance that comes in doing the will of God. The past gives us a great cloud of witnesses, therefore run with confidence the race that is set before you, looking to Jesus…

I call you to tradition. I call you to respect and mystery.

Now be careful – I am not talking about habit; I am not encouraging those deadly words in Churches "We never did it that way," I am not trying to bind you to the past.

Let me put it this way. We have a sign on the outside of the building that says "God is Still Speaking." Most people see that as modern, forward looking, change oriented, innovative, surprising. It is! God is still speaking. You will be surprised. I believe that with my whole heart. God is still speaking. God hath yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy word.

But listen. If God is still speaking that means God did speak before. If you have trouble hearing God now, you can check back and see what God said before. As Jesus says of the good shepherd, you will be able to recognize his voice. Find out the kind of things God says. Check it out. Test the spirits to see if they be of God.

Where was God speaking? Through Jesus; in the Bible; in Church history; in the experience of the saints. If you want to recognize God's tone look to the lives of people who knew God.

Begin with scripture.

But then I hope you have some heroines and heroes in the life of Christian community. I have many: Samuel Hopkins and Jonathan Edwards; Hildegaard of Bingen; Francis of Assisi, Harriet Beecher Stowe. I have heard God's voice through them. Who are in your great cloud of witnesses?

"The glorious company of the apostles praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee. The noble army of martyrs praise thee."

Listen for the voice.

What do I pray for you? I pray that you will listen for the voice. I pray that you will pray. I pray that you will meditate. I pray that you will have the courage to take on the traditional role of servanthood: struggle, sufferings, abuse, persecution, poverty, compassion, confidence, endurance, love. I pray for you the fruit of the Spirit.

"We therefore pray thee, help thy servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory everlasting. O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage. Govern them and lift them up forever."

"O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded."

What do I want you to remember?

It is all so very familiar.

"Jesus loves me…" – and you, and everyone. That's the point. "Jesus love me, this I know, for the Bible…" Sing it with me.

"Jesus love me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong. Yes, Jesus love me. Yes, Jesus love me. Yes, Jesus love me, the Bible tells me so."

"And the end of all our searching will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time."¹

Amen.

1 – T. S. Eliot

Other quotes in this sermon are from the Te Deum Laudamus, an ancient Christian hymn being sung by the Choir as part of the service.