Local Congregational Support & Mission

Sermon preached April 6, 2008.
YEAR 2, EASTER 3, SUNDAY EVENSONG $ BENEDICTION:
DANIEL 4:1-18, 1 JOHN 2:7-17, EZEKIEL 37:1-14

Tonight we read a passage from the First Letter of John. The First Letter of John is, in a sense, a follow-up to the Gospel of John. One struggle in the Johannine community which is reflected in the Gospel is between those who believe in Jesus and those who do not: those who believe in and follow the way of the Word made flesh compared to those who walk in the ways of the world. The First Letter of John seems to deal with a situation within the Johannine church. Some believe it is enough simply to believe in Jesus; the writer reminds them that they were given a commandment to love one another. In short, belief in the Word made flesh translates into action mirroring what Jesus himself did: loving one’s brother and sister in Christ and also showing the love of God to the whole world, just like Jesus did.

The passage read tonight reminded me of a few things that happened on Thursday last week. While I was reading the final draft of the Angelus, I noticed a sentence in Father Smith’s paragraph about mission. He noted that someone had asked him why we at Saint Mary’s did not support any mission work done locally. It happened that as I was reading this paragraph, I was also printing out reports and minutes for a meeting I was going to at the Cathedral later that night. I serve on the Diocesan Council and on the Congregational Support Committee. Through these two organizations I know first hand that about half of the money that Saint Mary’s send – along with the mon y almost every church in the Diocese sends – as our annual assessment goes directly to supporting the work of our brothers in sisters in Christ throughout the Diocese.

In the next month, my work for the Congregational Support Plan Committee will take me to two different parishes in the Bronx. The first is in the poorest congressional district in the United States: it operates a soup kitchen, a food pantry, a drug treatment center, an after school program and a play ground. The second is in a different part of the Bronx: it operates a soup kitchen, a food pantry, and an after school program. Without the direct financial support given from the assessments of the parishes of the Diocese, these parishes, and a number of others like them would not be able to stay open.

Much of my work at Saint Mary’s revolves around Christian Education. I think that part of being an Educated Christian means knowing in what ways we are in fact supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ. In a very basic way, by pledging to Saint Mary’s or any church of the Diocese, you are ensuring that the mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New York is not limited to Midtown Manhattan.

Saint John reminds us that we are called not only to believe, but to love and support our brothers and sisters in Christ. There are many opportunities for mission and outreach at Saint Mary’s, I think that perhaps one that does great good is also the one that is often overlooked. I am looking– as I think we all are looking – for ways that to more actively live out the belief in Jesus that I have. I hope you will join me in pledging to Saint Mary’s. By supporting this church, we not only keep our own doors open in Times Square, we also continue to keep the doors open of churches throughout the Diocese.