Presiding Bishop’s sermon at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans
Jefferts Schori calls all to be ‘trumpeters of good news’
here’s an excerpt with her take on the Gospel reading (Luke 9:1-6) [Note: +KJS used alternate readings for the feast of Philander Chase, Sept. 22]
This morning’s gospel has Jesus sending his disciples out to move around, to bring hope and healing wherever they go. He charges them to drive out division and to heal. Proclaiming the kingdom of God is about reconciling the world; driving out demons is about removing all the forces that seek to divide ”“ and they’re both are essential kinds of healing. Those who are sent out get quite direct and simple instructions ”“ travel light ”“ and some other, more puzzling instructions, about entering and leaving houses and towns.
And here’s her conclusion:
So what does it take for us to travel light? Less than a lot of us think we need, especially as the signs of new life around here are the result of many people discovering they can live with less ”“ both by sharing their abundance or letting go of unimportant things. What does it take to travel light? More than nothing, to judge from the grief that is so widespread. If we ourselves are to be trumpeters of good news, banishers of disease and division, and proclaimers of the presence of God in our midst, we have to know something of home and community. We have to know that we belong to somebody else, that someone and some people care enough for us to work for our well-being, to help us sing lament, express our grief, and get in line. This parade is going to dance to the beat of good news, but it needs all of us in the line, not just those in this space this morning, but every other human being on this planet, black, white, brown; poor, destitute, and those with more than enough to share; grieving, ill, and those who know the blessing of restored health. This procession is going down to the grave, and it’s going to dance away on the other side, but only when we join the traveling throng. None of us is going home until all of us have a place to lay our heads, and music for our grieving hearts, and a feast for the belly and for the soul. When the saints go marching in, it’s going to be with every last one of us.
Chip Webb attended the service where +KJS preached, and has an interesting commentary on this sermon at his blog Anglican Action.
“The God of life is going to sing the jazz in you once more.” Chip Webb found this admirable. I find it embarassing. It is a tinsel construction, facile and slangy (in the worst sense). Glittery to be sure, but what can it mean? It is a cheap phrase, made solely because it glitters, but it is without substance. LM
Jesus drove out real demons. Real evil spirits. This text is not to be alligorized. It’s foolish to the modern world, but it’s true.
All Law, no Gospel.
To paraphrase the caveman from the Geico commercials: “Uh…what?”
why is it that when Pope Benedict writes and speaks you glimpse genius and inspiration and sesne something profoundly deep in his orthodox theology – and when Schori writes you feel like an A level student is trying to write their first sermon?
KJS “…driving out demons is about removing all the forces that seek to divide”
Like heresy?
Traveling light means having a lot less to carry around, like people to minister to, congregations to be responseble for, money to minister with and people that do the heavy lifting, not to mention connections to the broader AC.
Utterly banal. It is embarrassing to read such tripe from a bishop.
To the unitarian universalist ending:
[blockquote]When the saints go marching in, it’s going to be with every last one of us.[/blockquote]
Does this include people that encourage teenagers to go blow themselves up with nail-laden pipe bombs in Israeli coffeeshops? Does this include those who from the pulpit tell teenagers at youth conferences that go ahead and have sex, but use a condom? Does this include those who, for the advancement of a cause wholly antithetical to scripture and tradition, trash a once great church?
Haute sermon based on haute theology which Bishop Epting assures is acceptable in New York and not risking the pillory of NYC-ites. This is 815’s “real” thing.
What? You expected more from the Dean of a School of Theology. How terribly patriarchal and sexist! You need to move into the NYC limelight! There’s the gospel and pastoral content espused in 815 in Louisiana, and the Anglican Communion faltering, it’ll be the gospel of the AC.
That’ll leave only the Romans and the Orthodox “marginalized” along with the pesky reasserters and naughty evangelical types.
[blockquote] here’s an excerpt with her take on today’s Gospel reading (Luke 9:1-6) [/blockquote]
Forgive my foolishness, but what lectionary had Lk 9:1-6 for Sunday?
BCP & RCL both seem to set Lk 16:1-13 God & mammon, a subject I would have liked to hear the PB expound.
I am stupefied. She has just preached Universalism in her closing sentence.
At least she isn’t hiding it.
#11, hossg, good question. Apparently those are the readings for the feast day of Philander Chase:
http://satucket.com/lectionary/Philander_Chase.htm
which was part of the lectionary for SATURDAY (Sept. 22). Odd that she skipped over the appointed Eucharistic lectionary for Sunday Sept 23.
We had an alternate reading for the OT lesson at St. Peter’s Sunday night. Instead of Amos, we had an interpretive reading from Numbers (27:1-11).
I thought that the lectionary allowed for substitution of readings? So (and it’s strange my saying this), wasn’t KJS within her rights to change the Gospel reading for the day?
I agree that her so-called well crafted phrases were pretty shallow and not very much to the point about anything. As to Universalism, I, like Fr. Neuhaus do hope that all will be saved, but expect that that will not be the case. Such a view is not heretical. I wonder what ++Schori really believes. It’s hard to tell.
Rob K, she told us in the Arkansas interviews and on PBS and in national magazines: Jesus is our vehicle to the divine.
Unsure if he is an Audi, Mercedes, Ford, or Chevie, however.
dwsmd – Well, if He’s the only vehicle, be he Audi or any other, at least it’s something actually orthodox she meant, despite the catchy metaphor!
DW,
Honda. Because Scripture records that the Apostles were all in “one Accord”.