Fr Mike's Message - 8/28/22

The Gospel: ​Luke 14:1, 7-14
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, `Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, `Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Prayer: ​Lord, you have promised that when two or three gather in your name you will be present with them. We depend on that promise today and pray that you will move among us. Lord, we pray that have you inspired Mike's preparation, that you will enliven his presentation and that you will empower our application.  Amen

The Message: ​Welcome once again this morning to the Gospel of Luke. This morning it would be easy to think that we have stepped into a chapter from one of the books that were popular when I was a teenager. 
I am sure my mother wasn't the only mother at the time trying desperately to get me to understand my role in life as a gentleman. I am sure she would have loved to have me read the book that is our second image for this morning.
The commentators I read and listened to as I prepared for this morning pointed out that it could be easy to think that somehow Jesus is giving a lesson in social graces in the reading for this morning. They wanted to be sure everyone understood that is not what this reading is about. 
At the heart of this morning's reading in Luke, there is the concept that is central to all of Jesus' teaching. He is drawing our attention to the essence of true greatness which he lived out and taught. Central to Jesus' life and teachings is his belief in and conviction about humility. Luke shows us this in the story that he chooses to tell through this particular parable. Jesus takes the opportunity to highlight humility in this short parable. 
Humility is a mark of Jesus' life and all of his teaching. It infuses his relationships and it shapes his conversations. Jesus chooses the path of humility in his dealings with those he meets throughout his ministry. Eventually, it shaped how he chose to die.
As it says in Philippians 2:5-8 
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross."
Now, most of us sitting here this morning will not be called upon to give our lives for the sake of Christ or for the sake of the Gospel. 
But we should be living our lives for the sake of Christ or for the sake of the Gospel. So what might that look like?
Well, when Jesus was asked by his followers what that might look like he summarized the situation in what we have come to know as the love commandment. 
Matthew 22: 37 - 40 "He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Now, we all know people have been trying to figure out exactly what that means and how we are to do it ever since Jesus said it. 
This morning I want to spend some time looking at how we might "love God and love our neighbor" by looking at the word mark. I used it earlier when I said humility was a mark of Jesus' life. Another way I could have said that would have been to say Jesus' life was marked by humility. 
So, just what do we mean when we talk about that word mark or marked? When someone's life is marked then there is a significance, or there is a pattern, or there is some symbolism that is played out in that person's life. 
Perhaps I can illustrate what I mean by talking about the very little I know about Australian Aboriginal culture. Some Aboriginal tribes in Australia, have a rite of passage ceremony for young men when they are considered to have reached maturity. When they move from being considered boys in the tribe to becoming men they have a corroboree, a ritual of song and dancing, and as part of the celebration, the chest of the young men are cut in a ceremonial pattern. Those cuts are then filled with the hot ashes from the fire. These wounds are seared closed and then heal with the ashes still present in them. They form small ridges in the chest of the young man and mark him as an adult. These are the marks of his adulthood. 
Another example I learned from watching cowboy movies when I was growing up. How valid this one is I am not sure, but when an Indian and a cowboy decided that they wanted to proclaim their loyalty to one another they would declare that they were "blood brothers." They would cut the palm of their hands and then clasp their hands together. It signified that their blood was commingled. Each of them would have a scar on his palm indicating that they had participated in this ritual. These marks symbolized the decision that had been made and then signified to them and anyone else that a loyalty transaction had taken place.
Many of us do similar things when we join clubs or groups in our modern society.   Membership in these clubs or groups is identified by marks such as lapel pins, caps, sashes, etc. Sometimes there is a ritual of membership that has to be completed so that a person joining and everyone else recognizes the significance of what they are doing.  
We as Christians have our own significant rituals that we follow for membership. We also have our own marks of participation in our faith walk with Christ. 
One of the most significant marks of our Christian life is what we term fruit bearing. We understand that we have been grafted into the community of Christ. Like any plant or tree that has experienced the grafting of a new limb, we are expected to show the results of that new life and to bear fruit.
Our Collect for this morning points that out clearly: 
"Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen."
So what marks our lives as people who gather here each Sunday as a community devoted to Jesus Christ? Of course, that question has both a corporate and individual answer, or possibly answers, doesn't it? 
To be able to answer that question we need to ask what do we do as a church? Then we need to ask ourselves what do I do because I ampart of thischurch? How is the life of this community marked by what we do? Then we need to ask how is my life marked by what I do!
One guide or help in answering these questions for me lately has been to read and study the Christ Church Mission Statement and the Christ Church Vision Statement. What is it that we are striving for? 
Then as I seek to understand the role of our community in the broader world I have found the Five Marks of Mission helpful.
The Five Marks of Mission were developed by the Anglican Consultative Council and were then adopted by the Episcopal General Convention in 2009. 
They are:

• To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
• To teach, baptize and nurture new believers
• To respond to human need by loving service
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

As we look at these five distinguishing features of our church life, of our community life, can we identify how we are living these out in our daily lives here at Christ Church?
Do you think that the life we live together here is marked by the Five Marks of Mission? Is there more that we could be doing? 
As we seek to be the body of Christ here in Huron how do you think we are doing with achieving the goals of our Mission Statement and our Vision Statement?
As we think about the Collect for this morning are we seeking the participation of Jesus in all that we do and say?
"Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen."