February 28, 2010 Sermon
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Lent 2 - C 2010
February 28, 2010 Allan Conkling
Last Sunday I said that if you liked traditional things, then you would be happy with our service, because it was about as traditional Episcopalian as you could get. Well here is yet another day to make the most traditional Episcopalians among us smile. There was a time when the church made sure that three things would always be said every week: the Lord's Prayer, the Creed & the 10 Commandments. These three things were felt to be essential to being a good Christian. Back then it was required that they be displayed prominently in every church, and that custom continued in Anglican and Episcopal churches for several hundred years.
In the 19th and 20th centuries the Decalogue became more optional in worship. When I was a kid it was still required once a month. Nowadays, at Rite I we still say the Summary of the Law, but the only time we recite the Ten Commandments in full is in Lent. Some people would like for us to do it more. Some folks say that all of all our problems as a church, even as a country are caused by falling away from the 10 Commandments. Others are equally sure that once a year is plenty--that they are boring and outdated, and nobody follows them anyway. One thing is certain, more people know about the 10 Commandments then actually know the 10 Commandments; and (as is true in every age) more people know about the 10 Commandments than actually follow them. For example, most folks are not aware that the Bible contains two different forms of the 10 Commandments. Both were actually written to be summaries of over 600 laws that faithful Jews were to follow: Laws about diet, how to worship, who you could and could not marry, how to conduct sacrifices, how you run your business, and what clothes you could wear. Most all of these laws are ignored today. For example Christians know they are not to commit murder, but it's a fact that most Christians in the Bible Belt still believe the capital punishment is ok. We also eat shellfish. We might know it's a sin bear false witness or to commit adultery, but we don't think twice about eating ham, venison or watching football played with "pigskin". Stoning your child for talking back would be barbarous (although tempting at times). Laws about homosexuality, used for years to marginalize a segment of the population, are now being rethought by many in light of advances in science, sociology, and genetics. One thing is for sure, if we really followed all the commandments in the Bible we would look like a country governed by the Taliban. So why do we hold on to this old fashioned Decalogue? Why are they important at all?
For some obviously, it is an issue of authority, power and control. For others it is a desire, born out of fear that we need is to "get back to the Bible" (whatever that means) to a simpler time when life was black and white.
I believe that there is reason to return to our traditional roots for a few weeks in Lent. The reason is not to be legalistic, rather to keep in touch with a part of our history, in this case the Decalogue. John Westerhoff in his book, Living Faithfully as a Prayer Book People, speaks of the need we have as a community of faith to share in a common story:
"Our identity is dependent on having a story that tells us who we are. Our understanding of life's meaning and purpose is dependent on having a story that tells us what the world is like and where we are going. To be a community of faith, we must be a people with a story… 'Tell me a story' is the request of every child. At the heart of the Christian faith is story, not dogma." (pg 23, 24)
Our story is rooted a creator God who loved the world so much that he "sent his only begotten son". This God is active, not passive; in everything and part of everything. This God is involved in every aspect of our humanity and is as close to us as our next breath. All of our liturgy--our songs, our prayers, our actions, direct our sight beyond ourselves, and to the One who is at the heart of our being. As the patriarch Abraham found in our 1st reading, we are called to covenant with God and with others. Seeking to live into God’s commands is a part of that faith. Thank God, God doesn't ask for perfection or legalism, only to have a willing heart. Paul's point in the 2nd lesson is that as Christians we are to "stand firm" in the Lord and be faithful to his teachings: "Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us." And to the city (Jerusalem) who had lost its trust, Jesus called them home, knowing he would be rejected; yet loving them so much that he would give his very life for them.
Used in the wrong way, the 10 Commandments, just like anything in the Bible can be weapons of bigotry, judgmentalism, and narrow mindedness. But the Christian story is ultimately a story of freedom: "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of bondage." Lent is a time to be still and listen; to consider how we can better follow; how we can be all that we can be in God's sight. It is a time to reflect upon the amazing Grace of God and God’s unconditional love for all people- no exceptions. Christians, then, are people who trust in God as if their life depended upon it.
I invite you to reflect on the Decalogue this week. Then, as we read in our collect, "with penitent hearts and steadfast faith…" we can be guided to "embrace and hold fast to the unchangeable truth" of Christ "who lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever".
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Revised: 03/09/10