Pentecost II 2010

Pentecost II 2010

Our liturgical color during the season following Pentecost is green, symbolizing growth. For us at St. Mary's, we have seen some growth in our Sunday attendance, we've seen revitalized growth in our continued ministry to our children, youth, and young adults - thanks to the much appreciated efforts of Bill McLean and Heather Nemenz. We've seen growth in our worship and a renewed sense of what it means to gather together as a family.

An area into which we have been asking ourselves to grow on the bishop's committee is in the area of evangelism - how are we sharing the Good News? I'm sure you've heard the common theme of challenge during the sermons - Christian is not a state of being, but an action verb. It is taking our hearts, minds, resources, and energies, and doing good work in our neighborhoods and in our community, It is showing others that the gift of Jesus Christ in our own lives has transformed us, reshaped us, and invited us to reach out to others in love, in care, in forgiveness.

I know that it is not in our nature in the mainline Catholic traditions to boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are much more likely to sit back, not rock the boat, not put someone off. We don't readily share our own stories of how God became an essential part of our lives. Part of it is that we are shy, and part of it is that we'll be perceived or labeled for our faith.

But we have all been commissioned as disciples of Christ - in our baptism, we descended with Christ into the waters, and came out a new creation. We are saved, forgiven, and charged to share our Good News with others. And even the shy can do that, and even the least open environment can welcome our good works in His name. Helping a neighbor, who has been gruff or rude, in spite of their own demeanor, can confound the most cantankerous soul. Saying "Hi!" to the person who most offends or embarrasses you in the grocery store or restaurant can surprise and even challenge them to wonder, "Why?"

Our answer is first in our own hearts - Jesus Christ, son of the Living God, has had mercy on me. In return, I am following His example, and I extend love and mercy to others. The greatest criticism of Christianity is that we are often caught in our hypocrisy - we preach love yet we advocate animosity; we preach forgiveness yet we openly condemn; we preach reconciliation yet we build walls. If we are to share the Gospel, we have to accept what Jesus has proclaimed for us and then live our lives as we truly believe it.

Evangelism is that simple. The not-so-old folk song that many of us sang in church and camp tells it directly and clearly: "They will know we are Christians by our love."

Fr. Shawn
Vicar, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church