Irish Anglican Herbert O’Driscoll, in his reflections on the readings of our lectionary, offers some wise words about what it means to be church for us on the morning that we have our annual meeting.
Commenting on the passage from Isaiah, he expands on the prophet’s analogy of God talking to God’s beloved people, Israel. He likens their relationship to that of a couple in love, and the transformation that occurs for the pair as their relationship deepens and matures. Using the traditional analogy of the church being Christ’s bride, O’Driscoll thinks about how God must delight in us. Knowing that delight helps O’Driscoll when he gets frustrated with church and realises his view of the church is jaundiced.
O’Driscoll writes, ‘Our conversation about the church these days is full of frustration, fear for the future, and even anger that the church seems unable to fulfil all our hopes and intentions for it. We endlessly list its weaknesses as we see them, and we make dire prophecies about the future. But suppose that [Jesus Christ] sees the church sees the church through very different eyes, looking at it from a heart that loves the church beyond measure—because he gave life to bring it to birth. Could [Jesus] possibly see some reasons to delight in the church today?’
We pray at the Easter Vigil and at every ordination a collect in which we speak of the church, ‘that wonderful and sacred mystery.’ There is much for us to delight in. Not only does Christ love the church, but you and I do, too. That’s why we’re here today… because in the church, that wonderful and sacred mystery, we come close to God in ways that are not always possible in the busyness of our daily lives. Church, the place and people, offers a time-out and a chance to let our defences down, so that the Spirit might touch us in unexpected ways.
Isaiah tells Israel that God will give them a new name. O’Driscoll muses how we might begin to give the church a new name? What might it mean? Right now, the church is much in the news but largely it comes across negatively. What if we were to show even in our city the positive energy and love there is here? O’Driscoll asks a question that is good for us to ponder, too: What new name does Christ wish us to give the church? Maybe we should look at the church, talk about it, as if we love it deeply as I think we do. For the church is not just the buildings, furnace, copier and all the material things that form Trinity. What really matters are the people. We must remember how deeply God loves us. And then we must show that love to one another. By showing that care, we might well give the church a new name, one that goes beyond ‘Episcopal,’ one that indicates peace and love.
Isaiah tells Israel ‘You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord… a royal diadem.’ O’Driscoll muses, ‘Perhaps we need to look at the church with the express intention of discerning those things that are its crown jewels. We might begin in a very simple and personal way. What for oneself are the precious and lovely things of the church? A glorious anthem remembered clearly. A magnificent prayer that has entered into one’s own speech patterns. A friendship discovered in the fellowship of the church. A deep sense of peace as a piece of bread is placed in one’s hand. A cross, perhaps old and dulled by time, yet glorious against an evening sky. These and other things are the jewels that form a crown of beauty… a royal diadem.’ What are the lovely things of Trinity that touch you? How has your life been changed by the people of Trinity? Where in this community do you find your deepest needs met? Where do the people point you back to God? And where do you find God in Trinity?
O’Driscoll reminds us that when it comes to the church, the relationship that will bear the most fruit and happiness is one that is committed and steady. People may ‘use the church when they need it, attending on special or uplifting occasions, following an admired leader, but otherwise withdrawing,’ but those relationships he calls ‘half-hearted.’ That appellation may be harsh but truth is, the steady participation in the ebb and flow of the life of the congregation is as important to a deepening of one’s faith as showing up for the high points.
The church is God’s beloved because it is composed of us, God’s beloved. We are called together (that verb is the root of both synagogue and church in their respective languages of Hebrew and Greek) by baptism, by our love for God and God’s love for us.
And, as God loves us, so we show that love to others, near and far. I hold in my hand a tin cross, made in Haiti. Notice what is in the centre, at the crossing of the arms: a heart. This simple cross expresses the heart of God, given for us. As ones who baptised into this heart of love, we share that love with others. Our brothers and sisters in Haiti have had their lives turned upside-down this week in ways that are unfathomable to most of us. The Episcopal Church of Haiti, part of Province II of our church and, in fact, our largest diocese with 200 schools and hospitals, has suffered enormous losses — their once-beautiful cathedral is a pile of rubble; their bishop and his family are homeless; congregants died while at church; families have lost members and more. No matter how little we may feel we have here, we have more. And so this morning I invite you to give of your wealth to our sisters and brothers and then be there for them for the long-haul because reconstruction will be very long indeed. Remember that heart in the middle of the cross.
Our lives are touched by and touch people near and far. We will learn more of that in a short while. At the end of this service, we are going to gather in the unique process called ‘annual meeting,’ provided for us by the canons of the church. Unless you have been in a church where there is no democratic process, it is hard to appreciate what a treasure annual meeting really is. Enjoy it. Realise that it’s our chance to celebrate Trinity and find ways to deepen our relationship with God. For God delights in the church and loves it and us beyond measure.
Endnote
Herbert O’Driscoll, The Word Among Us, Year C, Vol. 1 (Toronto: Anglican Book Centre, 1997), 73-75.
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