6.07.09 "What Is Your Answer?"
WESTMINSTER PULPIT
The Rev. Robert H. Fernández
June 7, 2009 “What is Your Answer?” Trinity Sunday
Isaiah 6:1-8 X Psalm 29:1-2, 10-11 X Romans 8:12-17 X John 3:1-17
In early summer of 2005, I visited the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia, to see the original painting of Andrei Rublev’s “The Old Testament Trinity,” a famous Russian Orthodox icon dating from the year 1410. The original is 3’8” x 4’8” tempera on wood. I am drawn to the spiritually of Orthodox icons and wished to see the original of one of the best known. It depicts three semi-angelic figures seated around a table. This was Rublev’s attempt to portray the visit three mysterious strangers paid to Sarah and Abraham of Old Testament patriarchal times to inform them that they would have a son, the heir God had promised. As the tradition developed, Christians have come to surmise that these three visitors were indeed the three persons of the Trinity—hence the title of The Old Testament Trinity.
I entered the museum and made my way to the gallery that housed the icon, only to discover that it was gone! A sign in Russian indicated what I presumed to be the reason for its absence but could not read it. Frantically and in my best tourist sign language and international gesticulations I asked where the icon might be. Much to my relief, it had simply been taken next door to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity for display. At the cathedral I found the floors strewn with freshly cut green branches lining the way to the icon. In a prominent place, right at eye level, about three feet away, I was able to gaze upon the six hundred year old icon! It was truly marvelous! Afterwards I discovered it was Trinity Sunday, and the festival of the Trinity filled Moscow with people carrying green branches everywhere, something that had perplexed me up to this point. The green branches symbolize the growth and spread of the Christian faith throughout the world.
One of the distinguishing marks of the Christian faith is indeed the belief in one God who is triune—who is, in ancient traditional language, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Expressed in a different way, the Christian faith is marked by interrelatedness—community—the unity of the many. If God is a unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then the church is also a unity of the many members. Jesus Christ emphasized this in his deeds and teachings. He often said, “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” He spoke of being the vine and his followers being the branches, saying “Apart from me you can do nothing.” He gathered an unlikely group of intimate followers to help carry out his ministry—even though one denied him and another betrayed him. Jesus was not a loner. In other words, the Christian faith is exercised in community, in relationship with one another. On this Trinity Sunday, I would have us focus our attention on discovering what it means to live a life of faith in a God who is triune, rather than enter into a theological discussion to explain the Trinity itself. In two thousand years we have had more than enough theological speculation and debate on this subject, and we are no closer to understanding it now than at the beginning. I find that most of the time, we spend our energies arguing about the Trinity to the point that we entirely miss the implications of what it means to live as God’s people. It is evident that it is safer to that it is easier to argue about doctrine than to live the Christian life. Therefore, I am sure that you will not be disappointed if you do not hear a sermon fully explaining the Trinity—which I could not do anyway—because it is more worthwhile to explore how to live as brothers and sisters in the family of God—a God who is also community.
The Isaiah passage for today depicts most glowingly the vision a young Isaiah had of a great temple in which God was enthroned. There were six winged celestial figures flying and singing praises. There was an almost blinding brightness. The train of the royal robe filled the entire room. There was the heavy smoke of incense. It was quite spectacular! However, I draw your attention not to the nearly pyrotechnics of the vision but to the young Isaiah and the world in which he lived. It was the year that the great King Uzziah died. While this king had begun a most outstanding reign of 52 years, the situation had deteriorated during the last years, so that now the Hebrew nation was facing trouble. It was not a good time for a fine promising young man to begin his career. On the other hand such a time is most appropriate for a young prophet and visionary to be called to see the promise of God. When things are falling apart and looking bleak, it is best to have a vision that is worthwhile rather than to set one’s sight on the crumbling world around or to set your sights too low. God’s call is always to a higher level. This clearly gives us a good glimpse of how to live as people of faith who believe in God as Father (Mother/Creator).
Bringing the vision into our day, we ask: given the situation of the world around us—wars, violence, global warming, economic recession, to point out a few things—on what do we focus our sights? What vision catches our attention? What captures the highest and brightest part within us calling forth the best in us? I challenge each one of us to see the vision Isaiah saw: God whose radiant glory filled the whole world. Our vision is to see what God intended the world to be—a world whose beauty is cared for, and life for the people of the world that is abundant. “Without (such) a vision,” the saying goes, “the people perish,” and the world will perish also!
And bringing the focus closer to home, as we see the situation here at Westminster Presbyterian Church—taking into account the disappointment, the anger, the dissension, the hurt, the loss we are experiencing—on what do we focus our sights? What vision catches our attention? What captures the highest and brightest within us calling from us the best? I urge each one of us to see what Isaiah saw: the vision of a God whose radiant glory fills every corner of our souls with light, of a God who brought the church into being and desires it to be the community it is meant to be. Without such a vision we stand to lose the gifts God has given in abundant measure to each one of us. Any vision lower or other than this is sure to disappoint us and leave us hopeless.
“But,” you say, “Isaiah was young, and youth are unusually the ones who have such visions.” Not so, and I base my response in what the prophet Joel had to say, the same prophecy Peter quoted at Pentecost last Sunday: “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men (and women) shall dream dreams, and your young men (and women) shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28). All of us are called to heed the high vision God holds before us.
Lest we think that Isaiah did not have some doubts, we move further into the story. When Isaiah saw the grandeur of God, he cried out: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips. . .” I am sure we have felt the same when we truly catch the majesty of God’s vision—we consider ourselves quite unable to live up to the high expectations God sets before us. We begin to back off and look for something easier and more pleasant.
But Isaiah could not shrink away with such excuses. One of the seraphs flew holding a live coal taken from the altar with a pair of tongs and touched Isaiah’s lips and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” In other words, you have no more excuses. Isaiah had to pay attention to the vision of God. Isaiah now hears the inevitable question from God, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” In other words, who will step forward and accept the high calling of fulfilling the vision? Isaiah answered firmly, “Here I am; send me.” Thus he began a prophetic career that earned him the title of a major prophet in Jewish history.
Fast forward now several centuries to the passage from Romans because it is at this point that there is a vital connection with the New Testament. Paul said to the Roman Christians: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” This is like the burning coal that has touched our lips to remove all that stands in our way of seeing God’s vision fully. For us on this Trinity Sunday this means that through Jesus the Christ, the second person of the Trinity, we have become part of God’s family—brothers and sisters, if you will—and, therefore heirs. Because we have this assurance, we are not to fall back into fear or into anything that will prevent us from full and wholehearted participation in the Christian life.
As members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, we are a family, brothers and sisters, in which Jesus Christ is our older brother. This is what draws us together. While it is true that friendships and relationships among various members develop and are meaningful, the basis of all our fellowship together comes from our relationship to Jesus Christ. That is the bond that keeps us together. Anything less than that can collapse easily when put to the test. We have received a great legacy through Jesus Christ in the work and history of this congregation. It is much too precious to lose if we fall back into fears and disappointments.
Therefore, God asks us the very same question that was posed to Isaiah. Who will step forward and accept the call and continue the vision that is integral to this congregation? This is not the first time we have heard this question asked of us. Church members, all officers and ministers upon becoming members and/or accepting leadership offices have been asked to declare their intention to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church. This question is being asked once again of each one of us today in the life of Westminster Presbyterian Church. What is your answer?
Brothers and sisters in Christ, permit me to interject a very personal perspective at this point. Some of you have heard me say this before, but it is appropriate that I say it once again to this entire congregation. In the year I did research before moving to Sacramento I included a thorough study of Presbyterianism here because I am a life-long Presbyterian, and I wanted to continue that in my life. I discovered that the Presbytery of Sacramento was largely very conservative in theological perspective, which caused me great concern, but I also found that the Westminster Presbyterian Church was one of several congregations that offered the theological understanding of the Christian faith that God had led me to embrace. I visited and worshipped here and had conversations with various pastors, including the pastor here. After much prayer and spiritual discernment, I came to the conclusion that God opened this door for my future. Therefore, since the first Sunday of November, 2008, I have attended worship here, giving my support, and I felt at home, beginning to make friendships. I continued asking God to provide a small space for me to continue my service as an ordained minister among you. Little did I imagine that God would call me at this time to become the full-time supply pastor of the congregation. When I heard God’s call to serve, I answered, “Here I am, send me!” because I sincerely believe in the mission and purpose of the church of Jesus Christ and this congregation, no matter what difficulties or circumstances might exist. I am here among you as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is the Head of the Church—it is His Church. I humbly and sincerely ask that each and every one of you consider standing in unity—not uniformity of opinion—but in the unity of the faith. Let us grieve together; let us work through our anger and disappointment together; let us forgive one another; let us labor together. There is enough challenge here for each one of us to accept.
I offer you some words that have been a source of strength to me for many years: “If we are truly people of faith, we must be willing to fail more often. If we fail infrequently, it means we are not acting boldly enough or lovingly enough, enough of the time. It means we are hiding behind walls of past successes and shrinking from present-day risks which will determine what is possible. Unless we fail on a regular basis, God will have insufficient raw material with which to work. It is from our haphazard efforts that the Holy One can sculpt works of art. So be unafraid. Dare to fail more often!” –Hope Douglas J. Harle-Mould.
I am open to you. Please contact me with any concerns you might have so that we can talk matters through to a resolution that will bring honor to our Lord Jesus Christ. I conclude with the words of my favorite Christian poet, Joyce Rupp:
FAITHFUL LOVE
There are days when I reflect
upon the moments of my history
and I taste satisfied fragrance,
like a well-aged bottle of wine.
It is easy then to ponder
the beauty of Isaiah’s God:
holding me in tender arms,
etching my name on divine palms.
There are other long-spent days
when I chew upon my memories,
only to taste the dry crumbs
of stale and molded bread.
How difficult then to perceive
the steadfast love of God;
how empty then is my longing
for a sense of divine embrace.
There are other days
when I sit at a great distance,
looking at the life that is mine;
threading the loom of my past
with a deep belief in faithfulness.
It is then that I see how fidelity
has little to do with fine feelings,
and everything to do with deep trust,
believing the One who holds me in joy
will never let go when sorrow steps in.
God asks: “Whom shall I send? On whom can I depend?” What is your answer?
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