Words of Comfort

In the Name of God:

         Creator, Bread of Life and Holy Comforter.  Amen.

 

One of the ways we can describe or name the Holy Spirit 

         is as Holy Comforter.

And this could be the name we may especially want to invoke today,

         God, the Holy Spirit, as comforter,

         God’s Presence that reminds us that we are loved,

                  that God’s compassion flows towards us and embraces us.

Comfort is a word that is good to hear right now,

         but it means more than what a mother might say to a child

                  who has fallen and skinned a knee or stubbed a toe.

The word comfort comes directly from Latin

         and means with strength.

The Holy Spirit provides us with strength to see us through 

                  difficult times, like right now for St. Andrew’s.

Oh, Tracey, your absence this morning is profoundly felt!

And it’s not just here where people feel the loss.

Bishop Gretchen wrote about Tracey’s death with genuine grief over this loss,

         and how this impacts more than just us here

                  but more broadly around the diocese.

And Mary Beth Rivetti, another beloved priest in the diocese, wrote:

         “What a vibrant, creative, and persistent leader [Tracey was]. 

         May her soul be at peace, and all who mourn her find comfort.”

And I was told that the people at the Cathedral this morning 

         are specifically praying for you, the faithful at St. Andrew’s.

Take a moment right now to let the prayers from around the diocese

         sink into your awareness and be a comfort to you.         

Now you probably have noticed that this summer 

         the Sunday scripture lessons have featured readings from

                  John, chapter 6, the Bread of Life chapter,

                  and the Epistle to the Ephesians.

 

In the midst of what has happened this last week for St. Andrew’s,

         I think the reading from Ephesians today can be particularly helpful.

It is sort of a summing up of the previous chapters of Ephesians

         in some imagery that I believe can help address 

                  how you hold and respond to what you are facing today

                                    as individuals,

                                    as a community of faith,

                                    and even for all of us on a global scale.

 

What is offered is a word-picture of being clothed,

                           clothed in armor.

It was written for those feeling spiritual oppression and attacks

                  in order for them to have strength in the Lord.         

 

This is a militaristic example that the Apostle Paul is using, 

         but look what he has done with it.

He is saying here’s what is at stake – YOU.

         You are under threat.

This calls for power in the face of threat,

         and strength is needed,

but that strength has to come from God.  It is God who keeps you strong.

So put on this armor, which is given you by God.

         It’s not your own armor, but armor which is a spiritual gifting.

 

First there’s the belt around the waist – well, that’s a bad translation.

         It actually says gird your loins with truth,

Truth around the most private and personal parts of our bodies.

This truth is our grounding reality, most personal and often most private; 

         truth is what brings integration 

         and coherence to our sense of identity.

Then the breastplate of Righteousness is placed over the heart.

         It protects the center of our being 

                  where our motivation and commitment comes from.

It is the breastplate of righteousness, which is right relationship with God.

         The importance of this is that to be strong 

                  the strength must come from the power of God working in us,

                                    the Holy Spirit working righteousness in us.

The breastplate of Righteousness based on right relationship with God

         is that which gives access to such strength.

 

Then you need a shield for defense.  Faith is the shield.

         Faith is trusting in God, 

         faith that is a gift of the Spirit 

                                    as well as a fruit of the Spirit growing within us.

The imagery describes this shield as having the ability to quench,

                  to douse water on flaming arrows.

         What superhero would love to have that! 

Undoubtedly Paul was recalling the Psalms, specifically Psalm 91.

         “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,

         …shall find refuge under [God’s] wings;

         his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.

         You shall not be afraid of any terror by night,

         nor of the arrow that flies by day.”

The faith of this shield is a relationship with the reality

         of the unbreakable dependability of the faith of Jesus in us to sustain us.

                                                      His faith within us is utterly dependable.

Next is the helmet of salvation.

         Put your head into that, into the context of salvation, 

         know with your mind that salvation is God's work, 

         not what your own mind can contrive or figure out.

Salvation is liberation, being set free from oppression 

                  that attacks our reality that we are beloved children of God.

 

Now, I left out one item that we need to come back to.

Verse 15:  As shoes for your feet put on 

         whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

 

Peace – Wait a minute!  Isn’t the armor for doing battle?

Get all this armor on and then DON’T march off to battle!

         Look at those marching shoes – 

         whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

                  peace, they’re not for warfare.

What is peace here?

         Peace is the utterly untroubled fullness of the Presence of God.

                           Peace -    untroubled fullness of the Presence of God.

To walk in peace is to walk in the freedom from both 

         hatred of the other who is seen as an enemy

         and hatred of self, from being at war with one’s self.  That is peace.

The world around you may be a helpless wreck

         but that peace will help you walk right through it all.

 

Verse 13 at the beginning of this armor imagery says,

"… take up the whole armor of God, so that … having done everything, 

         [you may] stand firm."  

Once you get all that armor on, 

         there is no need for further action on our part.  

Just stand there equipped with what God has given you.  

That will be sufficient.

 

The whole armor is composed entirely of gifts given to us,

                  so it is not our strength being described here.

It is to accept having these gifts without you needing to achieve them!

                           Gospel Good News.

 

And we get this armor on, but we don’t fight; we stand.

         The armor is defensive.

         Any fighting to be done, leave that to God.

 

The only offensive part of this armor is the sword,

                  the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

And that’s not our words, but the word of God

that we can access through the Spirit

                  and speak when we face a situation of need.

 

Our words are to pray.  As it says in verse 15;

         “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.”

         Praying at all times in the Spirit – 

and, yes, this is possible, clothed in this symbolic armor

         that reminds us of how much we have been given,

         that reminds us of our baptismal identity in Christ.

 

The Apostle Paul learned all of this while under great duress and stress.

         His was not an easy missionary calling, you know.

He was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned – 

         For him this armor of God was a lived reality.

He knew what it was to abide in Christ, to live in him,

                  to live by the faith of Jesus.

 

And Jesus said in today’s Gospel selection,

    “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.

         …whoever eats me will live because of me.”

 

We have been sitting with these shocking words 

         these last few Sundays 

                  daring to look at them and not avert our eyes, hopefully.

 

For some of the disciples this was just too much.

They said,

         “This teaching is difficult (literally, is hard); 

This bread is as hard as a rock.  Who can eat that?  Who can accept it?”

They were murmuring and complaining 

                  about this whole long Bread of Life teaching.

But Jesus doesn’t soften the message for them.

 

Here’s the heart of it, Jesus tells them.

“It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless.

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

 

The words of Jesus are the words of creation within us.

         The words that Jesus speaks are words of intervention 

                  into all this whole chaos.

They don’t necessarily make things easier.

They may not straighten out the mess of life to our satisfaction.

But they are words of spirit and life 

and assurance for faith in the utter reliability of God’s love and mercy 

and the trustworthiness of our Lord Jesus

                  based on his love and self sacrifice for us.

that releases within us this tremendous spiritual process of eternal life.

 

There are two modalities of life:

         the life of this world, which is fragmented and full of strife

                  with moments of excruciating beauty and goodness,

                                    as well as grief,

         and then there is eternal life, 

                  life when those moments are recognized as 

tastes of the fullness of life that is realized in the nearer Presence of God.

 

When some expressed how tough it was to take in these words

         Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”

Simon Peter answered him, 

         “Lord, to whom can we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”

 

The essential words, Bread of Life is there for us 

to sink our teeth into spiritually, 

living bread that conveys life to the eater.

Now, would you want to walk away from that?

         For me, it is clear – where else can I go?

                                    Jesus has the words of Eternal Life.

 

Bishop Gretchen wrote:

         [I’m] “Sitting on the deck at Camp Cross 

thinking about the news of the death of an active leader in the church

         and giving thanks for her life and witness. 

Life is short my friends, 

         do not waste your time with division and disdain for others, 

         avoid hatred, seek the good of others, live in love, find joy, 

         and walk with God in peace.”

 

Thank you, Bishop.