"Saints in Circulation"
A sermon preached on the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, January 28, 2007 at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. Sermon based on Isaiah 58:1-12.
We live in a world today that claims that religion has no place in society. We have become a nation that is polarized - we have become polarized politically and socially, economically and religiously. In fact, we oftentimes classify a person’s faith in terms of politics or party affiliation. But James reminds us that the true character of a person’s faith is measured, not by politics, or whether he or she is a democrat, or a republican or even an independent; but rather by the way their faith is lived out. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the argument that those who oppose our faith - those who are anti-Christian, if you will, have taken God out of the schools and the government. But sadly, that isn’t completely true. God has been removed from these settings, not solely by those who oppose our faith; but by those who are also a part of our faith, by you and me! We as Christian are to embody Christ. Wherever we go Christ is to go with us. But sadly, we are not taking him with us everywhere we go!
Now, while it is true, that we are a nation founded on the wonderful concept of "Freedom of Religion". However, we have neglected our responsibility to be a people of faith, just as the Israelites in our Scripture Lesson. "Freedom of Religion," doesn’t mean "Freedom from Religion" for the Christian - our faith should be lived out not just within the confines of the church, but more importantly "out there" - in the world, in the society in which we live. Many Christians leave their faith behind when they walk out the doors of the church, only to pick it up when they come back next week. Rather, Christ should go with us! This is what has separated us from other religions - for them; their faith is a way of life. It is lived and expressed in their daily living. It is something that goes with them, and it is reflected in their lifestyle. It accompanies them to work, to school, to social gatherings and events. But sadly, for many Christians, our religion and beliefs have become an object!
Sinclair Lewis wrote; "When exploiting political agenda it is often wrapped in the flag and accompanied with the cross." And, oftentimes, that is true! But that isn’t what Isaiah was talking about. Isaiah wasn’t talking about wearing our faith on our sleeves; but rather, having our faith imbedded and rooted deep in our hearts. You see, when we wear our faith on our sleeves, it can be taken off - but when our faith is imbedded deep in our hearts then it remains with us, it becomes who we are, it is a part of daily life and living. Isaiah was talking about returning to the true essence worship that strengthens us and make us like a spring that never runs dry - a spring that quenches the world with the Living Water of Christ.
I think Charles Kimball, a Baptist Minister said it best; "Whatever religious people may say about their love of God or the mandates of their religion, when their behavior toward others is violent and destructive, when it causes suffering among their neighbors, when it is deceiving or only exploited for personal gain, you can be sure that religion has been corrupted and reform is desperately needed." You see, friends, many have masqueraded religion to the pointed that he has become corrupted. And, just as in Isaiah’s day, reform is desperately needed today.
The prophet Isaiah gets to the heart of the matter, if you will. Isaiah gives us the remedy for having a positive influence on a secular world. He shares with us how to be religious in a secular world - and it all boils down to worship!
I want you to think for a moment; what is your concept of worship? What does it mean to worship the Lord? For some, it may simply mean attending church where you sing, hear God’s word read and preached, pray, and partake Holy Communion. And certainly, without a doubt, all of these practices can lead to true worship; but we see that Isaiah shows us that true worship goes beyond these things. Worship is a way of life! In fact, Isaiah says in verses 6 and 7; "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
Keep in mind, in Isaiah’s day, like today, there were apparently plenty of religious people, but not many responsive people. Not many people willing to stand up! As we see in our Scripture Lesson this morning, they "afflicted their souls" with fasting, they "delighted" to know God’s ways, they inquired about "the ordinances of justice," and enjoyed their worship services. In fact, we read in verse 2; "For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for [me] to come near them." But we see that little, if any, of there piety translated into action. For them, worship had become an object verses a way of life. Yet, they expected God to answer their prayers and they expected God to bless them. Through Isaiah, God said that true worship is not a weekly ritual, but a daily lifestyle. It may begin in the house of prayer, but ends up in the public square. But what does that mean? What would it mean for believers if they responded to the hungry, the homeless, the prisoner, the wage earner, the debtor, the poor and the hopeless? Obviously, there is no easy answer; but one fact is clear: as Isaiah told the people of his day, in our Scripture Lesson, God cannot be expected to shower good things on his people as long as they withhold good things from others. God blesses us so that we might be a blessing to others. The Christian faith is about influencing and impacting the lives of others. The gospel - the good news isn’t something we must hoard to ourselves, but it is a message that we must share.
So, what starts with worship ends in service, Isaiah reminds us. Today that means that the church gathered for worship on Sunday becomes the church scattered for service Monday through Saturday. Building believers leads to believers rebuilding their communities and having an impact on the world. Worship and service form the seamless robe, that is to say the "robe of Christ" which covers the world and brings healing and peace, justice and love.
There’s an old Hebrew tale where the rabbi asks his students; "How can we determine the hour of dawn - when the night ends and the day begins?" One student raised his hand and said; "When from a distance you can distinguish between a dog and a sheep?" The rabbi shook his head and said; "No!" Another student raised his hand and said; "It’s when one person can distinguish between a fig tree and a grape vine?" "No," said the rabbi. "Well, tell us the answer," another student said. And the old wise rabbi said; "You can determine when night ends and day begins when you look into the face of human beings and you have enough light [in you] to recognize them as your brothers and sisters."
The story is told that when the government began to run low on silver coins during the seventeenth-century in England, Oliver Cromwell sent his troops to investigate a local cathedral to see if they could find any of the precious metal there. They made their investigation, returned to the great man and reported; "The only silver we can find is in the statues of the saints standing in the corners." To which Cromwell replied; "Great! We will melt down the saints and put them in circulation." And, you know friends that should be true of our lives! We are called to be saints in circulation - we’re not to remain in the church, as if we are on display in some museum - we are called to go forth to live as God’s faithful saints!
We have to do more that just pray; "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…" we have to live that prayer.
We have to live that hymn! And so, as Isaiah challenges us, let us not just be religious people; but, more importantly, let’s be responsive people – a people who live the faith and who embody Christ in our daily living. That’s what it means to be saints in circulation! That is the heart of worship - it begins here, on Sunday morning, but it is carried out there!
Now, while it is true, that we are a nation founded on the wonderful concept of "Freedom of Religion". However, we have neglected our responsibility to be a people of faith, just as the Israelites in our Scripture Lesson. "Freedom of Religion," doesn’t mean "Freedom from Religion" for the Christian - our faith should be lived out not just within the confines of the church, but more importantly "out there" - in the world, in the society in which we live. Many Christians leave their faith behind when they walk out the doors of the church, only to pick it up when they come back next week. Rather, Christ should go with us! This is what has separated us from other religions - for them; their faith is a way of life. It is lived and expressed in their daily living. It is something that goes with them, and it is reflected in their lifestyle. It accompanies them to work, to school, to social gatherings and events. But sadly, for many Christians, our religion and beliefs have become an object!
Sinclair Lewis wrote; "When exploiting political agenda it is often wrapped in the flag and accompanied with the cross." And, oftentimes, that is true! But that isn’t what Isaiah was talking about. Isaiah wasn’t talking about wearing our faith on our sleeves; but rather, having our faith imbedded and rooted deep in our hearts. You see, when we wear our faith on our sleeves, it can be taken off - but when our faith is imbedded deep in our hearts then it remains with us, it becomes who we are, it is a part of daily life and living. Isaiah was talking about returning to the true essence worship that strengthens us and make us like a spring that never runs dry - a spring that quenches the world with the Living Water of Christ.
I think Charles Kimball, a Baptist Minister said it best; "Whatever religious people may say about their love of God or the mandates of their religion, when their behavior toward others is violent and destructive, when it causes suffering among their neighbors, when it is deceiving or only exploited for personal gain, you can be sure that religion has been corrupted and reform is desperately needed." You see, friends, many have masqueraded religion to the pointed that he has become corrupted. And, just as in Isaiah’s day, reform is desperately needed today.
The prophet Isaiah gets to the heart of the matter, if you will. Isaiah gives us the remedy for having a positive influence on a secular world. He shares with us how to be religious in a secular world - and it all boils down to worship!
I want you to think for a moment; what is your concept of worship? What does it mean to worship the Lord? For some, it may simply mean attending church where you sing, hear God’s word read and preached, pray, and partake Holy Communion. And certainly, without a doubt, all of these practices can lead to true worship; but we see that Isaiah shows us that true worship goes beyond these things. Worship is a way of life! In fact, Isaiah says in verses 6 and 7; "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
Keep in mind, in Isaiah’s day, like today, there were apparently plenty of religious people, but not many responsive people. Not many people willing to stand up! As we see in our Scripture Lesson this morning, they "afflicted their souls" with fasting, they "delighted" to know God’s ways, they inquired about "the ordinances of justice," and enjoyed their worship services. In fact, we read in verse 2; "For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for [me] to come near them." But we see that little, if any, of there piety translated into action. For them, worship had become an object verses a way of life. Yet, they expected God to answer their prayers and they expected God to bless them. Through Isaiah, God said that true worship is not a weekly ritual, but a daily lifestyle. It may begin in the house of prayer, but ends up in the public square. But what does that mean? What would it mean for believers if they responded to the hungry, the homeless, the prisoner, the wage earner, the debtor, the poor and the hopeless? Obviously, there is no easy answer; but one fact is clear: as Isaiah told the people of his day, in our Scripture Lesson, God cannot be expected to shower good things on his people as long as they withhold good things from others. God blesses us so that we might be a blessing to others. The Christian faith is about influencing and impacting the lives of others. The gospel - the good news isn’t something we must hoard to ourselves, but it is a message that we must share.
So, what starts with worship ends in service, Isaiah reminds us. Today that means that the church gathered for worship on Sunday becomes the church scattered for service Monday through Saturday. Building believers leads to believers rebuilding their communities and having an impact on the world. Worship and service form the seamless robe, that is to say the "robe of Christ" which covers the world and brings healing and peace, justice and love.
There’s an old Hebrew tale where the rabbi asks his students; "How can we determine the hour of dawn - when the night ends and the day begins?" One student raised his hand and said; "When from a distance you can distinguish between a dog and a sheep?" The rabbi shook his head and said; "No!" Another student raised his hand and said; "It’s when one person can distinguish between a fig tree and a grape vine?" "No," said the rabbi. "Well, tell us the answer," another student said. And the old wise rabbi said; "You can determine when night ends and day begins when you look into the face of human beings and you have enough light [in you] to recognize them as your brothers and sisters."
The story is told that when the government began to run low on silver coins during the seventeenth-century in England, Oliver Cromwell sent his troops to investigate a local cathedral to see if they could find any of the precious metal there. They made their investigation, returned to the great man and reported; "The only silver we can find is in the statues of the saints standing in the corners." To which Cromwell replied; "Great! We will melt down the saints and put them in circulation." And, you know friends that should be true of our lives! We are called to be saints in circulation - we’re not to remain in the church, as if we are on display in some museum - we are called to go forth to live as God’s faithful saints!
We have to do more that just pray; "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…" we have to live that prayer.
We have to live that hymn! And so, as Isaiah challenges us, let us not just be religious people; but, more importantly, let’s be responsive people – a people who live the faith and who embody Christ in our daily living. That’s what it means to be saints in circulation! That is the heart of worship - it begins here, on Sunday morning, but it is carried out there!
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 1:16 PM
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