"Christian Discipleship in Community – The Way of the Cross" - Proper 7A

Preached at Calvary Episcopal Church, Stonington, CT, while I was serving a summer internship. I have learned much at Calvary Church and it was great to have the opportunity to preach there.

Throughout this past week I have been reading and reflecting on the scripture lessons as I prepared to preach today. These particular lessons have some difficult words to hear, I think, but words that enlighten us to an understanding of discipleship. Not just any discipleship, but Christian discipleship. And not just any Christian discipleship, either, but Christian discipleship in community. For me, these words are timely indeed, as I have recently joined the community of Calvary Church, the community of Stonington and its surrounding area. I think, perhaps, these words are timely for all of us as we enter the summer season on the CT shore and we experience a time when our habits can change, our community can change, and our focus on living together as Christian disciples can change.
Today is June 22 and if it were any other day of the week than a Sunday, we would be celebrating the feast of Saint Alban. Saint Alban is remembered as the first martyr of the British Isles, living some 1700 or 1800 years ago. A Roman soldier, living in a small town about 20 miles north of London, Alban heard a knock on his door one evening. After opening the door, he discovered a Christian priest standing at his doorstep. The priest was running away from the local Roman authorities who hoped to make an example of him by executing him for not pledging allegiance to the Emperor. Although a Roman soldier, Alban took pity on the priest and allowed him to hide in his house. During the few days that the priest stayed with Alban, the two had long discussions about the Christian faith and Alban became a Christian follower. During these days, the two unlikely roommates formed a new Christian community because every time we gather we are in community. The Roman authorities finally showed up at Alban’s house and Alban put on the priest’s cloak to trick the authorities and protect the priest. Alban was taken away, prosecuted, and when he refused to deny his Christian faith, was sentenced to death. Alban’s final confession to his executioner was so powerful that he converted the man, and so both were put to death when the executioner refused to kill Alban. Both men in this story showed incredible courage and fortitude and made decisions that, fortunately, very few of us will ever have to make. But the words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel account still speak to us and still challenge us in our journey of discipleship to Christ.
I mentioned earlier that some of the words of this morning’s Gospel lesson are difficult to hear. I think some proof of this is captured in the fact that Jesus cautions his disciples 3 times: “Have no fear of them;” “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;” and “Even the hairs of your head are all counted, so do not be afraid.” I can remember times as a young boy or even times in the Navy when I wasn’t really afraid until someone in authority kept telling me to not be afraid…maybe I had something to be afraid about, but I was just too naïve to notice or to understand. Jesus fully understands the difficulties inherent in the life of Christian discipleship and he also understands the temptation to back away from those challenges and take the easy, well traveled road. Of this road, Jesus says, “Whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” Difficult words for us to hear, but again, “do not be afraid,” says Jesus. The Gospel lesson continues with more disconcerting news about family relationships and a caution about the priorities of one’s focus of love. “Whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” More difficult words to hear, but again, “do not be afraid,” says Jesus. Finally, we are told that “whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” “Do not be afraid,” says Jesus. Do not be afraid because we are Christian disciples in community. Do not be afraid because although the words of Jesus may challenge our understanding of a loving family and community, the truth of His words only deepen and strengthen the love of family and community. Do not be afraid because Jesus’ challenge to us is the very heart and soul of what it means to be Christian disciples in community.
Thomas Jefferson, a man of incredible intellect and ability, whose accomplishments throughout his life include President of the United States, founder of the University of Virginia, and author of the Declaration of Independence, was also author of a book entitled, “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.” Jefferson, a self-proclaimed Christian, but a man also deeply rooted in the scientific and reasoned thinking of the Enlightenment, authored this book as his reasoned understanding of the life of Jesus. The book became known as “The Jefferson Bible” and is a compilation of the four Gospel accounts, but without miracles, without “superstitions” (as Jefferson would call them), and without any hint that Jesus was anything more than simply the most moral man that ever walked the face of the earth. Although there is much to admire in a collected work of Jesus’ morals and system of ethics, Jefferson’s account presents us with soothing words of moral piety and strips clean the rocky road that is the way of the cross. This morning, we worship before the cross and remember that the cross is not only the sign of the Risen Christ, but serves to remind us of our lives as Christian disciples; Christian disciples in community.
William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury and Anglican theologian, describes the life of discipleship with a wonderful analogy. Temple creates an image of an oval with two foci, or two points of focus. One point is our personal desires and the other point of focus is God’s will for us. We continue to live our lives from our own point of focus (because we are sinners), but the life of Christian discipleship is a prayerful journey that hopefully moves us closer to the point of focus that is God’s will. As our point of focus draws closer to God’s point of focus, the oval slowly becomes a circle. Temple acknowledges that the two points will likely never completely overlap in our imperfect, human existence, but that certainly is the goal for all Christian disciples. I think Temple’s image is exactly what Jesus is telling his disciples at the close of our Gospel reading today, “Those who find their lives will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Those who live their lives from their own perspective, from their own point of focus (without any desire to search for and move towards the focus that is God’s will), will never discover the joy that comes from approaching the unity of focus and the perfect circle of Christ. However, those disciples that take up their cross and search for the focus that is God’s will for them will find the joy of Christ’s love; they will discover the love of father and mother, of son and daughter, of neighbor and community, but they will discover this love in the context of and from the focus of Christ.
The story of Saint Alban concludes with the journey of the priest, who was so upset about the news of Alban’s death he journeyed out in to the community to discover if the news was true. The news was true and the authorities found the priest and he suffered the same end that Alban met. The journey of Christian discipleship is not always the easiest journey; not always the smoothest road to travel, but do not be afraid. We travel the road with Christ; we travel the road together, in community. The words from our Gospel lesson, which may seem so hard to hear, are words that teach us, strengthen us and unite us in community. If we neglect these challenging lessons, we risk turning discipleship into personal piety; we risk leading our lives from our focus and not Christ’s focus, and we risk living lives that do not consider the cross of Christ. As our collect for Guidance in the Prayer Book says: “We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but remember that we are ever walking in your sight.”

Amen