Reign of Christ - Living Courageously

This is our book end for the month of Nov. We began the month with the theme of living generously. Today we consider living courageously.

How does living courageously pair with our reflection on the reign of Christ?

When we talk about martyrs and saints it is often people from a long long time ago.  Tomorrow is the commemoration day for Miguel Agustin Pro, a martyr who died 1927.

Augsburg Fortress’ Sundays and Seasons resource describes Miguel’s life like this:

Miguel Agustin Pro grew up among oppression in Mexico, where revolutionaries accused the church of siding with the rich. He was a Jesuit priest who served during a time of intense anticlericalism, and therefore he carried out much of his ministry in private settings.  He worked on behalf of the poor and homeless.  Miguel and his two brothers were arrested, falsely accused of throwing a bomb at the car of a government official, and executed by a firing squad.  Just before the guns fired, he yelled, “!Viva Cristo Rey!” which means “Long live Christ the king!”

It is almost a 100 years since Miguel died a martyr –  a martyr for doing what Jesus speaks about in today’s gospel.  He lived courageously to bring the reign of God to earth in the midst of oppression in Mexico. Who here is ready to live the reign of Christ courageously in this century?

 

Miguel was by no means the first martyr. He had many examples to follow, all of whom followed the example of Christ – Jesus’ teaching what the reign of God looked like, can look like, on earth- and died for courageously living the example. Jesus - courageous Christ.  While on earth Jesus was connected to the faith community; Jesus went to the Temple; Jesus participated in rituals – like Passover; Jesus read scripture, prayed, and sang hymns; Jesus sat and learned with rabbis and teachers.  In the context of a faith community Jesus courageously challenged the religious leaders, and confronted others with how they interpreted and lived God’s kingdom. Jesus courageously asked challenging questions and opened uncomfortable conversations. In the end Jesus out of a courageous expenditure of love died for the community. This outpouring of love confounded death and  brought the reign of God into the possibility of being made alive in human community; through Christ  and in connection with community it was / is possible to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

 

Leadership events and seminars are keen on having participants write goals and personal mission statements.  As an exercise groups of clergy in the Synod were invited to do this. The mission statement I had was ‘to be a passionate expression of God’s grace.’  We were then put into groups to tell others our mission statement and listen to their responses to our statement.  The others in the group were to assess whether or not the mission statement fit, based on their knowing the person who shared their mission statement. The Bishop was in my group when I shared my mission statement. He felt that the mission statement fit – except – I had not included a vital  word he would use to describe me; courageous.  Never in a 1000 years would I use that word to describe myself. I have 100s of slightly embarrassing  examples of not being courageous. As he explained the description, his understanding of courageous was what I consider my normal outlook and articulation of life around me, my genuine sense of wonder, how my creativity and enthusiasm oozes – who knew that it is seen by others as something special, unique, something that takes courage to do and be – to me it is just my normal; nothing courageous about it.  Others saw courage to be oneself, courage to tell the truth, courage to express ones’ self, courage to believe in the simplicity of the gospel – a knowledged naivete.

What happened through this event was an addition to my personal mission statement:

My mission is: To be a courageous and passionate expression of God’s grace.

 

I share this with you this morning because confirmation Sunday reminds me that the promises made in baptism and at confirmation are courageous. We make promises to live courageously. It takes courage to be part of a faith community that challenges us be in relationship with God and others; to work together for the common good when so many are only concerned about themselves; to share good news when around us the world too often repeats the negative; to strive for justice and peace when the world too often fights to be richer and better than another. We are asked to live courageously.

 

Some of you will have heard of Stella Bowles, a student and public speaker from Bridgewater who received the Order of NS for her  environmental activism. At the age of 11, as a science project, she started to collect and test water from the La Have river. The river was a mess. Stella wasn’t able to swim in the water because of straight pipes dumping raw sewage into the river.  Her work to help the river, her courage to speak up and to act, led to a $15.7 million clean up. She lived courageously -to serve all people – creation- a Christ example where courageous action changed the water from a state of death to life.  We are asked to live courageously.

 

Since COVID this congregation has been courageous. We have had the courage to engage in conversation, confront issues – I’ll be it forced on us in some way – although we could have ignored the news and what was happening in the world. We had the courage to continue coming to this community via online and through email;  the courage to speak, listen, and discuss issues that included domestic violence, mass tragedy, racism, social inequality, living wage, homelessness, war, politics, investment in green energy; as a community we live courageously as we to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

 

As a community we live courageously, 6 generations daring to gather together – all with different needs, expectations, and understandings. This is not all a think tank where we all think exactly the same or are told exactly what to belief or what to do. No we belief and act not in the absolutes of black and white, prescribed rights and wrongs, rather we courageously embrace the difficulties of life being filled with areas of  grey. At confirmation we  “promise to live among God’s faithful people; ’ a most courageous act -  to be part of a community, all of whom we may not like, but willing to challenge and be challenged by each other, open to honest and deliberate conversation, willing to change and be changed, encouraged to speak the things that take courage to say; and most importantly encouraged to live courageously by being you!

Nicole and Emma – live courageously -   Be you!

 

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ parable has the faithful asking: When was it that we saw you: hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, in prison – and take care of you? The faithful were doing these things, bringing God’s kingdom, living courageously and oblivious to that fact because that is who they were. And that came from connection to God and a community with a mind for encouraging compassion, compelling participation in service ministries, and inspiring an authenticity of being.

Today as a community of faith we are excited that you choose to live courageously – to look beyond the promises offered in the world, to engage with concepts and beliefs bigger than yourself, and to be challenged to figure out your personal mission statement,  how you are being called to bring the reign of God to earth.

 

‘Together we will give thanks and praise to God and proclaim the good news to all the world.’

Long live Christ! Vivo Christo Rey!