This sermon is an attempt to underline and emphasize what I believe to be an integral part, the integral part?, of the Christian life – embracing, living, paradox! John Hapgood, erstwhile Archbishop of York, wrote “Living by Paradox”. I believe it is impossible to be an authentic Anglican/Episcopalian without embracing paradox; in fact, I believe it is impossible to be an authentic, functional Christian without embracing paradox… maybe even a human being!
How to do this? We need Christ and we need the Christian community.
The sermon text is below the sermon video; what was preached was not exactly what was taken into thee pulpit.
Click Here https://zionepiscopal.com/Sermon%20Videos/eighth-sunday-after-pentecost-7-31-2022.html
Sermon preached at Zion Episcopal Church, Washington, NC
Sunday July 31st 2022
The Reverend Alan Neale
“Embrace Paradox”
Hosea 11:4 “I led them with cords of human kindness, I l drew them with bands of love.”
Over the years I have prepared many couples for their wedding and their marriage; most were married in church and then pre-marital work is expected by the National Canons of the Episcopal Church. Some were married outside church and the conversations were optional.
These have always been great opportunities to become acquainted with the couple (and they with me!) and I have treasured all of them. I use a questionnaire to prepare the couple; one question inevitably produces laughter (and subsequently insight!). The question presents a list of tasks (such as maintaining the cars, taking the garbage, answering mail… about thirty in all) and then each partner indicates the one for which they are responsible (and, therefore, the one for which their partner is responsible). Inevitably there are mixed messages and confused expectations.
I make the point, sometimes often, that in a relationship we do not want someone to be constantly “improving us” but nor do we want someone who disinterested. The former extreme consists of nagging, the latter extreme of indifference. We want to work to a point where these attitudes, these mindsets are held together – the nearer we come to living in paradox, embracing these two mindsets, the happier… the more functional we will be.
And then I add… I only know one person who gets it perfectly and that is God (well, Wendy comes a close second!).
Carl Jung said of paradox (amongst much else) “paradox is one of our most valued spiritual possessions,…”
We hear clearly, with resonating tone, paradox embraced in our text for today, Hosea 11:4 “I led them with cords of human kindness, I drew them with bands of love”.
The Hebrew word for led/dragged is mashak. It suggests being dragged along; it is used to describe the Midianites as they extracted Joseph from the pit in Genesis 37.
The cords described by Hosea are roughly made and used for dragging stones or strengthening tents; and the bands indicate chains and metal. The word describes a snare set to catch a slave.
This clearly is no pleasant experience and yet… and yet it is linked with words of love and gentleness… PARADOX!
Ahabah – love, the most pure and authentic of love; best translated in the New Testament as agape… a love with no interest other than the beloved. The word used in Song of Solomon 8:6: “Set me as a seal upon your heart, a seal upon your arm, for love (this quality of love) is as strong as death… it cannot end! And gentleness, humanity at its very best, at its nearest to the divine.
Do you see, sense, feel the paradox?
This embrace of paradox is observed throughout Scripture:
We hear it in Paul… (2 Corinthians 12:9) “All the more will I boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me; for when I am weak, then I am strong”
(Romans 7:19) “The good that I would, I would not; and that I would not, that I do…”
(Philippians 2:12) “Work out your own salvation… for God is at work in you to will and to work for His good pleasure”
We hear it in James…(James 1:25) “The perfect law of liberty”
And in Jesus…(in today’s Gospel, Luke 12:21) “Those who are rich… but not rich towards God”
(Matthew 16:25) “For whoever wants to lose his life… will save it”
And, final text, from our very own Prayer Book; the prayer begins “O God you are the author of peace and lover concord” and continues “in whose service is perfect freedom”.
All these texts may seem paradoxical but, at our best, we know better; we know that they all emanate from, are sustained by and ever move towards the loving heart of God.
Friends, we need to live in this “divine paradox” – otherwise we find ourselves pretending we are perfect and so deserve love (I earned it) or (and sadly far more common) we surrender to the fear that we are of little value and do not deserve love!
Friends, EMBRACE THIS PARADOX OF GRACE… God love us just the way we are but He loves us so much he wants us to change!
I read recently: “Be willing to do what you can, be willing to be what you can and be willing to be what you are.”
And how do we do this, listen to these words from our Epistle for today (Colossians 3:1-2) “seek the things that are above; set your mind on things that are above… where Christ is… seated in glory”.
Seek… make this a priority. The same word is used to describe the women at the tomb as they sought with all their heart to seek Jesus, to seek the living among the dead.
Set your minds… work and pray that what you believe becomes the very part of who you are; integrate beliefs about grace in to your deepest being and your daily living! “Personal opinion fleshing itself out in action.”
Last Sunday, our Collect (The Prayer for the Day) contained these words “Increase and multiply upon us your mercy, that with you being our ruler and guide…” (and here it comes) “we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal”. You see, you hear, you sense the paradox.
Without seeking, without embracing this paradox our poor fellow in today’s Gospel paid a heavy price.
Friends, in a little while you and I will be invited to this table of the Lord; and then we will take common bread (well, wafer) and common wine; but we will embrace this glorious and healing paradox… it will be to us heavenly food and drink. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. AMEN