Proper 22, Yr C (October 2, 2022) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield

Proper 22, Yr C (2022)                                                           The Rev. Karen C. Barfield

2 Timothy 1:1-14                                                                       St. Andrew’s On-the-Hill

Luke 17:5-10

In the name of the one, holy, and living God:

            in whom we live, and move, and have our being.  Amen.

If it is of fear,

it is not of God.

In today’s letter to Timothy we hear:

“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice (of fear),

            but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline (or as the King James translates of “right mind”).”

God did not give us a spirit of fear,

            but rather a spirit of power and love and right mind.

This afternoon we will celebrate the life of St. Francis of Assisi with the Blessing of the Animals.

Francis was the son of a wealthy merchant of fine linen.

Mirabai Starr relates this story of Francis:

“After Christ spoke to Francis from the [crucifix in the] ruins of San Damiano,

directing him to rebuild his church,

     Francis reached for the most immediate source of funds available:

his father’s fabrics.

“Francis entered Pietro Bernardone’s warehouse when his father was away on business and helped himself to two bolts of expensive cloth.

“Francis rode to a nearby village, where he sold both the fabric and his horse.

“Pocketing his purse of gold,

he set off on foot for the crumbled church of San Damiano,

       where he offered the money to the priest. . . .

“But Bernardone’s wrath was infamous,

and the priest had no interest in incurring it.

He refused the money.

“When Francis’s father returned to Assisi and discovered what his errant son had done, he predictably exploded.

“He had endured Francis’s outrageous disregard for his hard-earned wealth long enough.

“In Francis’s youth,

the boy had squandered entire fortunes on entertaining himself and his friends.

“His father had spent a huge sum to bail him out when Francis was captured as a prisoner of war.

“He had allowed Francis to do nothing for two years as he recovered from an illness contracted during his incarceration.

“And now this:

stealing from his own father to pursue some crazy new whim.

“Bernardone found his estranged son . . .

     begging in the streets of Assisi for stones to rebuild the church of San Damiano. . . .

“When he was summoned before Bishop Guido,

Francis went willingly,

considering the bishop to be a representative of God.

“Guido,

known for his violent temper,

was surprisingly tender with [Francis]. . . .

“He tried to reason with him,

explaining that he had “scandalized” his father and that God wouldn’t want him to use ill-gotten gains to do his work.

“My son,” said the bishop,

“have confidence in the Lord and act courageously. . . .

      [God] will be your help and will abundantly provide you with whatever is necessary.”

“These words penetrated Francis’s heart.

“Moved by a surge of faith,

Francis stripped off his clothes in front of the entire assembly

and handed them to his father,

      along with the purse of gold the priest at San Damiano had refused.

“Listen everyone,” Francis called out to the crowd….

“Bernardone is no longer my father.”

“Stunned,

the bishop wrapped his own cloak around Francis’s naked shoulders.

“His father left the cathedral defeated.

“This is not the way Bernardone hoped things would work out.

“What he really wanted was to have his son back.

“But Francis,

released into the service of humanity,

was lost to him forever.”

Adapted from Mirabai Starr, St. Francis of Assisi: Brother of Creation (Sounds True: 2007, 2013), 83-85. 

“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice,

            but rather a spirit of power and of love and of right mind.”

The letter to Timothy continues:

            “Join with me in suffering for the gospel,

relying on the power of God,

                                    who saved us and called us with a holy calling,

     not according to our works but according to [God’s] own purpose and grace….          

Guard the good treasure entrusted to you,

with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”

Now, those folks who gathered around Francis that day

       probably regarded him as not being of “right mind!”

Remember, he was not yet a saint…

            not that many saints were regarded as being of “right mind!”

But, in later ages we have come to know him as living in the power and love and right mind of Christ…honoring every creature who lives upon this earth,

 as well as the whole of creation,

as created in the image of God…

as worthy of love and respect and dignity.

Francis again and again stepped forward in faith,

knowing God’s presence within him.

His actions flew in the face of what was deemed “proper” in his society.

He lived, knowing that God would provide.

            He lived, knowing the gift of God that lived within him.

                        He lived, sharing the love of God with the whole of creation.

Paul writes to Timothy:

“I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you.”

I think this is the question before us today:

What is the gift of God within us?
        or What are our gifts (plural)?

       How do we rekindle those gifts?

How do we step forward in faith…

with power and love and right mind?

In today’s gospel the apostles say to Jesus, “Increase our faith!”

Jesus has been telling them to act in ways that seem impossible:

            If someone offends you 7 times in a day and asks forgiveness, forgive them.

      Share your riches…don’t make stores for yourselves.

                        Welcome the one who wanders away from the fold – or family.

The disciples think that Jesus is asking too much of them!

So Jesus replies:

            “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree,   ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

Jesus is simply saying:

Step forward in faith with whatever gift you have.

That might be in little daily things like tending the sheep and preparing meals

       or in big things like selling all your possessions and giving them to the poor.

Our lives of faith involve much more than gathering in a building on Sunday morning.

Our lives of faith engage faithful response in our daily lives…

            living out the gifts of God within us in power and love and right mind.

Our faithful response can be as varied as there are people…we all have different gifts.

Perhaps it means calling a friend who has lost a loved one or been diagnosed with a chronic illness - just to see how they are doing…letting them know they are not alone.

Perhaps it means reconciling with a friend or family member.

Perhaps it means helping feed our community through Backpacks, Pathways, or the Community Kitchen.

Perhaps it means offering to give someone a ride to church (and we have several folks who need a ride) or taking someone to a doctor’s office.

Perhaps it means writing letters to your representatives in Congress to express your moral convictions or volunteering to work at the polls.

You get my point…I could go on all day with possibilities.

Jesus tells the apostles…you don’t need much faith – just a little will do…

            even as little as a tiny mustard seed.

But… step out in faith!

            Rekindle the gift of God that is within you.

     God does not give us a spirit of cowardice,

but rather a spirit of power and love and right mind.

And God grants us the power to live out our holy calling

            through the Grace of the Holy Spirit living in us.

As the bishop said to Francis: “My [child]…

have confidence in [God] and act courageously. . . .

“[God] will be your help

and will abundantly provide you with whatever is necessary.” 

Amen.