Homily at ECW Spring Conference, 2001
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

I bring you greetings on this occasion from Bishop Coleman, who was to be the preacher on this occasion. He is with his wife, Carter, who is extremely ill, as many of you know. In our gathering, may we be sure to include Jim and Carter Coleman in our prayers. And, at this time, I invite you to share a moment of silent prayer for the Coleman's with me.

The readings today are those specified for the feast day of St. Mark the Evangelist. That feast day, by the way, actually was Wednesday - but neither St. Mark nor the Lord objected to our celebrating it today.

In this homily, I want us to consider four characteristics of the Christian life that are suggested by this Gospel or by St. Mark himself. These Christian attributes might be instructive and helpful on our own spiritual journeys through life. Indeed, I find these offerings from St. Mark to be both practical and beneficial. And, I pray you will too.

To begin with, the process of writing the Gospel suggests the first of these characteristics. That is, St. Mark is the original Gospel. It was written first - and when it was written, there existed no example to go by. The other Gospel writers had St. Mark's work to refer to, but he did not have anything. The Gospel according to Mark is the earliest example of this particular type of literature that we have. Thus, our collect today gives thanks to God that "by the hand of Mark the evangelist you have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

It seems to me, then, that in writing this original kind of literature, St. Mark also offers us an example of courage … especially, the courage and willingness to try something new and innovative. That's an important Christian virtue - the courage to step out in faith. And, surely, anyone who has worked in the Episcopal Church knows that presenting something new requires a special kind of courage!

Secondly, the person introduced right at the first of St. Mark's Gospel is that fascinating prophet, John the Baptist. St. Mark and the other Gospel writers after him are quite clear about John's message. That is, John points beyond himself, to the One who is to come, to the one whose sandals - John says - he is not worthy to untie.

In providing this image for us, St. Mark also offers the significance of Christian humility. As Christian people, we also are called to point beyond ourselves, to the One who has come and who will come again, to the Savior and Redeemer of the world. The exercise and practice of humility are crucial to our walk in the Christian faith.

Thirdly, St. Mark introduces Jesus at the point of his baptism. In this Gospel, we find no birth narrative, nor do we read of any childhood experiences of Jesus. Rather, we meet Jesus at his baptism, and that is the event which marks the beginning of his public ministry.

In terms of our Christian pilgrimage, St. Mark emphasizes for us the foundational character of baptism … and that really cannot be overstated. Remember that covenant we have with God - our baptismal covenant … the covenant we renew from time to time? By means of that covenant, we really affirm the fundamentals of our Christian faith and practice. In that covenant, we declare our faith in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We promise to continue in the life of apostolic fellowship, worship, and prayer. We state our intention to resist evil in our lives and to repent when we fall short of that goal. We indicate that the message of Christ will be central to us, in word and in deed. We promise to look for the presence of Christ in all people, to serve those people, and to love them. Finally, we intend that justice, peace, and dignity among all people will be significant goals in our lives. Therefore, clearly, the various aspects of that baptismal covenant provide us with the sure foundation for living our Christian lives.

Then, the final characteristic for Christian living suggested by St. Mark does not occur in our reading today - the beginning of the Gospel. Rather, it comes at the very end. Indeed, the original ending of Mark - at least the ending that still exists today - is abrupt and unfinished. Listen to this final verse of the original document: "So they (the three women at the tomb) went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." That's it. No resurrection appearances … no signs of life for the continuing Church. "They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."

In terms of our Christian pilgrimage, we, too, are in the midst of unfinished business, incomplete relationships, and lives not yet fulfilled. As parts of creation, we ourselves are incomplete. That old bumper sticker had some truth to it: "Be patient. God is not finished with me yet." Thank God for that! We all have reason for hope as a result. We continue to be on a journey … the journey of life with Christ. And our journey is not yet over. Thus, what we are now is not what we will be.

Therefore, I suggest to you today that St. Mark's Gospel presents us with several essential characteristics of Christian living. And we gain particular insights about our lives in Christ from what St. Mark offers to us. Courage, humility, a fundamental grounding in baptism, and the awareness of being on a journey really do describe crucial aspects of the Christian life. I commend them to you. And I hope, finally, that you join me in giving thanks - especially today - for the life and witness of St. Mark the evangelist, by whom we have received the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.