Sermon: "What Really Matters"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

[This sermon by Bishop vonRosenberg was delivered using the following notes.]

A biblical account, like the one just read, sometimes raises the question for me of what really happened. That is, in our Gospel lesson today, we are provided the picture of a smooth and seamless transition in leadership from John the Baptist to Jesus. And, then, we receive a straightforward account of Jesus' calling his first four apostles, who were fishermen at the time, and we hear of their quick and unqualified acceptance of Jesus' call. But, I suspect there was a good deal more to each of those stories than we read in the lesson.

The Gospel account gives us the results of certain circumstances, from a retrospective point of view … that is, after the fact. Often, it seems to me, that kind of reporting may tend to gloss over the problems and the challenges involved prior to reaching the results.

For example, elsewhere in the Gospel we hear the hint of competitiveness between John the Baptist and Jesus - and, certainly, between their respective followers. Thus, I wonder if St. Matthew tells us the whole story when he writes that John was put in prison - and, thus, out of commission - and only then did Jesus step forward, into a position of leadership, picking up the message that John had preached previously. As you can tell by now, I suspect there is more to that story than the brief bit that we have in the reading.

The same is true, surely, in the story of calling the first apostles. What is reported, simply, is that Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, saw the brothers, Peter and Andrew, and called them to follow him. And they did, "immediately." Then, the same process was repeated with two other brothers - James and John. Once again, they followed, "immediately." In this report, no mention is made of a hiring process, of resumes and references and interviews, nor even of the reaction of old Dad, who apparently was left in the lurch - and alone in the boat - by the second set of brothers. In the instance of each story, then, we simply are left to speculate about what may have taken place around the edges of St. Matthew's account.

It seems to me that we receive a more complete picture of what was actually happening behind the scenes of another situation - the one described by our reading from First Corinthians. St. Paul is dealing there with some real conflict and division within the church in Corinth. And that situation becomes quite obvious in what he writes to them. "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters" (1:10-11). St. Paul goes on to specify the particular factions - or, at least, the ones to whom the factions appeal as their authorities.

St. Paul calls on his readers to remember the sources of their underlying unity - in particular, the baptism they all share and the cross Christ suffered for all. Apparently, the fundamentals of the faith were in danger of being overlooked, while squabbles and disagreements about lesser things took center stage in Corinth.

Does this sound at all familiar to you? In fact, this particular passage became part of the conversation at the House of Bishops' meeting in Salt Lake City ten days ago. This special meeting of the bishops was called to begin responding officially to the Windsor Report, which took to task the Episcopal Church - and others - for recent behavior and actions. In our deliberations and in our decisions, the bishops attempted to respond in accord with the model held up by St. Paul, rather than to conform to the example of the church in Corinth. However, it is important to observe that such a response is not easy to achieve, especially in any diverse group. The ways of the world do intrude in gatherings of all sorts - even in church gatherings.

In what we do today, however, as well as in what we hold dear as a community of faith, we emphasize that which unites us above that which divides and separates us. As St. Paul reminds us, what unites us ultimately is our baptism into Christ and the blessings we receive through the action of Christ on the cross of life.

People will be presented to us in a few minutes for Confirmation. Confirmation is the time that adult Christians confirm their baptismal promises - promises made either by them or by their parents and sponsors on their behalf at Baptism. Today, though, the Confirmation candidates say "Yes" to those promises, speaking for themselves.

Just following those affirmations, all of us will have the opportunity to renew our own Baptismal Covenant. That is, we will repeat our "Yes" to the promises of our Baptism. Please notice during this time of renewal that the Baptismal Covenant involves first, our faith in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then, though, there are more affirmations in the Baptismal Covenant beyond our statement of belief in God. These additional affirmations have to do with our words and deeds - our priorities, our intentions, as we live into our lives of faith. Please pay attention to these promises that we make in the Baptismal Covenant. They are at the very heart of practical Christian living.

In these times - more than in any other time in my adult life - Episcopalians are challenged to hold fast to the things that really matter, to those things ultimately that unite us. Perhaps in this way our situation resembles circumstances in Corinth during St. Paul's day. People in general today surely seem prone to turn to this or that figure, who may be speaking some part of the truth but who omits matters that are central to the truth. St. Paul, therefore, encourages us as he did the Corinthians before us.

Baptism unites us, for we all are baptized "into Christ." That Baptism in Christ indicates our unity by the seal of the Spirit of Jesus. And we live into that unity for the sake of the One who was baptized and who died on the cross for our own sake. Baptism and the cross surely offer us signs - and realities - of unity that far outweigh any reasons for separation and division. I appeal to you, therefore, to claim the unity which is ours in Christ, to pray for that unity on behalf of Christ, and to live into that unity which is the precious gift of Christ, to his church and on behalf of the world. Amen.

Copyright © 2005 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee