Homily
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

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

I remember a party that I attended as a young boy. I believe that it was a birthday party. But what I remember most clearly is that I did not know the boy who was the focus of the party. That is, the person being honored was unknown to me. In fact, he was the son of a friend of my mom … and, therefore, I had to go to the party. I did not want to be there. I saw no reason for me to be there. But, I was there.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like that one? Perhaps you had an obligation to attend some social function, but you actually had no personal reason to be present. Perhaps you did not know the person being honored. And, it seemed rather pointless to be there. But, there you were.

Well, this morning seems to present us with a similar situation, in some ways. We come together to celebrate the feast day of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. But, we don't really know who that person was. It's his party, in a sense, but we don't know much about him.

St. Bartholomew was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. He is listed among those apostles in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Now, I have just told you all that we really know about St. Bartholomew. He was one of the apostles, and he is listed in that group in three Gospels.

There are some theories about other parts of St. Bartholomew's life. Some scholars have made guesses about particular things he may have done. For instance, some say that he may have written another gospel himself. At times, scholars have supposed that he and Nathanael may have been the same person. One tradition maintains that St. Bartholomew may have traveled to India and spread the Gospel there. Another theory says that he was tortured and killed in Armenia. But what we know about St. Bartholomew is simply - and only - that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ.

And so, this morning we have come to a party … but we do not really know the person being honored. However, rather than lament this position we find ourselves in - as I did at that earlier party - I have another suggestion. It may be that St. Bartholomew can represent some very significant people for us. We may not know much about old St. Bartholomew … but there are some other people that we don't know much about either - and those are important people indeed to us. In a sense, St. Bartholomew is like those other folks.

Our faith depends on people like St. Bartholomew … people whom we do not know, people we have never met - but people whose faithfulness through the years makes possible our own.

Think, for instance, of the people who lived during the years just after Jesus. Many of them suffered arrest and abuse … even death. They lived fear-filled lives, because of their faith. Most of them are unknown to us. However, without their commitment to keeping alive the message of Jesus Christ, we might not even know of the One we call "Lord." In fact, there have been people through two thousand years of time that we know absolutely nothing about. And yet, it is only because of their faithfulness and their witness to Jesus that we find ourselves in this place today.

Consider, also, those who support our faith in current times - probably even some others in this space today. There are people in our day - and people here - whom we do not know but on whom our faith depends.

Remember the collect of the day, prayed near the beginning of this service? Listen again to part of that prayer, and have in mind not only St. Bartholomew but others who are unknown to us, perhaps even here. "Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught."

The theme of this Laymen's Conference is "Iron Sharpens Iron and One Man Sharpens Another." I am certain that I am not aware of everything that theme may mean. However, part of the message is this, it seems to me. We depend on one another in this faith we share. We depend on people that we know and give thanks for, and we depend also on people that we do not know but give thanks for, anyway. Therefore, today, for St. Bartholomew and for the countless others - unknown to us, but on whom our faith depends - thanks be to God! Amen.

Copyright © 2006 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee