Sermon

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Durham, NC

May 27, 2007 - Pentecost

The Rev Harriette H. Sturges

Communication is essential.  So much so that lack of communication is the root of much frustration, anger, unrequited love, and violence. We are all great communicators in many ways – we communicate by talking, by looks, by gestures, by writing, singing, by things and words done and left undone, said and left unsaid.  Even newborns communicate, especially newborns communicate.

But how our communication attempts are received by others is the key to whether the communication is effective or not.. Communicators tell us that people generally have to hear something at least five times and in different ways before they get it.

How often even when we speak the same language with the same words do we misunderstand, misinterpret the message.  I watched a movie years ago when a soldier received a telegram announcing the birth of his daughter and a request for a name.  He telegraphed back, “Am so thrilled. Can’t think of any names but hope everything is fine.” When the mother received the telegram, it read: “Am so thrilled.  Can’t think of any name but Hope.  Everything is fine.” The telegraph operator, by the placement of the punctuation, named the baby Hope. This is a fairly benign miscommunication.  But the Franco-Prussian War began because of an ambiguous telegram. (Telegrams, by the way, were the precursors of e-mail.) You have your own stories of perhaps putting your foot in your mouth or being misunderstood, some funny, some not so funny. Means of communication seem more available, cheaper, faster, more global than ever before.  Yet, we still don’t seem to understand or hear each other all the time or very well.

Moreover, this isn’t just a modern technological issue.  The people of God from the very beginning didn’t obey what they heard or learn from their mistakes.  You might think of the story of Adam and Eve listening to the serpent after God had clearly communicated what was reasonable and expected: You may eat of any tree in the garden but the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden.  They ignored it as soon as the serpent communicated, “but you won’t die and the fruit will make you wise.”

Is this a communication issue only or an obedience issue?  Henri Nouwen and others point out that the root of the word “obedience” comes from the Latin word “audire” which means “to listen.” When Eve listened to God she obeyed God.  When she listened to the serpent she obeyed the serpent.

Communication and obedience are themes of our lessons this morning.  The combination of the two leads to power, power for destruction, power for building up, for scattering and for gathering.

The people on the plain of Shinar, which is Babylonia, all have the same language with the same words. But to whom are they listening?  To each other, and only to each other.  “They said to one another – come let us build ourselves, let us make a name.” They have forgotten God, forgot to check, to see if this was what God thought as well.  Indeed God appears almost as an adversary to them. Or have the people become an adversary of God?  There is no concern for others or the land, only themselves.  Only fear of being scattered.

The gospel lesson further emphasizes this communication issue. “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me, still don’t understand me and my words?”  (Remember that this is not our Philip the Deacon but the Apostle Philip.  Our Philip got it.)

Jesus goes on to explain once again of the power that comes from listening and obeying. “If you ask for anything I will do it.”  And you will do even greater works than I. If you love me, if you believe, if you obey me and abide in me, if you listen to the Spirit of Truth not the serpent of half truths.

Ten days ago Jesus told his disciples that they were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate who would teach them everything and remind them of what Jesus said.  Our lesson from Acts shows us what results from listening and obedience to God. People will either think you are filled with new wine and drunk or be perplexed because the power is so amazing, so amazing it transformed those waiting.  They were bursting with power and confidence.

Do you see the difference between Babel and babbling and Pentecost and power? One results in confusion; the other in clarity. One is exclusive and divisive; the other inclusive and hospitable to all people.  One talks about what WE will do; the other about God’s mighty deeds of power. One is for ourselves and the other is for God.

Our new building here at St. Philip’s is taking shape. Yes, there are bricks but not bitumen. Our building isn’t to make a name just for ourselves but for God.  It is a place to meet and then scatter into the world to share the language of love and power we receive. Some of us are being scattered to Washington, Kansas, Mississippi, Panama, Honduras, Hebron, downtown Durham, to universities and, I hope, this summer to times of refreshment. Yes it is true that sometimes we seem confused even if we are trying to speak English. We don’t always listen to God much less to each other, but we’re learning. We come back each week for another lesson in communication and obedience so we can take the power back with us into the world in our lives.

Moreover, this congregation continues to grow as the Body of Christ.  This morning we celebrate Meredith’s Rite 13 journey to adulthood at 9 and incorporate our newest set of twins, Charley and Tripp,  Lucy McClellan’s baby brother Asa, and Joe, who has a great biblical name, all being baptized into the Body of Christ at eleven. We also welcome all visitors and hope you’ll give us a chance to get to know you.

For the last 12 to 13 years, with your encouragement, I have been communicating the love of God and our response to this love primarily in the areas of the Creation, The Stranger, and the Child. I did not originate this or do it alone. Fortunately many of you were advocating these long before I came here. Mina had a great children’s program here before I came, and Elizabeth and Louise got the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd started. St. Philip’s has long welcomed the stranger and been a sanctuary for them and enriched by them. Hildegard Ryals is a pioneer in hugging trees and thinking green.  She was honored this past week with the Golden Leaf Award as an individual. There are all shades of green people here.

However, none of us have left only footprints and taken only pictures when it comes to honoring God’s creation. There is still much to be done – and done not just because of economic benefits although they are incentives, not out of fear that we are poisoning ourselves which we are.  Our motivation as people of God needs to be obedience and awe and wonder for the miracle and gift of creation and the command of God to till and care for it.

The Stranger for me during this time has been our Hispanic brothers and sisters who have taught me Spanish, mas o menos, and so much about trust and faith in God.  The people of Babel built walls and towers to protect themselves and to keep themselves to themselves. Later Hadrian built a wall. The Chinese built the Great Wall. There are walls separating the settlers from the Palestinians. The United States is also building a wall in order to control some of these strangers. But when people are willing to die for the chance to scale a wall, like Jericho, all walls eventually fall down   One solution might be for us as a nation to become so poor that no one wants to come here.  As long as others think we are as prosperous as we proclaim, we will attract them. However, voluntary poverty has never really caught on with most of us. But when has sharing ever made us poor? Could we not welcome the strangers, at least let them glean, and share God’s abundance.  What are we afraid of?  Why let fear control us when perfect love casts out fear.

I know it’s popular to honor the inner child these days, but remember that all of us, no matter our age, are God’s children, God’s holy children.  This morning our children are so beautifully spotlighted by our baptisms and Rite 13 celebration. We are training the children to love the gifts of God, to receive them and use them carefully and prayerfully and joyfully.  Continue to set a good example for them and to follow their example.

You have communicated your love and support of me as a person, as a Deacon and as the Coordinator of Children’s Ministry here.  I am so grateful and so blessed.  Thank you and thank God for bringing me here. You have trained me and now it is time for me to leave and let others be in charge here.  May the Lord watch between us while we are absent one from another. Amen.

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