Epifanía 3 (C) + Que vemos en la cruz + What do we see in the cross + 1.24.16

(from Pixadilly by George Brown:
http://www.pixadilly.com/archives/7559)

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Nehemías 8:1–3, 5–6, 8–10; Salmo 19; 1 Corintios 12:12–31ª; San Lucas 4:14–21)

Let me ask you a question.

What do we see in the Cross?  ¿Que vemos en la cruz?

One commentator pointed out something about a verse earlier in the First letter to the Corinthians than we read today. 1 Corintios 1:25 habla de “lo que en Dios parece debilidad” pero de hecho habla de “la cosa débil de Dios”—es decir—la cruz. 1 Corinthians 1:25 speaks of not the weakness of God but the “weak thing of God”- which is the cross. And this same commentator pointed out that if the cross is the weak thing of God, it was exactly in God’s weakness on the cross that we saw God’s strongest power. La crucifixión nos mostró en la plenitud el poder divino.[1]  God’s power is made manifest in supposed weakness. El poder de Dios se manifiesta en la debilidad.

Asi que vemos a Dios mejor en los débiles de nuestro mundo. And so it is that we see God best in those our world would call weak. The physically or mentally disabled, the outsider, the sick person and the prisoner.

These are the prism through which we see Christ. Servimos a Cristo en y con ellos. This is not meant to objectify as much as to reinforce our orientation as Christians which must always be towards the oppressed and the outsider. No quiero despersonalizar a nadie, pero es decir que nuestro enfoque como cristianos siempre debe ser en el marginado, en el oprimido.

Which brings me to another question.

What do we see in the body?  ¿Que vemos en el cuerpo?

Paul was asking this question of the Corinthians. San Pablo preguntaba esto de los Corintios, de que vieron en el cuerpo. They were one community but they were acting as if they were different groups. Some parts of the body of that community were acting as if they were more important than others. They were eating different things and sitting in different spots. Actuaban algunos partes del grupo de los cristianos en Corinto como si no fueran parte de la misma comunidad; había discriminación en el cuerpo de los creedores. But it was not about the actions as much as where their hearts were. Because in a way, they were just acting the way their society told them to. Como solo estaban siguiendo las reglas y normas de su sociedad, San Pablo solo los quisiera mostrar que lo más importante es donde está su corazón. Si su corazón está en buen lugar, sus acciones siguen. As we know, if the heart is in the right place, the actions usually follow. O a lo menos le hace más fácil actuar como un cristiano fiel.

When I looked at the annual meeting report I saw the true and growing diversity of this body. Viendo el reporte anual este año, pensé que esta comunidad realmente está más diversa cada año en diferentes maneras.  What do we see in the body? We see people who are educated in life and in the academy. Vemos gente no solo de diferentes naciones pero de diferentes trasfondos, de diferentes experiencias de la vida. We see people who come from many nations, and even first nations. We see people who speak different languages but more than that, people who can bridge between different cultures. Hay gente que puede interaccionar entre los grupos con fluidez por razón de sus habilidades lingüísticas y/o culturales. Some of these bridge-people only speak one language but the heart does the connecting. Some of you have linguistic and heart gifts. It is all gift. Es todo una bendición. All the different backgrounds. Some of us are those society would label weak. Algunos de nosotros son los que la sociedad llama los Fuertes, algunos somos llamados los débiles de la sociedad. Some of us are the strong, but we try to listen to the weak. And vice versa.

Which brings me to my last question.

What do we see in our hands? ¿Que tenemos en nuestras manos?
We have so much to share. Tenemos tanto que compartir.  A veces un plato de comida, a veces las manos están vacios pero compartimos una sonrisa o un “Dios te ama.” Sometimes it is a plate of food but more than that it is a goodhearted sharing of our faith. It is a community that cares. We are not perfect. We make mistakes. No somos perfectos, pero tratamos de ser buenos uno con el otro en comunidad.

Now, many of you have heard about the developments in our Anglican Communion in recent days. Muchos han escuchado de la decisión de los primados de la Comunión Anglicana de poner más distancia entre ellos y la Iglesia Episcopal, por razón de las maneras en que nuestra iglesia ha incluido a todos tipos de personas. You may have heard about the Anglican primates’ decision to distance themselves from what the Episcopal church has done in terms of inclusion. It is important to note here that this is not a real check on our ministry and life as a church, because they really do not have the authority to do that. Nosotros somos un cuerpo autónomo, así que las iglesias anglicanas no pueden dirigir nuestras acciones. But it is an opportunity for us to open our hands and hearts and be Jesus to those who disagree with us. Es una oportunidad de mostrar como actuara Jesús con los quienes actuaran de una posición de miedo. Although this vote was a certain censure, it was accompanied by a vote to stay in conversation, and relationship. That vote was unanimous. Cuando votaron, no solo votaron para esta distancia de la Iglesia Episcopal, pero también votaron de una manera unánime para mantener las relaciones de amistad con la Iglesia Episcopal. What do we see in our hands—an open hand to hold another’s? A veces tenemos que estirar nuestras manos a un supuesto enemigo.
What do we see in our hands?

Sometimes we see a whole world of possibilities. A veces hay un mundo de posibilidades, como veo aquí. That is what I see here. We have such rich diversity, so much to share.  Estamos tan diversos, y tenemos tanto que compartir. But we must take care. We cannot only be generous at Bread of Life but we must also be welcoming to the stranger that wanders into our door. Nuestra generosidad no debe ser solo en Pan de Vida pero en la hora de misa y de convivio también. Now that welcome can mean different things. It does not always mean that visitor has carte blanche to demand anything of us. Coffee hour is an important community time for us. No quiero decir que damos cualquiera cosa que quisiera a cualquiera persona que entre a nuestras puertas. La hora de convivio es importante para nuestra comunidad. But we must take care that our hearts are open and then our minds, hands and feet will follow.  Nuestros corazones tienen que estar abiertos, y luego nuestras acciones pueden seguir. Then we will know what to do.

The good news is that the scripture is fulfilled when the poor receive good news and the prisoner is visited. La buena nueva es que Dios se manifiesta cuando el pobre recibe la buena noticia, y anunciamos libertad a los presos. These are epiphanies, each and every moment.[2] And what do we see here, but God’s revelation in acts of kindness to the poor and the oppressed? Vemos esta compasión aquí, la buena nueva aquí. La Epifanía de Dios en estas acciones.
We are doing this. In Christ’s name. En el nombre de Cristo. En el nombre del triunfo que hay en la cruz, in the name of the triumph of the cross, let us continue. ¡Que Continuemos!

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[1] Brian Peterson, “Commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a,” For January 24, 2016, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2733.

[2] Karoline Lewis, from Sermon Brainwave #459- Third Sunday after the Epiphany (http://www.workingpreacher.org/brainwave.aspx?podcast_id=709) for January 24, 2016.