Evening Prayer Homily
July 7, 2002

Our celebration of Independence Day this year is more important and more significant because of September Since that tragic day of evil violence we have changed as a nation. Our commitment to be united was tested and has been confirmed. Our love of liberty has sounded like the bells of this great National Cathedral and been heard around the world. Since that awakening we look at ourselves differently and we watch others differently too.

Evil seized two planes with UNITED and AMERICAN written all over them. Ironically since that day we as a people have been more united and more proud to be American.

But the explosions in New York City, a quiet field in Pennsylvania and the very symbolic area of this nation's Capitol created holes in the fabric of this nation. Ever since this homeland affront, all of us living in this new millennium have been summoned to a true and lasting spiritual renewal. One can feel this on Capital Hill and in the cities and small towns stretched across the vast fields and mountains of this country. No matter what our ethnic, social or religious differences all of us have been called to look at ourselves and our sense of community anew.

After reflecting on the scriptures chosen for this evening, my three points are these: Evil happens and it is the all Holy God who calls forth new forms of goodness out of evil. God is with us always, but especially in troublesome times. Prayer strengthens God's people and shapes them to be the instrument to be used by God to bring about a new day.

As we listened this evening to English chant of ancient psalmody the Hallel was raised to a joyous understanding of salvation's victory in our own day.

From this reverie the first reading breaks upon us the boldly. Here the Lord is not responding to the usual pleas or arguments of Moses on behalf of his community. The Lord simply orders: "Go up this mountain (always the place to encounter God and gain perspective) and look out over the whole land which I have given." Then Moses is told rather bluntly - after he has looked over the land, he will join Aaron and all his kinsfolk who have died. He will not enter the Promised Land because; "You did not uphold my holiness before the people at the waters of dispute."

Tonight as we look out over the land and while we lament for not always upholding the holiness of the Lord, we are comforted by the Word of God. For blessed are your eyes that can see through the heavy dust and discern the action of God in our midst. And blessed are your ears which are truly open to the Word and can hear God exhorting us to move on. Listen to what God is confirming in us.

Never at a loss for words, Moses is pleading with the Lord for an easy transition of power. As I reflect on this I cannot help but think of one of the huge paintings hanging in the rotunda of the Capital, It is entitled "Washington Cincinnatus" It pictures George Washington turning over all power as Commander in Chief and First President. He is surrounded by people anxious but willing to stand with John Adams the aggressive politician who will become the second president. Washington and the young nation like Moses before them, seek someone who himself will know when to go out and come in and as their head will lead the army and the people out and bring them home SO THAT the community of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.

God raises up leaders not for themselves but for the sake of the whole community - especially in times of crisis.

John Adams was no Washington. Joshua was no Moses. Joshua would not have the intimacy with the Lord that Moses had. He would have to rely on the mediation and advice of the priest Eleazar for decisions. So unlike Moses! But because Joshua followed the Lord unreservedly he was a man of spirit - and specially chosen. He had just the right qualities the Lord needed at the time to be a good leader - courage, prudence and strength of will. So Moses took Joshua and presented him to Eleazar and the whole community. He laid hands on him and gave him his commission in their presence. Joshua was delegated some of Moses' authority -just enough - SO THAT all in the community would respect him. The community of the Lord would not be sheep without a shepherd.

True to His Word, God continues to guard, guide and lead the Lord's own community to this very day. Easy transition in government here in the United States is one of our strengths. As a nation re have always relied on this - but especially in times of historical crisis. The transition of Buchanan to Lincoln, Roosevelt to Truman. Here authority and power are given by the people for the people. By Divine Providence we chose leaders so they have the power to lead us through troublesome times to a new day. Because true governance is the Lord's instrument and we expect so much of our leaders in government they need our respect. Because troublesome times heap tremendous responsibilities upon their shoulders they deserve our prayers. I plead with you to pray earnestly for the President and the members of Congress.

Another charismatic leader in a time of great transition was Paul in Ephesus. Paul's preaching in Athens was startling. On his third missionary journey we know he established a formidable community in Corinth. But in Ehesus, the capitol and cultural center of Asia at the time, the Lord used Paul in a different way. When he arrived in Ephesus Paul found a group of converts who had never received or even heard of the Holy Spirit, the most powerful sign of true Christian faith. He stayed in Ephesus between two to three years. Jews and Gentiles both heard the Word of the Lord and folklore stories began to spread about Paul and miraculous powers.Ephesus seems to have been a place of books and religious devotion; but also a crossroads of trade and talisman. Strange forms of evil were very present while the Holy Spirit groaned to give birth to a true Christian community in this capitol town.

As we, the people of 9/11, listen to this passage, the evil spirit seems to be shouting at us; "Jesus I acknowledge; and I know Paul; but who are you?" One wonder as a Christian! What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus - when even evil spirits can do that! In an information age we know a lot. We may know all about Paul and the stories about him and his powers of persuasion and argument. Yet, without the Holy Spirit we are easily confronted; "Who are you?" We can easily become self-doubting, wondering why do people hate us so. Why the violence? Self-immolation? People simply angry on rage highways and confusing airports shouting; "Who do think you are! "The times can blind us in disbelief, deafen us into indifference or paralyze us with cynicism.

On the other hand the Acts of the Apostles tell us that in the terrible times of Paul in Ehesus, both Jew and Gentile were awestruck. But rather than become immobile they were moved by the Spirit and the name of the Lord Jesus gained honor. Many believers came forward and openly confessed that they had not been following the Lord wholeheartedly. They had compromised their following of the Lord's way of doing ordinary business. Instead of trusting wholeheartedly in the power of the Lord they began to believe in magical powers. Their strange beliefs were perhaps no less strange than people today believing in the power of money and litigation to get themselves out of any trouble. No less magical than believing in the power of armaments to achieve peace.

The chaotic time of Ephesus was not too different than our own when it comes to an economic downturn or unemployment. Bookburnings affected their economy. Losses up to 50,000 silver pieces we are told. And that's not all. Soon in Ephesus there would be strikes by the silversmiths that would cause huge demonstrations in public places. And the Christians would be blamed for it all.

No wonder it was around this time that the scripture begins to refer to faith in the Word of God as a Christian movement for the first time. Ephesus describes for us what can happen once people of a whole community are touched by the powerful Spirit of Christ. All the evil and violence can be driven out by the holiness of God. To interface with evil people need to hold onto their trust in the movement of the Spirit. No longer would the community be lead to believe just in magical powers or their own works, or in information and books or in money or in revenge. We like the Ephesians of old we need to believe: "The Word of the Lord shows its power in entirely new ways and spreads more and more widely and effectively."

So chaotic, so powerful was Paul’s experience in Ephesus that here changed direction himself. In Ephesus he made up his mind to visit Jerusalem once again and then set his face toward Rome.

My brothers and sisters,

At this time of cultural, economic and social change, let us be renewed in the Spirit of Jesus and Apostolic faith. Let us also in our celebration of America’s 126th birthday be renewed in the spirit of the founders of this nation as well. “Let us, the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”

These constitutional goals are enough for us to show leadership ourselves. Following these goals wholeheartedly in every aspect of life - in religion, in commerce, in industry and in government as well as social services these goals are enough for us to rebuild a better institutional life of ethic and trust. And so we will become a stronger nation and be a leader among nations.

Grounded in our Judeo-Christian tradition we can face boldly the times in which we live, knowing God is with us. Change is not easy for any of us. Yet the radical change elicited by the Word of God is always far more powerful than anything or anyone we know or can imagine. In times of great transition the Lord is faithful and calls forth new forms of authority and power to lead us as a community to a new era. From the evil, the Lord of cross and resurrection, can bring forth refined goodness and lasting peace.

Tonight, once again, we are assured: "The Word of God is powerful, spreading more and more widely and effectively." We may not understand how or why evil has to be in the way—at times so subtle, so chaotic, so tense—but all the while we are dismayed or awestruck we are convinced the Word of God is creating a movement within us, around us and within this nation a movement we cannot see but we believe to be more powerful than we can imagine.