Ephesians 4:1-16

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Ephesians 4:1-16 

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8Therefore it is said, 'When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.' 9(When it says, 'He ascended,' what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

Think:

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

Oh how I wish I no longer felt like a child.  I thought when I was younger that when I graduated High School, I would feel like a grown up.  I then thought, college, yes college is when I will feel like an adult.  Then when I finished college I thought, now that I'm working I will feel like a mature member of society.  Then graduate school, then seminary, now after seminary and working in the "real world" again- but I still don't feel like I am any less of a child- especially the child Paul describes in the passage above.  A child is a gullible lout, someone who is tricked by those who lie and cheat, those who are crafty and who present different doctrine than that which I believe. There is something lovely and wonderful about the innocence of children.  My niece hides behind her hands and expects no one to see her (she is 16 months old mind you).  My nephew laughs uproariously when you jump out from behind a wall (he is 2.5 years old now).  But the innocence of children to be fooled by absence to be entertained by simple tricks is precisely what Paul is warning us against.  Just because we cannot see Christ doesn't mean that Christ is not with us, philosophical arguments, political arguments, doctrines and dogma of religious organizations all cloud our experience of the living Jesus
When I used to work in the parish office, a fellow staff member used to tell me when I would whine about the pettiness of people's requests claiming that I was half their age but they were acting like a spoil child, they misunderstood when Christ told us to be child-like and took it to mean childish.  They are not the same thing, Kim. They are not the same thing.

We must not be children our entire lives.  We must not take faith at face value, for then our faith is shallow and can be shaken by the weakest breeze.  We must live through our faith and hold tight to the truths which we believe.  Thought Christ's resurrection we are witnesses to his power and authority, although we do not see Jesus as he was seen by his 12 disciples, or the masses who crowded in on him in today's Gospel, we witness the results of his resurrection.

Today is the observation of the Feast of St Agnes, a child martyr.  It is also the national commemoration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr.  Finally it is the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.  I cannot help but make a jump here from Paul to Dr King. 

We have all heard the sermon and I recommend that you read it in its entirety here :

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/martin-luther-kings-speech-dream-full-text/story?id=14358231

but the portion which holds my heart today is this :

"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive"

This passage comes immediately before the "go back to  mississippi..." then the I have a dream refrain.  But what Dr King, like Paul, and like Jesus, is saying to those who are battered and beaten by those who think differently.  Those who think violently.  Those who lack the respect and dignity for every human being, contrary to that which I and every baptized Christian should hold dear.  I find myself proud to be part of a tradition which will stand up for what I believe in - even in the face of death.  Like Agnes, the child martyr, like King, the martyred leader, and like all true Christians- who take their baptismal promise as a covenant which cannot be shaken by the trials and tribulations of this life. 

I will with God's help strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.  This promise was made for me when I was a child, and I affirmed it on the day that I was confirmed.  I renew it at every baptism I witness and every Sunday when I worship at the Eucharistic feast.  Although, I may still feel like a child I know that my faith is no longer that of a child. 

Pray:

From the Book of Common Prayer :

Almighty and everlasting God, who kindled the flame of your love in the heart of your holy martyrs, Agnes and Martin Luther King, Jr.: Grant to us, your humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in their  triumph may profit by their example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplate:

20 minutes Centering Prayer.  Wishing I could meditate in Child's pose today but knee still isn't up for that kind of stress.