Collect, Ephesians 5:8-14
The Rev. David Hall
For 3 years, our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We would visit them 2 to 3 times a year. Buenos Aires is about the size of Los Angeles and there are lots of Churches. So on one visit, Phyllis, Stefanie, and I decided to go on a church tour.
We started with the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Cathedral which was originally built in the 16th century – that’s older than any Church in the United States. It was huge. It contains Argentina’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with guards standing at attention just like we have at Arlington National Cemetery. And for all you soccer players, there is a painting in the Cathedral called The Christ of Footballers.
Next came the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. Unfortunately, it was closed so we couldn’t see the inside, but outside it was beautiful. And of course, we went to see the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It’s in the financial district sort of squeezed in between several huge banks.
At first, we thought it was closed too. But we found a door and one of those speaker boxes so we pressed the button and asked if we could see inside. A wonderful man came to the door and let us in. Stefanie explained in Spanish what we wanted. He led us down a hallway, through the sacristy, and into the dark. Then our guide disappeared.
After a LONG few minutes – one by one the lights came on showing us a very old and very beautiful Church. It wasn’t nearly as big as the Roman Catholic Cathedral. The outside was rather plain compared to the Russian Orthodox Church. But for me the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was home. It looked kind of like St. Mary’s Cathedral in Memphis where I was ordained. Their pulpit was just like the one in Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church in Champaign IL where my mother attends and my father is buried. Sunlight streamed through beautiful stained glass windows.
But as I stood in that Anglican Church in Buenos Aires, what struck me was – that each Sunday people like you and me come and worship just as we do here today. They stand and say together the Nicene Creed and the Eucharistic Prayer – the same Nicene Creed and the same Eucharistic Prayer that we celebrate here today. I know that this morning THEY will hear the same scripture lessons WE hear today at Ascension – and will pray this very same Collect of the Day.
Some at the Cathedral will proclaim WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD. Others CREEMOS EN UN SOLO DIOS. And together with Christians here and throughout the world, we will come to the altar rail and share together in simple bread and wine that through the mystery of faith becomes to us the Body and Blood of our Savior.
And in this simple act we are given LIFE. ETERNAL LIFE here and now. Different places, different times, different people and different languages and yet we are all the ONE BODY OF CHRIST.
This is what the Apostle Paul wants the Christians in Ephesus to understand in our Epistle reading this morning. We are NEVER ALONE. The life we receive through God’s grace is the light shining in the darkness. It opens our hearts and minds to living life eternal – here and now. Through faith we come to find that we can live in Grace – THAT each day can be lived knowing that God is with us – that the Holy Spirit is there to guide us – and that there really is a Savior – Jesus Christ who saves us from darkness and the world and ourselves. We all know what it is like to try and find your way in the dark – EVEN when we think we know where we are going.
When I was a teenager – there were those times when I would come home late – way past my curfew. I would THINK that my parents were already asleep and I could just SNEAK into the house and they would never know. My father – who was always much smarter than I gave him credit for – would regularly move 1 or 2 pieces of furniture. Sometimes it was a footstool – or maybe a chair. Stumbling through the dark I would almost certainly trip and fall and make WAY too much noise. The next morning – he knew – and I knew HE KNEW what time I had come home.
The Season of Lent reminds us that when we are ready to quit stumbling in the dark all alone, there is a light shining in the darkness guiding us to heaven on earth when WE BELIEVE. That light will lead us to this altar rail and bread and wine will feed us with spiritual food for our spiritual journeys. In prayers and hymns offered TOGETHER around the world, we hear the voice of God calling us to follow and live in the Light. And we will walk as a Child of the Light following Jesus who guides us and calls us to live each day in Eternity here and now.
Next Sunday, Phyllis and I will worship at St. Peter’s in Fernandina Beach FL. Stefanie, Lydia and Josh will go to Sunday Eucharist in Middletown CT where they now live. You will be here and we will ALL proclaim – WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD. We will eat the bread and share the cup and the LIGHT of LIFE ETERNAL will shine in all our hearts no matter where we are. CREEMOS EN UN SOLO DIOS.
Amen.