Readings for Easter 7C (Rogation Sunday):
John 17:20-26
May 20, 2007
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
Jesus prayed for his disciples and said: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” [John 17]
Today we celebrate Rogation Sunday. The word rogation comes from the Latin word rogare, meaning to ask for. It is the time of year when the people of this community of faith ask for God’s blessing upon our spiritual oasis. In high Anglican fashion, we will form a procession and cover the boundaries of this campus. During this procession, we will celebrate the new things that have been done to enhance our campus over the past year, notice where repair or replacement might be called for, and ask for God’s blessing upon the land. This year, we will carefully notice the configuration of the site for the purpose of envisioning a plan for the 21st century. Our vision is: St. Jude’s is a spiritual oasis where lives are transformed. How do we construct our site to make that vision a reality? What is God calling us to do?
Historically, the rogation days were a time before Ascension Day when God’s blessings were asked for the stewardship of all creation and for a plentiful harvest. This observance began in 5th century France in the context of desolation caused by earthquake, fire, and other scourges. It was marked by a procession of penitential psalms or litany. Later, the Church of England instituted the custom of beating the bounds in which the whole procession covered the bounds, not just of the church property, but of the whole village (which in England was considered the parish).
Rogations days are called “asking days”. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is asking God to intercede on behalf of others. Traditionally, this prayer is referred to as Jesus’ high priestly prayer. It highlights the role of Jesus as an intercessor of prayer. Although Jesus is about to face death, it is not a death-bed prayer but the prayer of one who is on the verge of willingly, laying down his life and thus completing God’s work.
What exactly is Jesus asking for in his prayer? Is he asking for prosperity? Is he asking for long life? Is he self-focused in his prayer? No! In today’s passage*, Jesus speaks to God on behalf of the faith community. Instead of entrusting the community’s future to the community itself, Jesus entrusts that future to God. “Jesus’ prayer for the community models how the community is to understand and receive its identity in the world. It is to understand that its life rests in and depends on God’s care. In this prayer, Jesus does not supply pragmatic directives on how to arrive at church unity” or how to face the evils in the world. Rather, Jesus places the future of the Church in God’s hands and invites the church to listen in on that conversation. The Church’s future is thus shown to be God’s future, not ours.
If the Church’s future is God’s future, how much are we willing to allow God, to be part of our decision making process? As the future of our spiritual oasis is being discerned, where does God come into the equation? Often times, when it comes to making important decisions for the church, many people think only about what they want and leave God out of their discernment. Others think only about the immediate needs and desires of the congregation, rather than looking forward to new possibilities and new situations.
As a community of faith, we are about to make some important decisions regarding the future of this Spiritual Oasis. Where should our focus be? How many changes should we make? How do we balance the needs of the youth and families with the needs of older adults? How can we best use our campus to serve the larger Cupertino Community? How can this campus be an avenue for spreading the good news in Christ and providing a spirit-filled place for transformation?
In preparation for envisioning the new site plan, the site committee invited Pastor Dawn to lead them in a discernment process. They were getting stuck, holding tight onto personal opinions. During the site meeting, they read Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do; for God is the one who will keep you on track.” She then asked the committee to reflect on this passage, and to ask themselves: “What is God’s will for this campus?” Each day, they were to sit quietly in prayer, asking God for direction and purpose in regards to the future construction of this Spiritual Oasis. It was amazing how things began to become unstuck after bringing God into the discernment process.
As members of St. Jude the Apostle in Cupertino, we are all being called to be good stewards of this property. Good stewards are those who exercise responsible care over the possessions entrusted to them, in this case, the buildings and grounds. In the life of a Christian, stewardship means sharing systematically and proportionately, time, talent, and material possessions in the service of God for the benefit of humankind. We are called to be stewards over many things: our children, our bodies, the environment, our money and possession, and this parish church. I invite you to become good stewards of this church in the orchard by helping us discern the future of this spiritual oasis in the service of God.”
“Holy and gracious God, help us to come before you with humble minds and hearts that are ready to listen for your voice and do what you will. Let this be a time of discerning your will, so that our leadership and church may be filled with your blessings. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”**
* See The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 11, page 797 for more information.
** See Becoming A Blessed Church, page 207, by N. Graham Standish.
| Updated May 22, 2007 |
|