"I Belong to Paul"

"I Belong to Paul"-- Thoughts on
Christian Division and Unity
The Rev. Julie Jensen
3 Epiphany - Year A
January 23, 2005

Readings:

Amos 3:1-8
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Matthew 4:12-23
Psalm 139:1-17 or 139:1-11

"Where can I go then from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I make the grave my bed, you are there also. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast."
- From Psalm 139

"What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Has Christ been divided?"
- From 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Has Christ been divided? Molly said once, during a Bible study class, that people haven't changed over the years, even over the centuries. Has Christ been divided? We, in the Christian church, struggle with that constantly. It's the biggest stumbling block that keeps us from attaining Jesus's proclamation, "The kingdom of heaven has come near."

The history of the Christian church is replete with all the many examples of Christians in-fighting. Too much division in what the church "should" be has led to schisms that stand over centuries.

At the present time, our beloved Anglican Communion, which is supposed to tolerate differing points of view and live together as God has planned, is on the verge of schism. "I belong to Paul". "I belong to Apollos." "I belong to Cephas." Who is it that we follow?

To place this in context during Biblical times, Paul had arrived in Corinth probably in AD50-52. He lived with fellow tent-makers, Aquila and Priscilla who were almost certainly Jewish Christians. If we look at the presently accepted date of death of Jesus, it is put at AD30. The first martyr, Stephen, was stoned AD36, and Saul stood by taking care of the stoners cloaks. It is believed that his conversion followed shortly after that, and the new Paul became a standard-bearer for the Jewish Christian sect, later also for the Gentile converts; and he continues to be a prominent voice in Christianity to this day. (An aside: not long ago I heard Rabbi Lavey Darby say that Paul is one of his favorite writers!)

After some time in Corinth, Paul went on other mission journeys, and, while away, wrote to those cantankerous, bickering Corinthians. The letter was written AD 57-58, a mere 27 years after the crucifixion. My sermon reference book suggests that those professing to belong to Apollos or to Cephas were probably referring to the men who baptized them. Paul purposefully did little baptizing, using his gifts for preaching, in good part to avoid that kind of division. Hold that thought - we will return to it.

Who is it that we follow? This God, whose hand leads me and holds me fast, came to earth to show us foolish mortals that God is everywhere, holding us in our humanness. God knows, and history tells us, how often we have strayed from our call - who is it that we follow? Jesus, in Matthew's gospel, has been baptized by John and journeyed into the wilderness. When he returns to start his ministry, he begins by proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." It is such a simple statement, it is such a profound call. It challenges us daily, and we need God's hand to hold us fast!

According to Matthew, as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew and called them. They dropped everything to follow him - IMMEDIATELY! James and John also IMMEDIATELY dropped everything to follow this magnetic man. What was it about him? What is it about him?

Saul had been persecuting this new Jewish sect, called The Way, and then God threw him off his horse, and he had an astonishing conversion. What was it about Jesus? What was it about his call?

Throughout the ages, people have continued to hear that call, and their very human response is, "I belong to Paul" or "I belong to Apollos" or "I belong to Cephas." You see, my fellow travelers, I have heard the call correctly. Only those of us who are (check one:)

_____ Eastern Orthodox

_____ Roman Catholic

_____ Anglican

_____ Baptist

_____ Mormon

_____ Conservative

_____ Liberal

have got it right! Who is it that we follow? Who has gotten it right? Why is there so much division?

That specter of Christian practice seems to raise its ugly head most especially when the particular practice is challenged. That goes right back to the Bible, and the letters to the Corinthians are meant to help ease that division. At the time of Paul's writing, most followers of The Way were expecting the literal return of Jesus in the flesh. And who would be saved? Was the baptism performed by one disciple better than the baptism performed by another? Would everyone be saved, or only those who "did Christianity right" be saved? We STILL haven't been able to answer that question . . . when will the kingdom come near? What do we mean about the kingdom coming near?

Jay [Luther] and I are presently walking new paths having felt called to be a part of the transition in the Episcopacy. One of the things that we will be dealing with is, "What do we mean by the Episcopacy in our Diocese?" To many, it means Bill Swing, who has led us for 25 years, who has confirmed many and ordained many. Do we belong to Bill? Who do we follow?

Our process will involve much searching to find out what it is that the Episcopacy means and what it is that the people in our diocese want in a bishop. For many, Bill Swing IS what a bishop should be. Our diocese, though, is a very diverse place, and there are many voices. We are part of the Anglican Communion that has been shaken to its core by the consecration as a bishop of a homosexual priest who is in a committed relationship. This is one of those times of division that will be influential in how we go about our work of selecting a new bishop and saying farewell to a beloved bishop. The process will be, for some, very trying. The church in flux is not the settled, nurturing place that many of us depend on. Many people will have strong opinions about just how our diocese should look in the future.

How can we walk through this and arrive where we "should" be. What is it that God is calling us to? "The kingdom of heaven has come near." Who is it that we follow? What is it about our Jesus? Somehow, in all our division, we have gotten something right because Christianity has survived all the many divisions.

The kingdom has come near. God continues to call us to believe that the kingdom is possible in our time. It's not about the humans who lead our church (churches), it's about Jesus, Son of God. The kingdom IS possible. It is our call to act as children of God, to follow Jesus who tried to show us The Way to that kingdom right here, right now. If we listen to that call, we can find The Way, that way that we never walk alone "Even there your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast."

AMEN.