In the early 1960s and probably earlier the Episcopal Church canons (laws) required three written sermons prepared by candidates for Holy Orders. The biblical texts were chosen by the Examining Chaplains of the Diocese. The sermons were part of the gathered documents and examinations leading to ordination as a deacon and priest. In those days it was assumed that a deacon would be ordained a priest from 6 months to a year after the first ordination. In the current (2007) liturgical calendar, the text is within a passage assigned to Proper 24A. The unedited (unpolished) version of the third of those sermons follows.

Text:  “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God besides me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.”  (Isaiah 45:5) 

            The present age in the United States is having a more leisurely and comfortable life than perhaps in any past generation. Emerging from once poverty-stricken as well as wealthy classes is a great middle class - prosperous, educated and religiously concerned. Greater employment and opportun­ities for fair wages are increasing the average person’s pocket book, thus affording comforts once reserved for the very well off. More and more opportunities for advanced formal education are equipping the average citizen with better training and understanding of his environment, his history, and himself. Church buildings are sprouting here and there; increasing participation by laymen in the affairs of church government is a matter of fact; and a genuine concern for religious activities and moral education on the rise. 

            Individuals have the opportunity to belong to fine organizations, to have significant fields of specialization in their vocations, and to be proud of their careers. The average citizen is aiming at formal schooling beyond the secondary level and a good position in his church. 

            Underneath the comforts and opportunities, however, every man, woman and child is confronted by threats to his security, threats as old as nations themselves, namely the possibilities however remote, of conflict with foreign powers. The Soviet Union does exist, Red China is only hours away by jet, and Cuba sits on our front porch. 

            There seem to be four general ways in which these threats affect us. The first is despair, an attitude which reflects an anxious uneasiness. A person caught in this emotion tends to seize any and every opportunity for pleasure, but finds himself dominated by the fear of imminent conflict. The second is a fatalism, which is really a resignation to the feeling that conflict is inevitable. This type of attitude need not include anxiety, but may be indicated by an aloof, so-called philosophic feeling toward the whole matter: it’s going to happen, why fight it. The third is a religious fanaticism, which might be a combination of despair and fatalism with the name of God thrown in. On street corners and in subways one can hear the ravings of some of these well-meaning people, prophets of doom. The fourth way by which these threats may affect us is perhaps the most common, what we might call an apathetic concern. This might be well illustrated by the family who agrees that it’s too bad that Russia is penetrating the Far East, and then with more interest and concern goes to the ball game. 

            We might wonder occasionally just what it all means, where it’s going to end up, and why these difficulties are there in the first place. 

            In the sixth century before Christ, Israel found herself asking some of these questions. She was in a far more critical situation than we, but shares with us one com­mon element: other nations constantly posed threats to her existence. (Again, Israel’s situation was far more precarious than ours; nevertheless, to a lesser degree we face similar problems.) At that time Israel was under the stern domina­tion of Babylon. On the horizon was Persia and its ruler, Cyrus, who would be much more tolerant of Israel’s needs than was Babylon. Israel looked upon Cyrus as a liberator from Babylonian control. 

            Thus the text from the book of Isaiah used for the First Lesson (45: 1-13) is addressed to Cyrus by the Lord. In essence God is saying “I will use you to free my people, Israel, even though you don’t realize it.” Or as the RSV says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me.” Here the Lord declares his sovereignty as THE God of creation and history, and uses Cyrus, even though Cyrus doss not know of the Lord. It was believed by the Hebrew people that the actions of men and nations can be used by God for His purposes. 

            Now, it is true that we are not dominated by another country; we need not be freed in that sense. Nor is it true that the United States would be better off under foreign domination. 

            On the other hand, we are faced with the possibilities of conflict which might result in our loss of freedoms, the opportunities of the middle class citizen, With war itself, opportunities for the comforts we like, the education we seek for our families, the various church and community activities and so forth are greatly reduced. Since these freedoms and opportunities would be among our greatest losses, we might do well to look at them in the light of Israel’s experience, the faith of the Hebrew people. 

            The existence of a Christian community depends upon its relationship with God. It is a biblical affirmation that non-Christian nations exist at best only in tension within itself. We might well ask ourselves, therefore, whether our great freedoms and opportunities exist within a good relationship with God or whether they themselves have been substituted for God. 

            First of all, let us consider the rising prosperity of the middle class. If we read carefully newspaper ad­vertisements and listen and watch radio and television ads, we can notice a great danger. Are products offered in terms of their usefulness, quality and worth? Or are they subtly advertized often as the thing to have, or the thing to do. What makes a suit fashionable ? Its comfort ? Its quality? Partly, but most of all because the sales promoters want to sell suits, and declare infallibly that such and such is the style. (I am always amused at the criticisms of the Pope’s infallibility, a power seldom used by the Pope; I wonder why the same critics don’t lash out against the infallible decrees of Madison Avenue? Actually, the New York decrees are more of a nuisance and are more costly than Rome’s.) 

            Secondly, what about the increasing opportunities for advanced education ? Frankly, a college education is regarded by most young people as a ticket to an easier, better paying job, period. It is required by many firms for snob appeal. Hardly anyone talks seriously about the quality of one’s education; a personnel office might even look with disfavor toward the person who has majored in the humanities; this isn’t practical enough. What they say they want is someone who can think. Fine, Plato didn’t have a college degree nor did Edison. We can seriously question the motives for seeking higher formal education. 

            Thirdly, what about increasing church activities ? We are finding out that this interest does not necessarily indicate religious concern of any depth, and often is used for personal and community prestige. Lest we kid ourselves, we should examine our own feelings in some religious areas. One area is this: are we letting the minister really do his job? Or do we dislike the idea of his visiting the slums, fraternizing with off-beat characters, including people from the wrong part of town in the congregation? 

            You know, we may be dominated by a foreign power after all! As Israel was dominated by Babylon, maybe we are dominated and controlled by social pressures. Perhaps we feel that we must have the typical comforts, the typical education, and the typical religion. Perhaps Russia, Red China, or Cuba is our Persia; Khrushchev or Castro our Cyrus! Although those nations have other problems, they have not yet all of ours! 

            It seems to me that we have some choices to make, and that the Church must confront us with this perspective of our existence. First of all, we can continue to see our nation as one of milk and honey, and emotionally neglect the international situation. Or we can come to grips with the fact that we are living with a very superficial at­titude, an attitude which regards comfort, education, church activities, and our many other concerns, as goals in themselves, as gods to be served. Secondly, we can perceive Russia, Red China, Cuba just as another series of threats to our comforts, or rather as a reminder how God can use conquering nations in his purpose and as a reminder of how God sometimes warns us of our superficialities. 

            This nation can go on negotiating with foreign threats, and perhaps gradually decay. We can maintain a neurotic superficiality, increasing internal tensions. Or we can become a converted people, winning the hearts of other countries, by centering our existence upon the Creator’s proclamation: “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” Whether we choose to make this act of faith or take the chance of God’s use of other nation’s against our ways rests with each one of us. The challenge is here; the decision is ours.