A person
recently told me that when he goes to church, he attends one that has
magnificent music, a beautiful building, and is socially appealing. He
mentioned nothing about God, the Gospel of Christ, or prayer. Not very
tactfully, I suggested to him that he must be an "aesthetic Episcopalian." I
can't recall how I summarized that term for him, but on my website these
defining words are included: "Aesthetic Episcopalians" is a derogatory label
for those who immerse themselves superficially in the pageantry, sometimes very
elaborate, of Episcopal worship - with little or no grasp of the meanings of
the ceremonial and the overall beliefs of the Episcopal Church. (They have)
little or no comprehension of, or interest in, the meanings behind their
(theatrical) activities. …. A preoccupation with externals with little
attention to internals (including a genuine commitment to God through Christ)
characterizes the behavior of these folks. I suggested to the fellow that
he buy a CD recording of great church music and enjoy it at home. He looked a
bit miffed and went on his way. I am sure that Jesus would have handled the
encounter in a much better way.
A Miracle Rich In Symbolism
The "Feeding
of the Five Thousand" read tonight (John 6:4-15) is one of the many miracle
stories spread throughout the Gospels. We need not get bogged down on whether
such a miracle literally occurred. Whether allegory or history, the core of the
message is pertinent. For Jews of Jesus' day, the feeding miracle was a sign of
the awaited messiah; it was reminiscent of Moses feeding the people in the
wilder-ness during the Exodus journey and of Elisha's multiplying barley loaves
for the hungry. This is a story rich in symbolism that is well beyond
consideration during the moment provided for this homily.
"Bread" As Life
However,
consider just the significance of Bread here and throughout the Gospels. In the
Bible "bread" is a common word. Bread was so basic to the people's lives that
"bread" could be used interchangeably with "food" and was identified with life
itself. Moreover, the bread (or manna) that God provided the ancient Hebrews in
the wilderness had become symbolic of the life-giving power of God. By the time
the New Testament was written, Christ's followers recognized the revitalizing
strength of God evident in Jesus Christ, the new "Bread of Life." His ministry
exemplifies the staple providing genuine life and satisfaction of the deepest
of human hungers.
Food For Every Level of Life
Living in
harmony with Christ is not limited to so-called spiritual matters. The
miraculous feeding dramatically demonstrates that Jesus was concerned with the
full range of human needs. His mission was and is to make God's Will known to
all humanity. Needs of the heart and mind, and of the body, are to be met by
the community of the faithful, the people who follow God's purposes as revealed
in Christ. The Kingdom of God toward which we are progressing is one in which
each individual is fed at every level by the community committed to the Will of
God. If humanity would choose to follow the way of Jesus, no one would go
hungry physically, mentally or emotionally.
Unrooted Emotion
This past
week I received a news report about a trend in one of our American cathedrals,
which is experimenting with all kinds of music, including liturgical dancing.
The cathedral dean commented that "beauty is an avenue into the heart of God,"
that people come to the Services because "they are struck by the beauty of
God." I would not care to participate in such Services, because subjectively I
am simply unmoved by such art; this does not mean that it is somehow wrongful.
I am also suspicious of what ap-pears to be superficial trendiness, an
entertaining gimmick designed to add numbers to the membership list,
individuals with neither understanding nor commitment. I object to what seems
to be emotionally based without a clear linking to the Gospel, a
straightforward foundation of historical events, which holds firm without
artistic expression.
Remember, the
Nazis played classical music in the concentration camps. There the beauty of
the music was neither "an avenue into the heart of God" nor a manifestation of
"the beauty of God." In other words, beauty alone is not automatically a
revelation of God or a channel to communion with the Creator revealed in
Christ. Nor are many concerts of any era's popular music. Nor are recitals of
Bach or Handel. Nor is basking in the magnificent beauty of great church music
or a beautiful church building. The Good News of Christ is not emotion alone,
intellect alone, or some unaccompanied notion of spirituality. The Gospel of
Christ is a matter of the heart and the mind: of whole persons with their
various needs. Chris-tians embrace the revitalizing strength of God evident in
Jesus Christ, the new "Bread of Life," not just an aesthetic mood devoid of
God's acts in history.
True Food: The Word of God, Jesus the
Christ
We
Episcopalians with our rich theater, our expressive liturgies, and our
inspiring buildings need to be on guard that we do not equate the trappings and
the moods they can produce as God or as the Gospel. They are props, no more, no
less. In addition, the props by themselves cannot nurture us very deeply. True
food for the heart and the mind comes only from the Word of God, Jesus the
Christ. Let us bow our heads as we recall words from the Collect of the Day:
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be
the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that
he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.