Rector's Sermon
18 October 2009

First Reading	Psalm	Epistle	Gospel
Job 38:1-7, 34-41	Psalm 104:1–9, 25, 37c	Hebrews 5:1–10	Mark 10:35–45

      A very successful and important American inventor and industrialist once proclaimed, “I cannot believe that there will ever be in the same space of future time, so many improvements and inventions as those of the past half century— one of the most important in the history of the world.” It is undeniable that the last five decades have seen incredible discoveries and inventions that would seem to promise unparalleled benefit to humanity. At the same time, the inhumanity of our world has continued, and so many hopes for peace, progress towards the end of chronic hunger and disease, and a rising standard of living for all, seem to be as distant and impossible to achieve as ever. We seem to be continually shoved into a dark tunnel of violence with no light at the end. It is not unreasonable to believe that we have good reason to fear our future and be scared that it simply does not work.

       In the Gospel passages over the past two months, over and over again, the disciples misunderstand Jesus’ message, and appear to be hopelessly obtuse. If these were the people Jesus soon expects to carry forth the Good News, it would be easy for a thoughtful observer to be very pessimistic about the future of Jesus’ mission. As the disciples continue to argue over and over again about a little bit of power, one would logically expect that after Jesus’ demise, they would scatter, splitting into 12 different contentious, tiny groups, trying to grab whatever followers they could. Yet the important lesson for all of us is that Jesus did not give up on them. Yes he got angry, but Jesus continued to guide and teach them. Jesus did not let go or desert them. Jesus believed that all the frustration was worth it and however arduous the planting of the seed was, a harvest would surely come.

       As I observe the church today, it’s pretty easy to be pessimistic about the future and wonder if we will continue to be a viable presence and witness in the world a half century from now. There are plenty of reasons to be scared. I do not see a kinder, gentler world that we all yearn for in the immediate future, or even in my lifetime. Yet, history tells me that the Good News is inevitably stronger than my pessimism. The witness of two thousand years of faith by people in every corner of this planet tells us it is far healthier to search for and celebrate signs of rebirth than to mourn or fear the future. We know that tombs may change into entrances of astounding beginnings that confound all our present knowledge. Every moment of the day, people of faith can affirm that God has never given up on the world.

       While we live in confusing times, the mission this parish and the larger worldwide church have to participate in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation and peace is still a very worthy and worthwhile enterprise, an enterprise that I believe in with all my being. The Biblical record tells me that it is never futile to look for entrances and ladders to new visions and hopes, even in discouraging and turbulent times. God’s promise of new life is a far better than the world’s apparition of a valley of dry bones. People of faith believe and invest in humanity’s future. That’s really what stewardship is all about, too.

       Oh, the inventor who doubted there would never be more improvements in a similar span of time rightly deserves the title of the progenitor of our modern industrial system. He was the inspiration and pioneer of mass production, be they cars or sewing machines. No, it was not Eli Whitney. Whitney had only a minor supporting role; the system of modern mass production is not based on an assembly line production of component parts, but on the assembly line production of interchangeable component parts. That honor belongs to Chauncey Jerome who invented an inexpensive and reliable shelf clock that most people could afford to buy for their homes and, for a time, made the United States far and away the world’s leading clock maker. But Jerome was hardly an accurate predictor of the future. His practical heir would be Henry Ford, and while Ford studied studiously what Jerome had done. Jerome would never know that.  Henry Ford, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein were yet to be born. Thomas Edison was two years old. The marvelous half-century in which Jerome claimed there would never be in the same space of future time, so many improvements and inventions, that century began in 1800 and ended by 1850.

       And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.