A New Way for the World

You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.

Some months ago, I was watching an interview with Brad Pitt and Bill Maher. Brad Pitt was saying that religion is all about telling people what they can’t or shouldn’t do. I would disagree. Religion, at its best, brings us into a closer relationship with God, with each other, and the world around us. This is why I cherish Saint Paul’s. It is a holy place where we gather to hear God’s word, share a sacramental meal and are sent out into the city and into the world.

My spouse, Stephen Crippen and I started attending Saint Paul’s in Advent of 2003. For me, it took a while to get into the rhythm of the service, to understand what was happening and why. Also, as a card carrying, off the scale introvert, it was a little daunting to meet so many new people. If any of you are wondering if my being in front of you all this morning takes me a bit out of my comfort zone, yes it does. Yet just as cathedrals were built over decades if not centuries, I knew it would simply take time to begin to fully appreciate how the music, incense, vestments, silence, word, meal and people of God at Saint Paul’s feeds my very being. This is a place where we ask questions, give thanks together and mourn together.

Sometimes I think, if I had my way, absolute control over all things, what would the city of Seattle look like? There would be gobs of amazing restaurants, clean, efficient public transportation, comprehensive city planning, more green spaces and no sports teams (sorry sports fans). And of course, it would ultimately be boring, since it is solely one person’s vision. We create richness in this community as each of us brings our gifts and experiences.

Saint Luke, the Evangelist whose feast day is today, writes in the Magnificat, the Song of Mary, “He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly. He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty.”

Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

These ideas were quite radical at the time they were written, and I think quite radical today. Jesus telling the disciples that you must first become a servant to achieve greatness is certainly a challenge to the status quo, but more than that, it is a new way for the world – a new way to see, move through and be a part of the world. To be a servant, to be in the service of others naturally requires an outward focus.

Saint Paul’s has that outward focus, an outward focus that flows from the heart of our diverse, Christ-centered community. A thoughtful group of parishioners worked hard to create a labyrinth and garden, a verdant and tranquil space that both the parish and the neighborhood can enjoy. Many in the parish have spent time volunteering for a variety of causes from clearing out weeds at Lincoln Park, bringing food donations for Northwest Harvest and the food bank at Saint Mary’s, and teaching basic computer skills to clients of the Millionair Club. The Umbrella Theater Group has partnered with other neighborhood groups to promote the Counterbalance Park across the street, and connect the arts at Saint Paul’s with the arts community of Lower Queen Anne. In all of these ways, our inward worship has an outward manifestation.

I enjoy cooking, and one of the most comforting of aromas is that of olive oil being warmed in a pan. It is not like the smell of roasted garlic or caramelized onions that fills the whole house, but the faint, grassy freshness that you have to be right above the pan to catch. It is the still, small voice of the culinary world. Another reason why I enjoy this smell is that it marks a beginning. Before you sauté or sear, you warm the oil, and the anticipation for what follows begins to build. There are many beginnings happening now in this community – a third Sunday liturgy, improvements to the physical space to make it more beautiful and accessible, an expanded Godly Play program, plans for a new baptismal font.

Jesus is with us in all of these beginnings, and he invites us to have that outward focus, that deeper relationship with God, with each other and the world around us. This community is a starting point for everything we do outside of these walls. This community forms us and supports us to serve, and to give our lives as a ransom for many.

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