Easter 5A May 18, 2014 Trinity Rittenhouse Square

The Ven. Dr. Pamea M!A"ee #es"it

$ am Ar!h%ea!on Pam #es"it, in !har&e o' the re!ruitment an% 'ormation o'
%ea!ons in this %io!ese. $ ha(e "een a %ea!on 'or amost 18 years. )i*e most
%ea!ons $ ma*e my i(in& in the +or%. My ,arti!uar %ay -o" is that $ am a
!ini!a ,sy!hoo&ist +or*in& +ith (i!tims o' se.ua a"use.
To%ay +e hear% a (ery 'amiiar &os,e 'rom /ohn. This "eauti'u an% %ee,y
!onsoin& &os,e rea%in& is o'ten rea% at 'uneras. 0$n my 'ather1s house, there
are many %+ein& ,a!es.2 The 3in& /ames transation says, 0many mansions2
"ut $ ,re'er this transation, "oth "e!ause it1s more a!!urate, "ut "e!ause not
e(eryone +ants to i(e in a mansion. Some +ant to %+e in a !a"in in the
+oo%s. Some in an artist1s &arret o(eroo*in& a !athe%ra. Some in a sha!* "y
the o!ean. $n my 'ather1s house there are many %+ein& ,a!es an% /esus has
&one to ,re,are a ,a!e 'or us 4 'or a o' us 4 -ust as +e are. A %ee,y !onsoin&
rea%in&.
/esus aso says, 05hoe(er has seen me has seen the 6ather.2 $' you +ant to
*no+ +hat 7o% is i*e 4 oo* at /esus. $1m a+ays sur,rise% at ho+ many
8hristians ha(en1t reay hear% that messa&e. 5e !on-ure u, ima&es o' 7o% the
6ather sittin& on a hi&h an% o'ty throne oo*in& %o+n on us +ith a %isa,,ro(in&
'ro+n an% ,ointin& out our many 'auts. 9ut /esus %i%n1t a!t i*e that. /esus
+a*e% amon& us. :e &athere% ,eo,e to&ether. :e tau&ht ,eo,e, he 'e%
,eo,e, he heae% them, he &a(e them ho,e an% a +ay 'or+ar% no matter +ho
they +ere or +hat they ha% %one. The ony ones that /esus e(er &ot an&ry at
+ere those +ho +ere &ettin& in the +ay o' other ,eo,e1s a!!ess to 7o% 4 the
money !han&ers in the Tem,e, the Pharisees +ith their ,urity !o%es, the s!ri"es
+ho use% the a+ to e.!u%e ,eo,e 'rom 7o%1s &ra!e.
So, i' this is ho+ /esus a!ts 4 +hy +ou% +e e.,e!t 7o% the 'ather to "eha(e
any %i''erenty; $n my 'ather1s house there are many %+ein& ,a!es 4 i' it +ere
not so +ou% $ ha(e to% you that $ &o to ,re,are a ,a!e 'or you. 6or you. #ot
some ne+ an% im,ro(e% (ersion o' you. 6or you, an% 'or me. As +e are.
$ sometimes thin* that +e are more !om'orta"e thin*in& o' 7o% as -u%&menta
an% %isa,,ro(in& "e!ause i' +e et ourse(es "e o,en to the rea %e,th an%
"rea%th o' 7o%1s o(e an% &enerosity +e +ou%n1t "e a"e to resist it. 5e +ou%
"e so %isarme%, so o(er+heme% "y the 'reey &i(en o''er o' +hat +e most
%ee,y nee% an% +ant 4 that +e !ou% not resist "ein& !han&e% << 'ore(er
trans'orme% "y it. 5e a *no+ ho+ to %e'en% ourse(es a&ainst -u%&ment. 5e
%o it a the time. 5e a ha(e our shie%s an% our armor. 9ut sin!ere o(e, i' +e
"eie(e in it, &ets us to o+er our shie%s, &ets us to o,en our hearts. )o(e, an%
ony o(e, has the a"iity to truy trans'orm us.
/esus ta*s o' this trans'ormation as "eie', "ut $ thin* it1s mu!h more than -ust a
!o&niti(e thin&. /esus says that +hoe(er "eie(es in him +i %o +hat he %oes
an%, in 'a!t, +i %o &reater thin&s than he has %one. An% that "rin&s us "a!* to
the thin&s that /esus %i% +hen he +a*e% amon& us on the earth= &atherin&
,eo,e to&ether, 'ee%in&, tea!hin&, heain& ,eo,e, &i(in& ,eo,e ho,e an% a +ay
'or+ar%.
$1m here to%ay amon& you as a %ea!on, an% as a %ea!on it1s my -o" to remin%
you an% myse' o' +hat +e a area%y *no+= an% that is that +ithin the
nei&h"orhoo% o' this !hur!h there are ,eo,e su''erin&. There are !hi%ren o'
our o(in& an% &enerous 7o% +ithin the nei&h"orhoo% o' this !hur!h +ho are
hun&ry, +ho ha(e no ,a!e to i(e, +ho are si!*, +ho are "ein& a"use% an% +ho
are !au&ht u, in the he o' a%%i!tion. There are ,eo,e +ithin the nei&h"orhoo%
o' this !hur!h +ho !annot rea%. The situation o' the "eo(e% !hi%ren o' 7o% +ho
are outsi%e the !hur!h su''erin&, is the ,arti!uar !on!ern o' %ea!ons. An% -o" o'
%ea!ons is to remin% us that +e are a !ae% "y 8hrist, to o''er our o+n i(es,
-ust i*e /esus %i%, to "e 8hrist 'or these ,eo,e 4 to &ather ,eo,e to&ether, to
tea!h the i&norant, to hea the si!* an% a"use% an% a%%i!te%, to 'ee% ,eo,e, to
&i(e ,eo,e ho,e an% a +ay 'or+ar%. An% +e %o that "e!ause +e ha(e "een
trans'orme% "y 7o%1s o(e to "e!ome a&ents o' that o(e in the +or% in 8hrist1s
name.
$n the itur&y o' the Eu!harist, %ea!ons ,ro!aim the &os,e, set the ta"e to sho+
the ser(ant ministry o' /esus 8hrist an%, most im,ortanty, sen% the ,eo,e out at
the en% o' the ser(i!e. 5e !ome to !hur!h on Sun%ay to "e +ith one another,
to "e tau&ht, su,,orte%, an% 'e% +ith the "o%y an% "oo% o' 8hrist. An% at the
en% o' the itur&y +e %on1t say, 0:a(e a ni!e %ay>2 9e!ause, this is not
M!Dona%s1s. At the en% o' our itur&y the %ea!on says, 07o in ,ea!e to o(e
an% ser(e the )or%.2 That1s a !ommissionin&, not a 'are+e. 9et+een the en%
o' this ser(i!e an% the ne.t time +e meet, +e ha(e a !ommission. 7o out an%
"e 8hrist in the +or%. #oti!e the su''erin& o' your nei&h"ors an% res,on% as you
are a"e. An% then return ne.t +ee* to &ather a&ain in "eo(e% !ommunity, to
"e su,,orte%, tau&ht an% 'e%, so that you !an &o "a!* out an% %o it a a&ain.
An% that1s the a"un%ant i'e in 8hrist. That1s the %+ein& ,a!e. A ,a!e +here
+e are in 8hrist, ,arti!i,atin& in the o(er+hemin& &enerosity o' 7o% 4 as
instruments o' 7o%1s o(e. $n my 'ather1s house there are many %+ein& ,a!es,
!reate% -ust 'or us, an%, i' +e +i ao+ ourse(es to "e trans'orme% "y 7o%1s
o(e an% &enerosity, +e !an %+e there no+ as +e as a'ter our %eath. 5e !an
,arti!i,ate in 7o%1s o(e no+, an% a'ter our %eath. 5e !an ha(e a"un%ant i'e
no+, an% 'ore(er.