“Ambassadors of Another World"
Sermon Preached by
The Rev. David McMaster
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Text: Corinthians 5:11-21
The crisis has been described as an entanglement of “vengeance and mutual incomprehension.” The Shah of Iran had fallen. The revolution had left Ayatollah Khomeni in control. An interim government was in place when a student led protest turned into a hostage taking event that lasted 444 days. The takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979, was a blow to American interests and to the American psyche. A botched military rescue operation, Operation Eagle Claw, on April 24, 1980 only worsened things, with the loss of two aircraft and the deaths of eight American servicemen. Tensions continued, dragging out for the remainder of 1981 but diplomatic endeavours eventually led to the signing of the Algiers Accords on January 19, 1981. The formal release of hostages took place the following day, just minutes after the new American president Ronald Reagan was sworn in.
If there was any small positive aspect to the hostage crisis for the western world, it was, perhaps, in the actions of Ken Taylor, Canadian ambassador to Tehran. When the takeover occurred, a number of American diplomats were out of the embassy on business. Some were rounded up by the Revolutionary Guard but six managed to take refuge in the Swiss and Canadian embassies. Taylor, in consultation with the Canadian government devised a plan to issue the six with false Canadian passports and along with other Canadian diplomats, led them out of Iran to freedom on January 28, 1980. It was a difficult mission, potentially dangerous if caught, but with success, Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor, was celebrated as a hero on both sides of the border.
Perhaps it is not every day that an ambassador gets to be a hero, the job is more straightforward. An ambassador is usually someone who has done well in either life or the civil service. Canadian ambassadors are credentialed by parliament and ultimately by the queen, they travel to a foreign land, spend their time among the people of that land who may have a different language, different traditions, different ways of life. In the midst of these and with knowledge of these, ambassadors seek to represent Canada's interest. They are the voice of Canada, conveying Canada's official policies and upholding Canada's honour, overseeing Canadian affairs in another land.
It is interesting, therefore, that Paul views himself and others as “ambassadors” for Christ. He was writing to Corinth c. A.D. 56. He had been among the Corinthian people at least twice and he had written several times already so that what we call II Corinthians because it is one of two that are extant, may actually be his fourth letter to Corinth (cf. 1Cor.5:9; 2Cor. 2:3ff., 7:8ff). Corinthian Christianity was at best unsettled in the early years. Among other things, someone within the community had led a revolt against Paul's leadership. There were external opponents as well, some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem who questioned his authority and opposed his radical gospel. Thus, in the first half of the letter we know as Second Corinthians, we find Paul expressing deep hurt over what had occurred and, then, joy, for the crisis had passed. After the fact, Paul writes again to defend his ministry and mission. In the passage we read today, we can note the sincerity of his work, the depth of his belief, the extent of his love for the Corinthian believers. He has shared great news with them of an eternal kingdom (5:1). He looks forward, with them, in faith to that kingdom (5:7) but, in the meantime, he says, “We must follow Christ (5:9), Christ urges us on (5:14) for the day is coming when all will be judged and receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others (5:11).” “God,” he says, “has given us the ministry of reconciliation … we are ambassadors for Christ,” calling everyone to reconciliation with God (5:18-21).
It's as though Paul were a citizen of another kingdom, credentialed by God, travelling throughout this world, spending time among people who have different ways, different motives and a different world view. As an ambassador he seeks to represent God's interests. He is, as it were, the voice of heaven, conveying heaven's light to the world and calling people to it.
As we read about this ambassadorial role, we must not look at it as something just for Paul or just for Christian disciples in the first century. Jesus himself told his disciples, “Go into the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mt.28:19).” And what he meant was that the disciples would be his ambassadors in the world and that they would make disciples and, in turn, those disciples would take the word a little farther afield, they themselves would become ambassadors of the kingdom, and go forth and make more disciples, and so it would go on and on, generation after generation. And thus, it is fair to say that Jesus would say to the church today, “Be my ambassadors. Go into all the world and make disciples.”
I wonder if that is a word we need to hear in light of the fact that our long range planning committee has suggested that we need to expand and grow again as a church. I wonder if it is a word we need to hear especially when we think of the state of the church in the west? In a generation or a little more, the church has gone from strength to weakness. In perhaps three generations our own United Church has gone from thinking it could Christianize the whole social order in Canada to fighting for survival. I was on pastoral oversight committee last year and we visited one church that had gone from a thousand members to 37 in the space of 40 years. The 37 are having an incredibly difficult time keeping a very large building up.
What has caused such a rapid decline? Is it theological liberalism as some suggest? Is it the struggles that the church has had dealing with the significant issues of the 20th and 21st century. Or is the problem more external, general change in society: our intrinsic busy-ness, our movement toward post-modernism, or the fact that we now experience people of other religions living, not on the other side of the world but in our midst, next door? The church is facing incredible questions, questions not unlike those faced in the first couple of centuries, questions that need answers, and answers that the church has perhaps been slow to give.
Many are worried about the church and yet, the church has a great message of hope and joy for the world. What are we to do? How can we do better? How can the church rise again in the western world? Can we help? Can we take on this role and actually be the ambassadors of the kingdom that Paul and Jesus speak of?
I believe that we can and I have three thoughts to share with you this morning to that end. The first is that perhaps it is time we got more serious about the faith and what it is we believe. That was certainly one of the tasks of the early church as they sought to exist in a multi-faith, pantheistic, antagonistic environment. There was a circling of the wagons in the church around the teaching of Jesus and the apostles, a circling that resulted in the establishment of the canon of the New Testament and the great creeds of the church. It was a necessary process to give some stability to the church, to say here is what happened under God, and here we stand.
A part of that belief system, for example (there are many), involved the concept of a day of judgment and if we note the context of our passage today, it is one of pending judgement. Paul is writing with a view to a coming judgment day when he states, “We make it our aim to please Him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil (5:9b-10).” The intriguing thing about this is that I constantly run into people, especially in the mainline church, that will state unequivocally that they do not believe that there will be a judgment. This, together with a number of other beliefs that some hold to be foundational aspects of a Christian worldview, is crowded out of many a belief system; frequently with some reference to the notion of God's never-ending love. “God is love,” they will say. “He/she does not want us to fear. I cannot imagine that God would judge people.”
While it may well all sound good and thoughtful in the age and culture, we must go on and ask whether or not the belief is true. We may ask, for instance, where the belief came from? Is it something the person determined themselves? Is it something that was learned or influenced by friends? Is it just a general feeling, something palatable from society at large that God must be love? Some would even claim the authority of scripture and say that they got the belief from the Bible. Are they right? For surely to say that the Bible says, “God is love,” and leave it at that is an incredibly reductionist thing to say. The Bible, after all, says many things about God, including portraying him as a judge, so will it actually do to take this little bit here and that bit there according to our fancy. Again, we must come back and ask who or what we trust in these matters. Is it our own intuition? Is it our friends or society's influence, or shall we trust the apostle Paul, or Matthew, or Mark and others who were near Jesus? The question of what we base our beliefs on is a good question and one we should always ask, and that is especially true in light of the fact that the church we call Protestant was founded on the authority of the scriptures. What affect do they have on our beliefs? I want you to ask yourself today, upon what do I base my beliefs?
Personally, I feel that today, more than at any other time over the last century, there are good reasons to uphold a reasonably steady orthodox Christian faith. Critics have had a good run and the church has struggled to keep up but over the last 30 years a generation of younger scholars has grown up not only questioning theological assumptions but questioning the critics and they are allowing us once again to stand up and adhere to a Christianity that is faithful to its roots and can be engaged in the best of intellectual conversations. One thinks, for instance of Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. Wycliffe College is presenting a thorough-going, intellectual, challenging, orthodox faith through its staff and the college is thriving. While many others are losing students and faculty positions, Wycliffe is adding to keep up with a burgeoning student enrolment. If Wycliffe says anything to us, it is that we can think and be Christians at the same time. We need not be ashamed as we go out into the world as Christians and ambassadors of Christ. We can indeed be serious about reasonably broad Christian beliefs.
Armed with Christian faith, the second thing that we need to think about as we think of helping the church and being God's ambassadors is that, perhaps, we need a little more enthusiasm and passion for the faith. I don't know if you've ever watched the British comedian, Eddie Izzard. Eddie Izzard has some great skits on the Church of England that you can find on YouTube. In one he talks of going into churches in England and it is as though everyone in the Church of England has no muscles in their arms. Eddie acts their appearance out with great humour. “And when there are congregations,” he says, “Those hymns, they're often deplorable,” (as he sings a slow, dreary rendition of “O God our help in ages past, our HOPE for years to come). ” “It's terrible,” says, Eddie Izzard, “It's not a very good advertisement for church life, is it? It's not something anyone could get passionate about. It's just not on, is it?”
Yet, when we come to the scriptures, we encounter a Paul who is engaged and passionate about the faith. He speaks of the love of Christ urging him onward (5:14) and how he had incurred all manner of ill, afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger (6:4ff), and he is willing to take it all for the faith and Christ. He is engaged and passionate about Christ.
When people get passionate about something, things begin to happen and others follow. One of the most interesting things that Professor John Bowen said to us last Tuesday at our Centennial Lecture Series concerned passion and how it spreads. He spoke about Starbucks, for instance, and how people's enthusiasm about Starbucks and their product was a part of their success. People go to Starbucks and pay ridiculous amounts to get the same amount of caffeine they get at Tim Hortons for one fifth the price. But what happens is that they can get exactly what they want at Starbucks. They can pick up a grandé, decaf, lactose free, no fat, no foam, latté, and if they're lucky get one of the overstuffed armchairs. That can be great, spend a little time with a friend who is sipping her caramel macchiato. People love the ambiance and the time out for chat, and they pay for it, and they tell their friends about it. Unsolicited, free advertising occurs because people are enthusiastic about Starbucks.
We need to get more enthusiastic and passionate about church, God and our faith. If we could talk about these things the way we talk about Starbucks, or the NFL, or what we're going to do with our kitchen, the church would be full. I remember two years ago when Jim Cantelon from 100 Huntley Street was here at TEMC. Here is an individual who has been around churches all his life and he couldn't get over what he called “the great product” we had. He spoke about the space and ambience, the incredible choir, having Dr. Stirling speak each week (or most weeks), “You've got a great product,” he said. “It's amazing you don't have more people in the pews.” What's stopping us? Is it a lack of enthusiasm about the faith? Or about the church? Perhaps if we could really grasp again, the incredible nature of what we call good news, we would be more enthusiastic about it.
The last thing I want to suggest to ambassadors of God's kingdom is that they get over any shyness we have; we have a great product, good news! Oh yes, it is here that many stumble, perhaps, because they have seen so many bad examples of well-meaning individuals engaging others for Christ. We don't want to be perceived as preachy, or a fundamentalist, or anyone of a host of stereotypes. But, we don't have to be. We don't need to do it their way or be afraid of saying anything about God whatsoever. It can all happen quite naturally.
Back when I was doing graduate work, a few of us used to gather for coffee breaks and lunch every day in the university pub. It was always a time for good discussion about our work and what we were doing, but there was one person, Mark, who chatted to me more than most. Mark was doing a Masters degree in Buddhism at The Department of Religion. Every once in a while in our conversations, Mark would talk about what he was learning and say to me, “Well you're a Christian, what do you think of...” this or that? I remember always trying to answer as honestly as possible. I didn't give any pat answers, sometimes I confessed that I wasn't sure how to answer some questions, I acknowledged complex matters. In it all, I hope I was thoughtful, but still, from time to time, I voiced that I believed certain things. Late summer, I moved to another university and one day, I had a call from Joan, Mark's wife and she said, “You've really got to Mark over the last year, just thought you'd be interested to know that he is being baptized into the Anglican Church this weekend.” That was 20 years ago. Mark and Joan and I lost touch until recently. I found an old letter that Joan had written when I was clearing out some files. Somehow, I managed to find their number online and, as we chatted and caught up again, Joan said, “Mark is still busy and involved with the Anglican Church. You got to him.”
A person does not have to be an evangelist or a one of those fundies to be an ambassador of Christ. We can do it in a pub, in Starbucks, in our new kitchen … anywhere! We just has to have the fortitude to sometimes overcome shyness and talk about God, the love of Christ, and what he's done in our life.
We have great news … ... that beyond this world, there is another, a kingdom that we do not fully see or understand yet but a kingdom of which we get glimpses from time to time. It is the kingdom of God and God has revealed himself to us as he became incarnate in Jesus. The advent season asks us to reflect on his coming and all that occurred. His coming shows us so much that he cares for us, that he reconciled us to himself and that, ultimately, he was making it possible for us to pass through death into life. “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others.” The mantel has now been passed to us, the message of reconciliation has been passed on and we are now Christ's ambassadors. In some ways, the fate of the church is in our hands. So let's not be shy, let's go forward with enthusiasm and passion and with a great message that has been passed down generation after generation unto us.