Acts 11:27-12:3 (NRSV)
At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.)
The Episcopal Church commemorates James the brother of John who were both sons of Zebedee. Both James and John were fishermen who at the call of Jesus left their nets, boats and homes to become fishers of people.
The Gospel reading for today's commemoration reads:
Matthew 20:20-28 (NRSV)
The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
As we read through the Gospel narratives about the interactions between Jesus and his disciples, it is a bit difficult to not see that they were individuals who struggled with God, their faith and understanding Jesus' words and actions. In the Gospel for today's commemoration the mother of James and John comes along and asks Jesus to give a special favor to her sons. Jesus answers her with some painful words that lets them and all who would serve Jesus know that following Jesus will cost us something. Jesus came to die for the sins of the world. Jesus did not come to be popular, though he certainly was popular. Jesus did not come to have a huge board meeting to promise huge profits to his disciples if they would politically maneuver for him. Jesus came to bring deliverance to souls that are held in captivity by political, religious and spiritual oppression. In order that the mission of Jesus might be fulfilled, he had to become a servant to all people even to the point of giving up his life. Jesus makes it very clear that following Christ will mean being willing to give up our lives, and serve Christ in others.
Giving up ourselves to serve others means looking beyond social stereotypes and our personal biases, and seeing in each individual person the image of God. For many conservative Christians this means looking at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer/questioning people as individuals who are loved and created by God exactly as we are. Serving God in other people as Apostles means seeing in each individual person beyond their race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, challenge, gender and the like, and individual who is just as much in need of salvation and redemption as anyone else, without changing who and what they are. What Christians call people to do is not necessarily change who they are, but who is actually God of their lives. Sexual orientation and it's expression within loving, committed relationships is not in and of itself sinful. How one exercises one's sexuality can become sinful if it is not guided by some moral principles.
What I hear coming in on this commemoration of St. James is that he was an Apostle who was brought down to be raised up. Like a lot of leaders in the Church, James might have been looking for some kind of greatness, without realizing that the pursuit of greatness would come with a willingness to stoop down and serve others. Only by our willingness to become servants of God in those who need the Gospel, do we achieve greatness. Part of serving others is a willingness to see God working in people and places that we may not think we can find God. There are still many who think that God cannot be found in LGBTQ people who accept their sexual orientation and/or gender expression/identity. Is that not placing God the Holy Spirit in a Pandoras Box? How can we serve God in others if we are unwilling to see God in someone whom we have already decided God cannot be there, because of our own prejudices as to how someone else should be? And how can we serve God in others if we are determined that one has to become something or someone they are not in order to know that God has saved them, when in fact, only God really knows that? Evangelism is by itself a wonderful activity. When we dictate the program in stead of allowing the Holy Spirit to do her work, however, we become stumbling blocks in the way of other people's vision and view of God.
As we pray throughout this day in our work, home activities or whatever we may be doing, let us pray that the Church will more and more become a community that serves all people, including LGBTQ people. The Church has been given the awesome responsibility of baptizing all nations, peoples and races in the Name of the Holy Trinity. However the Church still needs to let go of thinking the God is limited by our human definition of who God should be, and how others should be if God is to work in and through their lives. The Gospel clearly shows us that God is not even limited by our own human nature, but became one of us, so to bring all people one step closer to knowing the Face of God in all humankind.
O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Commemoration of St. James, Book of Common Prayer, Page 242).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, Page 815).
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