Be a Social and Religious Reformer: Society and the Church Need Both

Luke 12:35-37,42-44 (NRSV)

Jesus said to his disciples, "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions."

There are those who think that crazy progressive Christians are all "anti-orthodox" because we are pushing for so much social and religious reform.  Our challenges to make society and the Church more inclusive of all people including but not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people, suggests to many that we also want all of those orthodox things that make Christianity what it is are things we want to forever change.  There are those on the progressive left side of the isle who believe those things need to change if we are to attract people to the Church.  Then there are folks like me, who believe that those things that make Christianity what it is with the Bible, the Trinity, the Incarnation, Salvation the Sacraments, the Apostolic Succession and all that are made more of what they were meant to be when society and the Church accepts the need for social and religious reform.

St. Ambrose was a defender of the orthodox Christian Faith.   Some of Christianity's greatest hymns referring to the Trinity come from St. Ambrose.  Through the words he wrote and the sermons he gave he was a social and religious reformer of his time.  Ambrose gave the Church much of it's meaning of what we celebrate as Christians.  One of the meditations attributed to Ambrose was: "Lord Jesus Christ, you are for me medicine when I am sick; you are my strength when I need help; you are life itself when I fear death; you are the way when I long for heaven; you are the light when all is dark; you are my food when I need nourishment." (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 106).

If all of these awesome realities of who Jesus is to Christians is to live and survive within the human experience, then the social and religious reforms called for by progressive Christians is most crucial.  Our Gospel for today calls for "being ready with our lamps lit" for the Savior to come.  The lamps that must be lit is the light of radical hospitality and the ministry of reconciliation.  We cannot be the Church or a free modern society with the darkness of discrimination, violence and cruel behavior, attitudes and rhetoric.  When the people who call themselves Christians take behaviors that were just previously mentioned, all of the things we pray and believe about Jesus and the Christian Faith become another bunch of legendary ideas that are contained within the beauty of ancient writers only.  The Christian Faith that believes that God is one in three persons lives when we extend our hands in friendship and welcome people wounded by prejudice and violence with the open arms of love, as we offer them a kneeling place at the Altar of God.  The healing stations of our churches become places of tearful compassion as we pray together for our world wounded by corporate capitalism, to place the poorest of the poor first, and help those who have no unemployment benefits.    Our Liturgies at our churches becomes a wonderful celebration of the God who has created, redeemed and now continues to sanctify us all when we embrace all of God's people as God's beloved.

We need to be willing to be social and religious reformers in our time as our President makes a deal to give a tax bailout for billionaires while the lower and middle class, in particular the 99ers get thrown under the bus.  We must continue to call for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the enactment of the DREAM Act and for hate groups like the National Organization for Marriage, the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family and many others to be reformed to stop their violent rhetoric towards LGBTQ people.  The laws and systems that allows heterosexuals to benefit at the expense of those who are not, as well as those who are white, male, US born citizens, can read and write in English, are healthy, wealthy and socially secure, need to make room for those who are none of the above so that they can live in peace and prosper.  


As Christians, we are waiting and watching for the return of Christ as our Advent celebrations suggest, when we call society and the Church to social and religious reform that reflects the very Christian Faith we proclaim and pray in our Book of Common Prayer.   Like Ambrose, we need to be willing to state the truth and defend it, even if we are labeled as "social deviants" to do the right thing.  After all the Savior for which we spend this Advent watching and waiting for was treated and labeled as a social deviant, and even gave his life for all social deviants in all times and places.  May we never stop speaking up on behalf of those who need a voice, and to call society and the church to more social and religious reform.  We do so, not to change orthodoxy, but to fulfill its very meaning and destiny.  To be a Church and society where everyone has a place and knows that they are loved.

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 211).

O God, you gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Ambrose, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 107).