Feast of Saint Faith
6 October 2013
Saint Faith’s Anglican Church
Vancouver BC
Propers: Isaiah 44.1-8; Psalm 87; 1 Peter 2.4-10; John
17.6-19
Many
miles to the south of Colorado Springs lies the small city of Santa Fe, the
capital of the state of New Mexico. The
full name of the city, when it was established by the Spanish in the late
sixteenth century, is ‘La Villa Real de la
Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís’ or, in English, ‘the Royal City of the Holy
Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi’.
Throughout my childhood, trips to Santa Fe were infrequent but
long-awaited. The old centre of the city
retains its colonial Spanish architecture and ambience. Pueblo jewelers, potters and other artists
sell their works, often displayed on beautiful rugs and blankets, throughout
the central plaza.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint
Francis and is full of original colonial and aboriginal artwork. It has recently been remodeled to reflect the
centrality of baptism and the eucharist to the Christian life, but the remodeling
has not reduced the fusion of Spanish and Pueblo culture. It is one of my favourite cathedrals in the
world.
But I want to draw your attention to
the original name of the city: the Royal
City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi. It’s an odd phrase, isn’t it: the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of
Assisi? Yet, on this day when we
celebrate our own patron, Saint Faith, in close proximity to the feast of Saint
Francis, a more widely-celebrated saint, there are actually some important
connections.
First, let me remind you of our
patron. Faith, according to legend, was
a beautiful young woman who lived in Agen, a town in Aquitaine, towards the end
of the third century of the common era.
The dates of her death vary; some scholars suggest she died between the
years 287 and 290, while others think her death came during the persecution of
Christians by the Emperor Diocletian in 303.
But while the dates of her death vary, the story of her martyrdom
remains constant.
Dacian, the Roman governor, initiated a
persecution of Christians in his region.
Faith was brought before him and, as was customary, Dacian attempted to
cajole her into offering a sacrifice to the Roman gods in honour of the
Emperor. Faith refused and declared that
the Roman gods were idols. As a
Christian, she said, she could not and would not offer sacrifice. Dacian became enraged and ordered her to be
tortured to death by being bound to a brazier over a red-hot fire. When several on-lookers protested, he had
them beheaded. Faith died without
denying her trust in the Holy One of Israel whom we know through Jesus of
Nazareth.
Let’s jump forward a thousand years to
Francis of Assisi. His story is widely
known and widely misunderstood. In a
world where status counted for everything, where might meant right and where
the Church had become more of a political power than the body of Christ,
Francis dared to challenge these assumptions.
He realized that the real power of the good news of God in Jesus of
Nazareth is found in the imitation of Jesus rather than in theological
speculation or ecclesial structures. He
is supposed to have said, “Preach the gospel.
When necessary, use words.”
This was the ‘holy faith’ of Saint
Francis and, I dare to say, the ‘holy faith’ of our own patron, Saint
Faith. Both understood the gospel is
more about a way of life than it is a theological system. Please don’t get me wrong; I value reflection
upon what it means to follow Jesus of Nazareth.
I value forms of worship which help shape us to live this life. I value ways of being church together that
help us look beyond the walls of our buildings or the boundaries of our neighbourhoods. But at the heart of this reflection, this
worship, this organization lies the good news of God in Jesus: Do justice.
Love steadfastly. Walk humbly
with God.
Last week, while I was away, we began
our fall stewardship programme. As is
natural in many congregations, our focus is on the use of the financial assets
that God has entrusted to us. Doing
justice, loving steadfastly and walking humbly with God in Metro Vancouver in
the twenty-first century requires financial resources as well as the resources
of volunteer hours and the knowledge and skills of every member of Saint
Faith’s. But there is another dimension
to stewardship that I want us to consider at this time as well. I want us all to consider our stewardship of
our ‘holy faith’.
One dimension of that stewardship is a
life of prayer. It’s true that we gather
here Sunday after Sunday, holy day after holy day, to pray together. Let us never give up sharing our life
together in worship. But many of us, and
I count myself among them, struggle to have a regular time of prayer each
day. There are many ways of doing this,
most of them quite simple. This Advent I
am planning a series of ‘Coffee Hour Seminars’ on ways of praying that I hope
will strengthen all of us.
Another dimension of the stewardship of
‘holy faith’ is a word that sends fear into most Anglican hearts: evangelism.
For the past two years we have celebrated ‘Back to Church Sunday’ as a
reminder of this stewardship that is year-round. The simple truth is that God seeks to bring
all people into a loving and compassionate relationship with their Creator and
with their neighbours, far and near. The
other simple truth is that many people, including a fair number of our
neighbours, have no idea how to develop such a relationship. Many have ideas that Christians are
judgmental, obsessed with sex and sin, enshrined behind the walls of their church
buildings and unaware of the needs and concerns of the world around them. Some believe that the acquisition of more and
more ‘things’ and the trappings of wealth are expressions of genuine joy and
deep meaning.
While I am certain of the importance of
the stewardship of prayer to our lives, I am even more certain of the vital
importance of the stewardship of evangelism in today’s world. If we remain silent in the face of the abuses
of religious faith that surround us in North America as well as in the world,
then we shall fail in our baptismal commitment to proclaim by word and example
the good news of God in Christ.
And
we have good news to share! Here in
this place, in response to the good news of God in Christ, we care for one
another. Here in this place we care for
our neighbours by offering a place for children to grow, a place for the
victims of addiction to heal, a place where neighbours to meet for various
purposes. Here in this place we reach
out to those who do not share in the bounty of this province and this
country. Here in this place those who do
not know the good news hear it and share in the love and compassion of
God. Is this not a ‘holy faith’ worth
sharing?
I say these words not to engender guilt
but to encourage faith. We have much to
share that is hidden from the sight of our neighbours and friends. We continue as a congregation to do our best
to unveil the riches of the Christian way of living, but all of us, as best as
we are able, where and when the moment is right, have the opportunity to say to
another, ‘This is what I know it means to be a Christian. Here I have found a depth to living that strengthens
me, enlivens me and gives me joy. Come
and see!’
Here in this place, this plot of ground
dedicated to God in the name of a young woman who lived following the way of
Christ, may we find wisdom, joy and peace.
To this place may we bid others come and join us in this way of justice,
steadfast love and humility. Amen.
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