A Confident Faith, Love: The Power
The Very Rev. Ward B. Ewing
Dean and President
The General Theological Seminary
New York, New York

(This sermon is also available in audio.)

In Lent 1986, the then-Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Edmund Browning, came to Trinity Church, Buffalo, where I was the new Rector. He held a question and answer session in the Church to hear and to respond to people's concerns. One questioner asked, "Bishop, what do you think is the greatest problem we face as the Episcopal Church?" The Bishop thought a minute and then responded with one word, "Apathy."

Somehow that answer disturbed me. Now I've had longer to think about that question than he did, and I would like to amend his answer. I would like to suggest that what Bishop Browning saw as apathy is really a symptom of a loss of confidence. Let me explain a bit further.

We in the mainline Protestant Churches have been in a decline since the early 70's; it's hard to feel confident when our churches are shrinking.

The increasing secularization of our society has led to the disregarding of Sunday as a special day. It is hard to feel confident about our faith when Sunday morning becomes a time for soccer practice or staying home for TV and brunch.
In the academic world, postmodernism denies the possibility that one culture or perspective can appropriately assess a different culture. It is hard to feel confident when any perspective on truth is considered simply one's particular view, not a grasp on reality.

In mainline churches this postmodern intellectual position is compounded by our failure to have a common understanding regarding the Bible. We reject fundamentalism's literalistic interpretation, but we disagree on how scripture should be interpreted. It is hard to feel confident when we don't even know what we mean when we affirm that the Bible is the "Word of God."

When we look at the problems we face in this country - problems of poverty, racism, violence, drug abuse, and disintegration of family life - we tend to shrug our shoulders and say rhetorically, "What can we do?" meaning, "there is no way we can make a difference."

Instead of confidence we see bickering among ourselves over issues that represent tiny differences - and that is true whether one is an Episcopalian or a Presbyterian or a Methodist or something else. For our churches to grow, for our churches to carry out God's call of redemption in the world, we must regain confidence in the power of faith to make a difference.

Today and tomorrow I will focus on the power of faith to make a difference. Today: on love and power. Tomorrow: on the church and power. To regain confidence, we must reaffirm our understandings that love is the very power of God and that the church is the means God has chosen to exercise that power for the mending of creation.

The foundation of confidence is, of course, not us, but God - the God whose name and nature is love. That God is love is one of the great insights of the Christian faith, but it is not obvious. Here, almost at the end of the Bible, is the statement, "God is love." (1 John 4:8) Look how long it took the Jewish-Christian community to understand God's revelation. All those pages represent over 1,500 years of living in the community of faith.

The truth that God is love is not obvious, but it means the creative power in the universe is love. That means the healing power in the universe is love. That means the strongest force in the universe is love. That means the motive of all our actions that will be effective for healing and building a just community will be love.

We know this individually. When we experience being loved, we encounter the power that heals our brokenness, that empowers us to act boldly, that binds us together in a community of support and concern. Jack suffered from a lifetime of depression which included numerous suicide attempts. At Trinity Church, Buffalo, Jack became part of a small group in a Christian education program. In that small group Jack truly experienced unconditional love. It transformed his life. He still struggles with depression, but the way he handles it has changed dramatically. He is willing to get help, he is open about his difficulty, and he is an effective leader of small groups. He is an unorthodox, but effective witness to the power of love which is God.

We know in individual ways the power of love to bring healing and life and joy and depth and meaning and peace. But ironically, we don't think of love as power. In fact we commonly draw a contrast between love and power. Love (as we see it) is gentle and caring and passive - even submissive. Power, on the other hand, is assertive, strong, controlling, and even coercive. We think of power as the ability to make things happen, to be in control, to have authority over others, to convince, manipulate, or force others to do what we want. We tend to think of love in individualistic terms as an emotion, a feeling of affection, and a motive that will lead us to work and care for another. When we allow this contrast to define our thinking, we do not see love as power.

The rulers asked the disciples,"By what power did you do this?"
The Book of Acts presents us with a picture of a church that was confident in God's power. Let me share one story (from the 3rd and 4th chapters) of this very small community - tiny in comparison to our churches. It is also the story of the transformation of the disciple Peter, who had shown his cowardice by denying Jesus when Jesus was arrested.

Peter and John, on their way up to the Temple, came upon a man, crippled from birth, begging by the gate into the Temple mount. When the man requested alms, Peter looked at him, "I have no silver or gold; but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk." Then Peter and John reached down to the man and helped him stand up. His ankles grew strong, and he entered the Temple with the two disciples to give thanks to God. (Acts 3:1-8)

The event attracted a crowd, an occasion for Peter to tell again the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and to offer to those who gathered the opportunity to become followers in the way of Jesus. As he preached, the Temple guards arrested Peter and John. After a night in jail, they were brought before the assembled rulers who inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

Peter replied that the man had been healed by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, by the Power of the Crucified.

"By what power do you do this?" We know the answer, at least in our head: "By the power of the Crucified." But we have difficulty looking at the cross - or at that stained glass depiction of the crucifixion - and saying to ourselves, "Now there is the power."

We see the cross as a sign of God's love for us. That (the cross) is the extent to which God will go to bring us into relationship. There is no greater love; each of us is so loved by the One who is the very heart of the universe. We are not alone. We are beloved children of God. We are worth dying for. We know that -- because we have seen the love of God in Jesus Christ, crucified and raised. But, amazingly, we do not think of power when we see the cross.

Jane and Mary were both high school seniors. Both were on the volleyball team and the swim team. Mary was the better athlete - the star volleyball player and holder of several city records in swimming. It was appropriate for the coach to appoint Mary captain of the volleyball team, as volleyball was the sport she cared about the most. But the swim coach decided to name Jane captain of the swim team and announced the appointment on a day Mary was away from school.

I saw Mary that evening, and she was angry. "I should be captain. I'm the better swimmer. Jane doesn't hold a single individual record. It's not fair. Well, I don't have to congratulate her; she never congratulated me when I was made volleyball captain."

Mostly I listened to Mary vent her anger, but I knew her well enough to respond, "I think you know that rivalry and fussing between team members will hurt the volleyball team and the swim team. It was petty and small of Jane not to congratulate you. But you're a bigger person than that; you're strong enough to swallow your pride and congratulate her."

I found out later that Mary did congratulate Jane on her appointment.

Swallowing one's pride and returning kindness for rudeness, or receiving criticism without getting defensive does not feel or look like what we tend to think of as power. Returning kindness for rudeness feels and looks more like weakness and suffering than power. It involves sacrificing our egos for a greater goal. It means accepting a cross to preserve relationships. While we don't think of accepting a cross as power, we do recognize it requires a strong person to do so. The insecure and fearful person is unable to accept criticism without growing defensive or to return kindness for rudeness. And we do know that such suffering for others toward the goal of renewed and strengthened community is incredibly powerful.

Historically we can see that Jesus' willingness to suffer for the sake of faithfulness to his friends and to his mission produced a community that has, is, and will transform this world. In our own time we have seen the power that comes through encouraging cooperative communities through which incredible force can be exerted in society. Look at South Africa, look at East Germany, look at the Philippines, look at the civil rights movement in this country - behind each was a community of faith. Look at the continuing revitalization of downtown Memphis and reflect on the crucial role of this congregation, not to mention the role of other congregations that have also been involved. And personally we know that as we experience the love of God seen and known through the cross, we become stronger and more able to set aside our false pride, build close and enduring relationships, and return goodwill toward those who have hurt us. We do know that in the cross lies the power to transform human lives, individually and collectively. To accept Jesus as Lord, then, is to proclaim that the power of the Crucified, the power of servant love, is the power of God, the greatest power in the universe. Love is not only power; it is the power! And the cross is the effective symbol of that power!

So, the next time you enter a church, look at the cross and say to yourself, "Now here's the power that will transform our world, that will bring justice and peace. Here's the power that will bring rulers to their knees and destroy the corrupting alliance of politics and wealth. Here's the power that will bring God's rule throughout the world. Here, the love we see on the cross is the power."

And know that the community of faith will make a difference in our world!

Copyright 2001 The Very Rev. Ward B. Ewing.