Dave's homily starter:When Kim and I were planning todays liturgy, Kim mentioned that it was Columbus Day weekend and suggested that we consider including something about Native Americans in our theme. In doing some research, we were very happy to find the courageous statement from the Episcopal Church calling us to reflect on the role of the Church in the immoral treatment of Native Americans and the ongoing lack of justice experienced by our NA brothers and sisters. The way the first reading directly critiques the actions of the institutionalized Church-- by comparing these actions with the message of the Gospels and the life of Jesus-- challenges us to do the same in our daily lives—in the choices we make and the courage we are willing to demonstrate.
The views expressed in the first reading stand in stark contrast to other viewpoints noting how religious Columbus was, his daily fasting and his desire to spread Christianity to new lands. How ironic that in the desire to spread Christianity, an entire people were nearly destroyed and the true message of the Gospel was so completely violated.
Beyond our NA brothers and sisters, the readings of this liturgy also call us to reflect on all peoples who are viewed by some as “less than.” This could include African Americans, immigrants, GLT individuals, women, the poor, and people with disabilities. Let us not only reflect on their lives and their worth but also on actions we can take to remind the broader society that through Jesus’ ministry we have learned that God’s has a special kind of care for the marginalized. Let us remind them that the stone rejected by the builders will become the cornerstone. In the word of Elizabeth Johnson, let us destabilize prevailing norms regarding who is first and who is last in God’s eyes.
First Reading: Excerpted from Looking
at Columbus Day through the Lens of our Baptismal Vows
In 2009, the Bishops of the Episcopal Church
made an unprecedented decision to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. This
document refers to a set of legal and ecclesiastical documents and policies
giving full blessing and sanction of the Church to the colonizing of the
indigenous peoples and lands of the Americas. The Doctrine of Discovery refers
to documents, and practices of Church and state that legally justified the
theft of Native lands, denial of basic human rights and self-determination, and
the attempted extermination of Native identity.
These policies, which included actions taken
in the 15th C. by Henry VII, (1496) and other
Christian leaders, continue to be invoked in
contemporary practice and are used to justify ongoing
oppression of Indigenous Peoples throughout
the Americas and serve as a painful example of where the church has been in
error and how these errors contribute to contemporary social and economic
issues. The on-going impact of the Doctrine of Discovery can be seen in and
attributed to the failure of state and federal governments to fulfill the
promises made in legally binding treaties. Past destruction of Native economic,
social and spiritual systems can be seen today in disproportionally high rates
of suicide, violence, and abuse among Native Americans, as well as the lack of
education among its youth.
The legal and religious reasoning and
language used to explain and
justify the Document of Discovery stands in
glaring contrast to the vows of
the Baptismal Covenant “to persevere in
resisting evil, to seek and serve Christ in all persons,
loving your neighbor as yourself, to strive
for justice and peace among all people, and
respect the dignity of every human being.”
In denouncing this doctrine, the church made
a public commitment to all Indigenous Peoples to seek a greater understanding
of and support for them. The church, therefore, is seeking reform in response
to colonialism and its aftermath; actions which fundamentally oppose the Gospel
of Jesus. Especially at this season of Columbus Day, we are summoned, as people
of faith, to learn about and reflect on the painful disparity between God’s
call for justice and compassion, and the history of our nation and church.
New information alone does not bring about healing
and hope. Rather, these may come from shared responses to a painful past that
are formed in and by Christian faith. New information is spiritually formative
when it changes the way we think, feel, pray, and behave. God summons all of us
to ponder the injustices that have been done on our behalf, and continue to
harm the lives of many, so that we might work together for healing and hope for
all.
Gospel - Inclusive Bible--Matthew 21: 33-43
"Listen to another parable.
There was a property owner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, installed a wine press in it, and erected a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
When vintage time arrived,
the owner set aides to the tenants to divide the share of the grapes.
The tenants responded by seizing the aides They beat one stoned,
another, and killed a third.
A second time the owner sent even more aides than before,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, the owner sent the family heir to them thinking:
'They will respect my heir.'
When the vine growers saw the heir, they said to one another,
‘Here’s the one who stands in the way of our having everything.
With a single act of murder we could inherit everything.’
With that, they grabbed and killed the heir outside the vineyard.
What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to those tenants.?"
They replied,
"The owner will bring that wicked crowd to a horrible death
and lease his vineyard out to others who will see to it that
there are grapes for the proprietor at vintage time.”
There was a property owner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, installed a wine press in it, and erected a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
When vintage time arrived,
the owner set aides to the tenants to divide the share of the grapes.
The tenants responded by seizing the aides They beat one stoned,
another, and killed a third.
A second time the owner sent even more aides than before,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, the owner sent the family heir to them thinking:
'They will respect my heir.'
When the vine growers saw the heir, they said to one another,
‘Here’s the one who stands in the way of our having everything.
With a single act of murder we could inherit everything.’
With that, they grabbed and killed the heir outside the vineyard.
What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to those tenants.?"
They replied,
"The owner will bring that wicked crowd to a horrible death
and lease his vineyard out to others who will see to it that
there are grapes for the proprietor at vintage time.”
Jesus said to
them, "Did you ever read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
it was our God’s doing and it was marvelous to behold?
That’s why I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken from you
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
it was our God’s doing and it was marvelous to behold?
That’s why I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken from you
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