What follows is the text from my sermon on the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost. The Gospel selection is Matthew 18:15-20. However, the text contains much more than what I verbally delivered because of time constraints. Parishioners receive the sermon text each Sunday afternoon. With this particular sermon, they too know the text has more information than what I said, and that if they wanted to know more detail, the many hyperlinks would be able to do that. However, as I advised parishioners I advise you: should you decide to read more about the Bishop Singh case, proceed with caution. It is difficult to read. The abuse allegations spans decades and includes verbal, physical and psychological aspects.
Sources include: Christianity Today, Give Us This Day: Daily Prayer for Today’s Catholic, Franciscan Action Network and the Episcopal News Service.
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“Christians are called to be an alternate city within every earthly city,” pastor Tim Keller wrote for Christianity Today in 2006. “We must live in the city to serve all the peoples in it, not just our own tribe. We must lose our power to find our (true) power.”
He died on Friday, May 19, at the age 72, due to pancreatic cancer. And I had never heard of him, until Christianity Today (a magazine) recently devoted an entire special issue to him. I tend to disagree – a lot – with much I read within the pages of Christianity Today. But I purposefully put myself ‘in that space,’ having subscribed since 2018 (ish), because, there’s much I agree with Keller in the opening quote: even though he was talking about a Christian witness to and for unbelievers, being part of the universal church at large, we are actually members of a tribe – or denomination – the Episcopal Church. And by only running in circles of that tribe, of the Episcopal Church, we “sell ourselves short,” as the popular saying goes.
And the more I read about Tim Keller, I found myself feeling sad. I was sad that a) I hadn’t a clue who he was until he died and b) I wish I could have had the experience of being in his presence. What is remarkable about my feelings is that he and I would have vehemently disagreed on two important aspects of how we be church. The two aspects: the ordination of women, and blessing of LGBTQ+ marriage. In other words, he was against both, as for him, both were ‘unbiblical.’ And even with that, everything I have read about the man has left me in awe.
Here’s an example: In 2017, he was scheduled to receive from Princeton Theological Seminary the Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Witness and to then give the accompanying lecture. He apparently applied Reformed Theology to “the heart of American culture” while preaching at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, a church he planted in 1989 with his wife Kathy. Keller’s writing introduced Kuyper’s theology of vocation – his vision of God who claims “every square inch” of creating for God’s glory – to new generations of Christians around the world.
But the two issues he and I would not be able to agree on was cause for such a ground swell of protest from both faculty and students that Princeton decided to rescind the award. The “culture war” looked to be continuing, with little actual discussion among and to one another. But it didn’t. Because Tim Keller agreed to give the lecture anyway. And for all the preceding protest, enthusiastic applause apparently greeted him that evening when he stepped to the podium.
And for those who really knew Keller, they weren’t surprised. His witness was one without demanding this, that or the other thing, or demeaning the other, even those in the LGBTQ+ community. He was actually quite active in the ‘art world’ and worked closely with LGBTQ+ leaders in the city. One writer noted the irony regarding the pushback relative to his position on gay marriage and women in the church, because leaders in both groups, that were outside the church, consistently worked with him, knowing (and feeling) he respected them. And the respect was returned. The writer celebrated: “both sides [were] willing to spend time listening, and learning from each other. To this day, I count it as my privilege to get to know brothers and sisters in communities that many evangelical leaders would have labeled as plagues to avoid.”
And the commonality between that and his willingness to speak after the award was revoked: dialogue. He apparently said that Jesus “fills Christians with humility and hope, meekness, and boldness, in a unique way.”
Tim Keller was everything that a reactionary person is not. Keller was man full of grace, humility, and love. He even had to withstand criticism throughout his ministry from fellow evangelicals. And yet, too many writers to list, remembered Keller as one with extreme aversion to conflict and as one to never lash out in kind: he did not share one single critical comment directed towards a fellow believer. He didn’t “other” others. He loved them; even when disagreeing with them.
If St. Ignatius were with us, he would remind us: “There are very few people who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves into his hands, and let themselves be formed by his grace.” . .
A grace we are then suggested to pray for in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius is that God help us get to know Jesus more intimately, to love him more intensely, and to follow Jesus more closely. Ultimately, what this means is becoming more like Christ by learning to see like Christ, hear like Christ, love like Christ, act like Christ. It means not only hearing the call to follow Jesus but also to walk with him and be there working with him. As we get to know him and to love him, we learn to follow his way and live the model he lays out for us.
And part of that model actually includes conflict, as much as Keller apparently bent backwards to avoid it: “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
Each conversation or step listed for us today, is not peace of a tranquil kind, eating a picnic lunch on a lush, green hill. Peace is not the absence of conflict. These types of conversations are not fun. Even before a conversation like that happens, the question that needs to be sorted out is who gets to be the judge of being able to determine “well that’s wrong, that’s a sin, correct yourself or get out.” We know the history of the church is complete with abuses regarding who gets to be the ‘sin police’ and what then is labeled a sin.
What is a sin vs. what is merely difference of opinion? Should flags of state be permitted in sacred space? Should gender neutral language be part of our liturgy? Should we stop using the mini-chalice tray and demand all take from the common cup? Should the Nicene Creed really be changed in order to align more with the Eastern/Orthodox Church? Who gets to approach the table and take communion? Some say if you are divorced, or support abortion, you shouldn’t receive the sacraments. Others say you need to be baptized. But with everything I just listed, in an earlier age, a conversation wouldn’t even have happened. You could have been burned at the stake (rather quickly) as a heretic for holding perceived diabolical views.
Today, we do need to be mindful of seeing our fellow sisters and brothers as sisters and brothers, and not to “other” them. Continuing communication across differences can be likened to an aspect of music: harmony. Singing in harmony is arguably more beautiful and emotionally resonant than singing in unison. Our human differences of opinion, temperament, expression, and taste are not just an unfortunate reality; those differences bring beauty and richness to our lives, if we can only experience them within a context of mutual respect and trust.
But abuse happens. Dreadful, hurtful, egregious behavior has happened. Speaking out and naming this type of behavior, is, at times, needed and necessary. And it’s currently happening across multiple spaces within the Episcopal Church. Our church may be at an inflection point. And it relates to harmful, dreadful, egregious behavior committed by too many bishops. Even our Presiding Bishop (“PB”) is probably the subject of what’s called a Title IV complaint, which is the way someone within the church brings a complaint against a bishop, active or retired.
In our PB’s case, the allegations amount to omission over purported complaints he supposedly received about domestic child and spousal abuse (to include verbal, physical, and psychological abuse that spans decades), and supposedly did nothing. The apparent reported abuse is alleged to have been committed by the Rt. Rev. Prince Singh.
Bishop’s Singh’s sons were so distraught at the apparent lack of response by not only PB Curry, but others, they launched a public website, stating they will file a Title IV complaint against Curry and another bishop for the mishandling of their allegations of abuse. They also wanted the resignation and defrocking of their father.
Sadly, it gets worse. On August 30th, House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris released a letter to deputies saying she was the complainant in a Title IV case, meaning she filed the complaint. In the letter, she alleges that on July 9, 2022, shortly after she was elected president of the House of Deputies, a retired bishop “physically overpowered” her and made “inappropriate verbal statements.” Another bishop who witnessed the alleged incident also filed a separate report; three total unnamed eyewitnesses were mentioned in the Title IV investigation.
The incident happened, she said, while she was waiting to be introduced to the House of Bishops. Ayala Harris said three reports by two third-party investigators determined that the retired bishop “likely violated The Episcopal Church’s Title IV canons and New York sexual harassment laws.” Another report determined that the bishop in question “may have violated restrictions on his ministry.” Despite these findings, the assigned church attorney opted to refer the case for a pastoral response instead of discipline without providing an explanation. Hence, why she wrote the letter. While she didn’t “feel safe” to name the bishop in her letter, he was ‘discovered’ and named in a subsequent Episcopal News Service article.
In response to Ayala Harris’ letter, a group of 13 or 14 bishops issued a public letter of their own, lamenting the outcome in Harris’ case, and stating unequivocally that bishops do not get a “free pass” on their behavior. The letter garnered more signatures. The final count: 55 bishops had signed the letter before those who initiated the effort decided it was time to stop collecting signatures. Their purpose was to make sure the matter is on the agenda for the upcoming House of Bishops meeting.
Subsequent to this letter by the bishops, another public letter was issued, with signatories spanning the Episcopal Church at large, lay and clergy, demanding a reform of the church’s disciplinary process. I signed that letter in my own stead, not as a representative of St. Andrews. Other people in this diocese also signed, both clergy and lay.
PB Curry responded to the various letters that were issued: “For the sake of the gospel, for the sake of our integrity, and, above all, for the sake of the well-being of every child of God who is a part of this church, we cannot, we must not, and we will not sit idly by when anyone is hurt or harmed in our midst.” He asked the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons, a representative body of 10 laity, five clergy and five bishops, to review how the church has disciplined bishops and recommend changes to that process to the General Convention, the denomination’s governing body.
Know that Bishop Singh was recently restricted from ordained ministry pending the Title IV abuse allegations probe. The day after that happened, Bishop Singh resigned, though the Title IV process continues. So the sons have seen one of their goals accomplished.
I know this is a lot to absorb. So, let’s not forget our Teacher in these moments. Like the suffering servant in Isaiah (42:1-4), Jesus mostly did not raise his voice, though as I previously highlighted, he did show anger at times. Yet, he spoke with unmistakable power: Go, your sins are forgiven! Stand, pick up your mat and walk! Be free of your ailment! Put out in deeper water, and you will catch fish. Sometimes Jesus’ authoritative power was merely a glance of love, such as the look he gave Peter when Peter betrayed him (Luke 22:61). The power of that glance, because it was infused with love, caused Peter to repent and return to Jesus.
What is true of Jesus is no less true of us: our words, our actions and, yes, even the looks we give one another have power and authority. Words that are harsh, hateful, or spoken in anger can hurt or destroy. Actions such as shunning, avoidance, and cold silence can isolate and marginalize. A good place to start is to focus on something we like about either a person, place or situation when continuing negative thoughts come to mind. Then words such as “I forgive you,” “I accept you,” “I appreciate you,” or “I love you” have power to give and nurture life. Gestures of welcome and acceptance can unravel years of disregard and rejection.
Tim Keller embodied much of this. Instead of delivering the lecture at Princeton, Keller could have challenged the administration and canceled the talk. This would have gained greater attention and support from his fellow conservative evangelicals. He probably could have raised a ton of money for his ministries. But Keller put Christ’s teachings into practice. He had told Christians for years that the Gospel offers a distinct alternative to the intolerance of secularism (which has invaded the church, yes, even the Episcopal Church) and tribalism of religion.
With that, may we offer kindness and love to one another in these difficult, trying, confusing times, even if we disagree, because we desperately need each other.
Amen.
persia37 