Sermon
Rev. Brenda Hoffman
November 15, 2015
Year B – Proper 28 Mark 13:1-8
“for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the the world.”
I did not realize when I accepted Buff's invitation to do the homily today, that November
15-22 was National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. It seems more than a
coincidence that I am voicing those concerns as the Deacon message.
In fulfilling my duty as deacon: to bring the world to the church, and the church to the
world. I represent the church by working on homelessness and other social justice issues with
other church and lay leaders in the community and the diocese. I bring the concerns of the world
to the church through the Prayers of the People, and the occasional homily. I was prepared to
speak about the community based concerns of homelessness, and the Episcopal Church in
Minnesota Mission 2016, which is Engaging All God's Creation, which I refer to as “creation
care,” and, how Stillwater and Mission 2016 concerns are interconnected, with world wide
implications. But as of Friday, the events in Paris, France compel me to add a post script.
The scriptures, while set in Biblical times, reflect concerns that are ever present in the
world: natural disasters such as floods and famine, and disasters of our own making: war and
rumors or war. Things that make us afraid. And just as the disciples Peter, James, John, and
Andrew want to know what is going to happen, we, too, want to know what is around the corner.
When will these great buildings be thrown down? Even Jesus' inner circle was left to wonder, just
as we are today; we are not to be led astray by false prophets, but stay focused on the word, and the
work, of the Lord. While I don't think it is the role of the Deacon to scare the flock, it is
important to address current concerns that confront us, that we may respond to Christ's call to
awaken us to bring about change for the well-being of those we know, and those many more we do
not know, but are bound to us by bonds of Christ's making.
I’ve always believed that each chapter of our lives prepares us for the next. My background
in community health and housing development for the homeless has shaped my ministry as a
Deacon. In our local community, I serve on the Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance
Program Council which meets monthly at the Washington County Government Center. More
recently, I have begun attending monthly meetings of the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on
Affordable Housing, MICAH. It adheres to oft quoted verse from Micah, Chapter six, verse eight,
“What does God require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. The
county-based group is concerned with shaping policy, funding and distribution of resources where
they are needed and attended by service providers. MICAH, a faith-based organization, advocates
for the homeless, educates its members and their respective churches and synagogues, provides
public awareness as to the needs, and encourages policy makers, public officials, housing
developers toward public policy that address affordable housing issues. They use data from the
Metropolitan Council to shape their objectives. Stillwater's share of the region's need for low and
moderate income housing is 227 new units affordable to households earning 80% of the area
median income (AMI) or below. Of the 227, 117 of those are needed for households earning 30%
or below AMI, which is the neediest sector of our population. By comparison, Mahtomedi needs a
total of 22 units, with 12 of those attributed to the neediest sector. MICAH is currently planning
a bus tour on December 8th for elected officials, housing experts, community and faith leaders to
visit shelter, habitat for humanity, and other housing sites to learn firsthand about local
homelessness and housing concerns, prevention strategies, and potential solutions. I will be
keeping our parish informed on these issues moving forward, with potential ways for those
interested to become involved.
To bring you more concerns of the world, at the Diocesan level, the Diaconate is involved
in determining the mission opportunity for each year. The Episcopal Church in Minnesota
Mission Opportunity 2016 is to Engage God’s Mission Through Engaging All God’s Creation. As
such, I attended the Earthkeepers Conference at St. Mark's November 7th. The mission of the
Episcopal Earthkeepers Circle is to educate and involve our communities in keeping the earth
healthy for all. It was a day of practical advice and hands-on activities to plan and implement
creation care action that can be considered for our respective congregations. I learned about
Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, Just Community Solar, Fossil Fuel Divestment,
Community Climate Conversations, self-assessing our knowledge on climate change, and strategies
for organizing congregations toward action steps, which I will be sharing with our Mission
Committee here at Ascension. I will post in the Font next week websites and data bases, and would
invite you to read, if you haven't already, a now-famous article by Bill McKibben published in the
Rolling Stone in 2012, titled "Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math," also referred to as “the
scary numbers.” Further compelling data was shared regarding the global impact of climate
changes, one of the most memorable of which ties together the housing issues AND Mission
Opportunity 2016: “Global warming could create 150 million 'climate refugees' by 2050.” The
Environmental Justice Foundation report, published in 2009, states that 10% of the global
population is at risk of forced displacement due to climate change. On top of the political refugee
issues we now have, this is a very sobering prospect.
Scottish environmental activist and journalist John Muir famously said that when we try to
pick out a strand of anything, we find it connected to everything in the universe. We don't know
that single actions make a difference, but when they lead to another, then another, and another, it
adds up. Indeed, Desmond Tutu famously credits financial divestment by sympathetic
organizations and countries for the changes that led to the deconstruction of Apartheid. While
Episcopalians enjoy the reputation of inquiring minds, we also insist on welcoming all opinions
and ideas, and honor our individual idiosyncrasies. To inquire more about changes taking place in
our environment, it behooves us to educate ourselves about the issues, so we can be informed, and
even involved, as the spirit leads.
I want to conclude with a mention of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred in Paris on
Friday. Once again, terrorists have caused carnage and mayhem with bombing incidents in
crowded places where people were going about their lives in a free society. We are once again, and
now it seems almost continually, confronted with the specter of evil. We can't make sense of
senseless actions, conscionable taking of lives. But I would say to you, despite the dire headlines,
the problems and challenges we face, the world isn't always doom and gloom. The Bible speaks of
universal issues that continue to plague us in the twenty-first century, but there are words of hope
and firm promises throughout its pages. From our reading today in the book of Samuel, we are
told, “for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world. The wicked shall
be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. His adversaries shall be shattered. There
are grace notes to be found in the face of catastrophe – as could be heard when those attending the
soccer match in Paris began singing the French national anthem as they left the stadium following
the terrorist attack.
May they continue to sing, and sing on. May they be joined by a worldwide chorus. And
may we all uphold and protect that which is good in the world - be swift to love, make haste to be
kind. AMEN.