A sermon by Canon Carolynne Williams
The Feast of St. Francis – Year C
Before God created Woman he said this:
“Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all of the wild animals of the earth, and over every living creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
He then created another human being, a woman. He took one of Adam’s ribs and created another being and said, “And this one shall be called woman.”
Both God and the creatures have an important role. God has shaped the created order in such a manner that the creator and the creatures share overlapping spheres of interdependence and creative responsibility. God is God and freely brings into being that which is not God.
Creation of all living things, great and small are a wonder.
Woman’s original equality with the other human being, Adam, “her correspondent” was loss of equality for women in society suggesting that the subordinate place in Israelite Society, was not intended by God, but rather is a result of human sin.
God judges the human community in monotheistic Israel, the decision is made by God (Yahweh), who is also the creator, to destroy the earth by water.
Noah stands out among the wicked race.
The somber reflection and judgement end on a note of HOPE. It ends and begins with peace with an olive branch being carried by a bird.
Noah and his companion and the creatures great and small, are present once again.
After destruction of the earth there passed about fifty-six hundred years, before Christ.
Kingdoms were established, empires were reigning, slavery of confinement of the poor and disenfranchisement was the law of the empires and yet, there were Christians.
The book of Acts affirms that from the beginning of Christianity and Christians there was a strong church in Jerusalem. Knowledge of the existence of the church in Jerusalem was transmitted orally in many instances.
The point of all of this is our Christian communities today give HOPE. Christian believers in the midst of chaos, disruption and all that there is, which causes discomfort ,a tendency toward unbelief and the testing of one’s faith, from their perspective causes pause. Peace is not being maintained and the minimizing of creation is rampant, in terms of the empires today being informed correctly or for that matter even care about humanity.
There is a part of humanity, however, that continues to serve the one true God of us all. The creator of us all. Creatures great and small.
The relationship between the Father–God and God’s son is there for us to consider. The struggle of living today is NOT between God and the power of man and creation by the creator. The struggle today is between humanity being God unto ourselves and not seeking a stronger, omnipotent, Most High God with lasting, eternal and forever relationship with the creator of us all
The one true God. The God almighty of us all and creation.
We as Christians today are asked to abandon ourselves to God’s care and continued mercy and unwarranted grace. This is the invitation offered to all of us who are willing to listen and hear. This will lead to action, fulfillment and joy in the creator.
God speaks to us through Matthew: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
“Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Amen.