(The Rev. Dr. Winfred B. Vergara, Excerpts from homily at Chapel of the Risen Lord, New York City, 10/15/08)
Text: Joel 1:8-14; Romans 8:22-27; Matthew 5:13-16 –Feast of St. Teresa of Avila
“You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13, 14). This is how Jesus sees the Church who lives and believes in Him---and for many times in its history---the Church has lived up to this Christian expectation.
Looking at the 21st century Church, however, with our all our strife and division, declining membership and lack of power to influence the world, one wonders whether our light has faded and our salt has lost its taste.
Sure we preach the gospel, feed the hungry and are concerned with the plight of the poor but we neglect something that directly connects us to the Almighty. It is the ministry that makes us unique, that makes us different from the United Nations or the Peace Corps or any organization involved in good works. It is the ministry of prayer, the ministry that touches the heart and mind of God.
So like a chicken that lost its head, we flap our wings and engage in so many activities not realizing the source of power and strength and wisdom has already departed. Our situation is no different from Israel at the time of the prophet Joel who reported the great economic and spiritual crises that befallen the land:
“What the locusts swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts
have left the young locusts have eaten…The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up,
the oil fails, the harvest of the field is destroyed and the joy of humankind has withered away.”
So perhaps it is in such a time like this that we must learn from history and change our direction. Leonard Ravenhill, wrote that the reason for “Why Revival Tarries?” is our neglect of prayer. He wrote:
“No person is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing, the people
who are not praying are straying…We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players
and payers but few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; much
fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, few spiritual fighters.
Failing (in prayer) here, we fail everywhere.”
The prophet Joel calls,” Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail you who minister before the altar.
Declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly, summon the elders and cry out to the Lord.” 2nd Chronicle 7:14 says “if my people who are called by My name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I shall hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”
St. Teresa de Avila, the saint we commemorate today, wrote:” Prayer is nothing more than a close sharing between friends; this means taking time to be with God who loves us and cares for us and who wants to speak to us.” God indeed has much to much to speak to us in our own day. May we heed the call to prayer---individually and corporately---so that God may revive the Church and heal our world. Amen.
(Dr. Vergara is Officer for Asian American Ministries of The Center for Evangelism and Congregational Life, The Episcopal Church based in New York City. He can be contacted at wvergara@episcopalchurch.org)
