Seeing Through It Seeing It Through

I am still thinking about our sacramental lives that we are called to.

I have spoken at length already over the past few weeks about the sacraments in the Presbyterian Church, the sacraments as official acts of the church, and about the need to broaden our sacramental thinking in ways that allow us to see the divine in everyday spaces. This was started in this blog two weeks ago and was continued in my last two sermons. This is all inspired either directly or indirectly by the book The Sacraments of Life, Life of the Sacraments by Leonardo Boff.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the sacraments and about seeing the world with a sacramental lens. How do we look at the everyday, common things in our life and in those things glimpse some deeper truth that God is speaking to us? What do we have that communicates grace? What do we own that whispers of justice? Where in our lives do we see something that reminds us of the call to community? Those things are everywhere if we make the decision to look for them.

I think this, on its own, is important and valuable, but in matters of faith I always want to push the question of “so what?” So what if we are reminded of God’s presence in a plant? So what if we are reminded of God’s gifts in a cup? Who cares? In this, I think Leonardo Boff shares a helpful description of “sacramentalism:”

A sacrament can be distorted into mere sacramentalism. People celebrate a sacrament, but without undergoing conversion. They employ the signs symbolizing the Lord’s presence, but without preparing their hearts. The sacraments are used to express adherence to a faith, but this faith is sheer ideology without any practical consequences. The lower and middle sectors of the middle class frequently seem to exhibit a sacramentalist Christianity of this sort. Theirs is a faith for one hour a week, a faith for Sunday Mass and a few major moments in life: birth, marriage, burial. They attend rites but they do not live a vital faith in their lives. Their concrete lives embody values that are opposed to the faith: for example, the exploitation of human beings and the greedy quest for more and more wealth.

The sacraments matter to us because they are constantly unfolding. The sacramental view of the world does not just happen, but happens. It is an ongoing process of seeing God’s grace and mercy. Anything sacramental, from a coffee mug to the act of baptism can be made meaningless if we cease to see meaning in them. And that meaning is necessarily a transformative one. It is impossible to observe the sacramental nature of a baptism without also being awestruck by the radical acceptance that God demonstrates in that sacrament. And baptism calls us to emulate this radical acceptance. We make our promises during the sacrament and are transformed to keep those promises. To take part in a baptism while also rejecting God’s children is to see the act as an earthly tradition rather than an immanent act made transparent to reveal God’s transcendent reality.

Sacraments matter because we are transformed as much as the sacramental items are transformed. That they remain an open window into God’s reality and move us to demonstrate that reality to the world.

Peace,

Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline

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As you move through your week, where might God be inviting you to see more deeply? Pay attention to the ordinary moments, and consider how they might be calling you toward grace, justice, and community. And if you’re looking for a place to explore these questions together, come be part of our community this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for a meaningful time of worship and togetherness. All are welcome to join! Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church is located at 1200 S. Winton Road in Rochester, NY in the heart of Brighton. We look forward to seeing you!