Reading: Eph. 2:13-33
Feast of St. Jude
October 28, 2001
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
In today's letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes: "Christ has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.that he might create in himself, one new humanity in place of two, thus making for peace."(Eph.2)
How different would our lives be if there were no hostilities between nations, religions, and individual people? What would our day to day experiences be like if we were to live in global peace? How would we change the way we go about our daily business if we were to view every human being as being created in the image of God? To break down hostilities, to create peace, and to treat every human being with dignity (such that love in the operating principle) is the mission of the Church. The "churchy" way to describe the mission of the Church is "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." Either way, achieving this mission is the hope we hold on to. For without hope, the human heart would break. So in this spirit of hope, let us focus on our patron saint, St. Jude, the saint of desperate causes, a crucible of hope.
Fifty years ago, Bishop Block looked at the growth occurring in the Santa Clara Valley and began buying land for future Episcopal churches, including a parcel at the NE corner of Stelling Road and the proposed highway #85. Since one of the developers in that area wanted the parcel, land was traded. This place where we worship today, became the site of St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church in Cupertino.
How did our church get that name? Well, Bishop Pike felt that too many parishes were being given the same old names and that it was time to be more creative. We were fortunate to be named after the saint of desperate causes, the saint of hope, because it inspired the members of this community to focus on reaching out to those in need. This church thus became a beacon of hope by opening up its campus to many avenues of transformation. Were it not for hope, the human heart would break!
On January 7, 1962, under the leadership of the Rev. David Crump, the mission of St. Jude held its first worship service in the farmhouse. It was the only building on the property. Within two years, the mission had grown to over 100 families. So in the following year, construction of the temporary worship space and parish hall was completed. For two months, parishioners were busy building new pews, erecting partitions for the church school, planting landscaping and readying the building for the dedication by Bishop Pike on St. Jude's Day. Since that time in the early 60's, land has been sold, a church school built, the sanctuary reconstructed, and a new parish hall erected. We are the recipients of this legacy that has been handed down to us by a previous generation of hardworking, generous parishioners who believed in an Episcopal presence in Cupertino. We are the recipients of a campus that is used for worship, education, community, outreach, 12 step programs of healing, a Senior Day Care Center, and three multi-cultural communities of faith.
The name Jude comes from the Hebrew word meaning, "I will praise the Lord." Jude was one of the original apostles. Having a gift of healing, legend tells us that he went to Persia and healed King Abgar who was dying from a terrible physical disorder which no doctor could cure. Perhaps that is why Jude became the saint of desperate causes. The King, then instructed his citizens to assemble and to hear the preaching of the Good News by Jude Thaddeus. It was in this manner that the gospel was spread to that part of Northern Iran. Later, while in Armenia, Jude was murdered for preaching the Good News in Christ. We wear red vestments on his feast day to remember the martyrdom of St. Jude, the crucible of hope.
Hope is the one human emotion, the one virtue that keeps humankind afloat, diverting tragedy, healing the sick, comforting the desperate, deciding with certainty that there is a way out. Hope is different from optimism and wishful thinking. Optimism is the conviction that something will turn out well. Wishful thinking means to place before one's mind, a desired object or goal, and waiting for a favorable outcome. Hope is the lived out conviction that God's power permeates the universe and that in the end, love will win out.
So in light of the events of 9/11/01, where do we place our hope? Do we place our hope in the new security laws that were just passed in Congress to fight terrorism? Well, laws can be broken, misused, and overlooked. Do we place our hope in knowledge and education? Well, prejudice, anger, hatred, and emotional woundedness are much stronger motivators of human behavior than knowledge and education combined. Do we place our hope in our family, friends, and allies? Well, people die, move on, change allegiances, & disappoint us. They fall short of their commitments, especially when "the going gets tough." Do we place our hope in money and prosperity? Well, fear and greed influence the performance of the stock market as much as good economic principles. Do we place our hope in the United Nations and its peace-keeping forces? Well, using peace-keeping forces is a quick solution that is only temporary. These forces impose a rule of peace by putting up various walls and maintaining massive separation of warring populations. The moment these armed forces are removed, old hostilities immediately flare up. What are we to do?
While rules, knowledge, education, prosperity, family, friends, and the United Nations are important factors in our search for happiness and security, none of them provide an unshakeable foundation upon which we should place our hope. Only God is an unshakeable foundation. God is the rock in whom we place our hope. For it is the spirit of God that engenders true love and can permanently transform the human heart. It is the transformation of the heart that will create a new humanity, a New World. This new humanity will no longer experience the dividing walls of hostility but rather will live in peace because the transformed heart operates from the principles of righteousness, justice, mercy, forgiveness, generosity, inclusivity, and compassion.
In times of darkness, chaos, death, and destruction, many people lose faith and place their hope in things that are temporary. But while the power and presence of God can be obscured, ignored, ridiculed, and rejected, it can not be destroyed. In times of darkness and chaos, we need to cross the threshold of hope, and not stop before it. It is when faith crumbles and love grows dim that hope begins. For we do not hope for what is already exists, we hope for what we do not have and cannot see.
The Church is the only institution in society whose primary mission is to transform the human heart by embracing the God of love. That is why it exists. We are the body of Christ whose mission is to spread the Good News in such a way that lives are transformed. This parish church of St. Jude the Apostle, is a training ground where we learn to become disciples of transformation. We learn to be partners in prayer, messengers of good news, agents of healing, and icons of hope. We have inherited this church property as a place for learning, worshipping, outreach, community, and for equipping us for the mission we are called to do. As we begin our 40th anniversary and annual pledge campaign, I ask all of you to generously contribute your time, talent, and treasure so that we can continue to be a beacon of hope in this part of Santa Clara County. For without hope the human heart would break.
| Updated 10/28/01 |
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