Wearing the Armor of God

Sermon for Sunday, August 23, 2009

Lessons for this Sunday:
Psalm 84, "God's House"
1st Kings 8: 1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43
Ephesians 6: 10-20
John 6: 56-69

We humans are on a perpetual quest to feel at home inside our own skins, to be at peace with our deepest selves. Most of us have experienced times of anxiety or shame when we would like to run away from our very selves, if such a thing were possible. Sometimes we feel as if our body has betrayed us, and we feel ourselves to be trapped in a prison of flesh and bone. Then, the voice of reason in our heads may be losing the argument to the voice of fear and anxiety. From my own experience, it feels as if these moments are among the most painful ones we ever suffer. Finding peace and calming our anxious hearts is the healing we can hope for since the home we are seeking is the home where our souls connect with God. St. Augustine put it this way: "My heart does not find rest, Lord, until it rests in thee."

During the years of restless wandering in the desert, the people of Israel kept the Ark of the Covenant in a tent. After David became king, he wanted to build a "house" for the Lord's Ark, but the prophet Nathan was sent to tell David that building such a house was not his role. David was promised the continued favor of the Lord and told that his successor would be his son. That son, Solomon,would be allowed, at last, to build a temple. The Lord was reluctant to place his "house" in a permanent position, and, in his words of dedication, Solomon displays his famed wisdom as he expresses God's intention: "Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built." The temple, like our physical bodies, can hold within it only a portion of the infinite and awesome Spirit of God. Even so, any place where we encounter the Spirit is a holy place and the home of the Lord.

Solomon goes on to make a radical statement: the temple he has erected will attract people of all nations--foreigners will be drawn to it, and they will be welcomed there "so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.” Wherever God dwells, in our need we humans are invited to be there also.

Psalm 84 provides an outline of some of the places where God can be found at home: a tabernacle, a swallow's nest, a desolate valley, a pool of water, a mountain top, a king's court. This little chapel has been God's home since 1885, but the beautiful valley and shepherding mountains around us have been God's home since the day of Creation. Like the Spirit itself, home is an idea, if an all-encompassing one.

Camelot. If you are like me and you've read the Arthurian stories since childhood, that name may make you smile as it conjures up images of knights, fair maidens, and a round table. I recently attended the stage version of the musical Camelot and found it delightful. In the play, as Arthur is musing about his vision for his kingdom, he tells Guinevere how, from a hawk's perspective flying high above the earth, there are no borders and boundaries. Borders are a human invention, and Arthur goes on to remark how amazing it is that human beings are willing to die for an idea.

The idea Arthur proposes for Camelot is that his knights, from their societal positions of wealth and power, should use the gifts they've been given to protect those who are weaker and poorer than they. They will fight for what is right rather than to display their might. They will be sent out on quests to do good deeds, and when they return to the court, they will tell the stories of their valor. To insure the noble equality of this brotherhood and their respect for one another, they would be seated together with the king at a large round table. Imagine that. Think for a moment about what Arthur had to say about ideals of social justice, faithful courage, and democracy that we continue to value today. Unfortunately, even in our modern world we have not reached the perfect state that Arthur, who was called the Once and Future King, envisioned.

The first Arthurian stories began making the rounds by way of troubadors in the Middle Ages. Although there is insufficient evidence to prove there was a real King Arthur, many historians agree there probably was such a king. Until it was abandoned around 410 A.D., Britain was the farthest outpost of the Roman Empire. When the Romans left, they left behind native peoples- the Celts--who had been exposed to the Roman version of civilization and to Christianity. The Romans abandoned England because increasing invasions by Anglo-Saxon warriors were proving to be too costly and troublesome, and the Roman legions were needed at home. Like the Biblical King David who gathered the people of Israel under one rule and established the city of Jerusalem, the 6th Century King Arthur gathered the remnant Celtic peoples together and made a home for them in Britain and a seat of power in Christian Camelot. For as long as he was king, the invading hordes of pagan Anglo-Saxons were held back. Sadly, as all human endeavors ultimately come to an end, Arthur's kingdom was destroyed by the revolt of his illegitimate son Mordred. Arthur and Mordred gave each other fatal wounds in their final battle, and it is said that Arthur was taken to the Isle of Avalon. Glastonbury Abbey, which sits atop a hill once surrounded by marshes, is believed to be the site of Avalon. It is also believed to be the place where Joseph of Arimathea brought the holy grail, the chalice with which he caught drops of Christ's blood as he stood beneath the cross.

Since the physical evidence of a real King Arthur is scarce, some people like to say the stories of this great king are myths or legends. Whether he had a physical existence or not doesn't really seem to matter to me. What matters about King Arthur is the idea we associate with his name, an idea that has inspired the imaginations of countless people down through the ages. The Arthurian idea brings together all that is best and most noble in human endeavor and in the Christian faith. As Christians we are called to go out into the world and serve those in need; to sacrifice our own comfort to advance the greater good, no matter the cost; to ensure that justice is done and all are treated fairly; to give fealty and loyal tribute to our Lord and King, Christ Jesus. We are called to be Knights of the Lord's Round Table, where we feast on the Bread of Life.

Maybe it was Paul's words today in the Letter to the Ephesians that caused me to make this connection between the Lord and King Arthur. Paul tells us "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Paul says we must put on the armor of God, an armor made available to us through our shield of faith. With the breastplate of righteousness and the sword of the Spirit to defend us, we will be able to conquer the enemy--the spiritual forces of evil. Every single thing Paul has listed here is something intangible; in other words, he is giving us metaphors for ideas. Righteousness is an idea, but we certainly know what it looks like when we encounter it. The same is true for what Paul calls the opposite of righteousness, those spiritual forces of evil. In the inner landscapes of our souls, we know what it feels like to engage in the kind of battle that Paul is describing. Although those who are physically near us may never guess what is going on deep inside us, the crusade for righteousness can be an ongoing struggle we undertake on a daily basis. When we ask for the Lord's assistance on the battlefield, our quest for peace is more easily accomplished.

In today's gospel lesson, some of the disciples can't comprehend the ideas the Lord is speaking of. Jesus says, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me." Some disciples are disturbed by these words and say, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" Taken literally, as the disciples hear it, these are hard words to submit to. But Jesus goes on to say, "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." He asks us to ingest his Spirit, to make the Spirit of God part of our inner being, part of every fiber of our bodies, so that we know without doubt that He abides within us. Paul speaks of armor and swords when he tells us to take the Spirit with us. Jesus uses a more universal idea, something that men, women, and children should all understand: the Spirit of the Lord is as much a part of us as the food we eat, and it is also as necessary as bread to our very existence. We are the houses of God, and the kitchens and the bread boxes, too.

Earlier I said that there is very little physical evidence of the existence of King Arthur, and yet many of us choose to believe there was such a man. Considered a great king, he has been called the Once and Future King since the British people held out hope that he would return someday to save them, just when they needed him the most. For similar reasons, Jesus of Nazareth can also be called the Once and Future King. There is a great deal of corroborating evidence that the man known as Jesus did in fact live and establish a movement that has spread all over the world. Arthur himself came under the sway of Christ the King, and all of Arthur's noble ideas reflect his Christian principles.

Jesus Christ expressed a few really important ideas, but since they are ideas, and therefore intangible, we humans find ways to doubt and question them. Are they really so hard to believe? Mercy and forgiveness, healing and protection come from God. When we seek God, our prayers are answered. God dwells within us as we dwell in him, in Spirit. God is love. All of us, if we try hard enough, can come up with personal examples of how these ideas of God have been manifested in our lives.

As it says in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Let us hold on to faith for dear life. Life is dear, isn't it? Thanks be to God!