Calvary Episcopal Church
Sermon for Sunday May 29, 2005
Youth Sunday
By Philip J. Bauerle

 
In today's scripture readings, we are challenged to follow God and God's teachings and cast off false gods and false teachings. We are invited to hear and act on the teachings of Jesus. Doing this, Jesus goes on to say, is to build our house on solid rock rather than on sinking sand. As I look forward to graduating and going to college, I would like to reflect with you today on how my experience at Calvary Church has prepared me for the world. For me, the rock of faith has three dimensions. Calvary Camp, my home and family life, and Calvary Church. Calvary Church is where I learn what our faith is. Calvary Church, as well as my home life and my life at Calvary Camp, are places I practice my faith.

I have attended Calvary Camp for 7 years and last year I was a Staff-in-training. Calvary Camp provides a loving environment for me as it does children of most ages. Evening devotions is a tradition at Calvary Camp every night. Devotions is time in the cabin when campers and their counselors can discuss anything from important current issues to who they are going to ask to the banquet. The topics typically are not as important as becoming comfortable with sharing ideas. In order for campers to participate in devotions, they must have some trust in these new people. Campers learn to express hopes and fears and seek guidance from God or others who are sharing in Calvary Camp with them. This is an emulation of what we are doing at Calvary Episcopal Church and in the Christian Community as we are learning to trust new and different people. For example one night, as the counselor in charge of devotions and without an exciting idea, I opened the floor to the campers. They came up with the idea of writing one of their deepest secrets on a piece of paper and passing it to a bunkmate. The camper had to trust his bunkmate not to read the secret but to tear the piece of paper up. This taught the part of the cabin who participated that they do not have to fear trusting others. However, there were two boys who did not participate, thus losing the opportunity to discover the value of a loving and trusting relationship with a non family member. As said in the Gospel, we must take the word of God, and by trusting others, especially those from diverse backgrounds, we build our experience on solid rock.
 
Living with my parents and brother, there have been times we have hurt each other either intentionally or unintentionally. Through these experiences, I have learned how to forgive and how to ask for forgiveness. Ten years ago, when my father was questioning a lot of things about his life, we were driving to school on a rainy Monday. He missed the turn into the school parking lot and I said to him, "It's okay Dad, we all make mistakes." He found the comment meaningful because it gave him new perspective to his own experience at the time. For me it was valuable to learn that I could help my family even when I had no specific intention to do so. I have often been helped by the love shown to me by our family friend Viola Crisp. She has consistently blessed me with her unconditional love even through difficult periods of her own life. She will always be an example to me of how to build family relationships on the principals expressed in today's scripture readings.

Here at Calvary Church, I have learned that faith is not just having faith but thoughtful questioning of one's faith is an important part of our journey in life. For example I have witnessed members of this congregation honestly question what the faithful response should be to the contention in our diocese. My old friend Arthur Mcnulty frequently preached that we are obligated to ask everyday what is the faithful response to today's challenges. Last week Dr. Lewis preached about radical hospitality. This he said is what the gospel has always been about. We can see this in the story of the good Samaritan, or the prodigal son or the life and death of Jesus. These stories from the bible as well as my own experience with the clergy of this church provide me with examples I can live by.

Trying to live up to what I have learned from these examples, I have a friend who last Saturday wanted to hang out into the wee hours of the night. I told him that I could not because I had to get up for church the next day. He replied practically in disgust, "You believe in that hogwash?" However, because I have learned at Calvary to accept people for who they are even if I disagree with them, I forgave him for insulting my beliefs because "it ain't worth the fight". My own conclusion while sitting in the parking lot of the church earlier this week was "Life's too short to do anything but love."

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for supplying me and the other young people of the church with a nurturing environment to grow up in: An environment for us to meet people we would not otherwise know, a church where we can smile and wave at people while processing (just don't tell Dr. Lewis) and finally a place that we can be proud to call our spiritual home. Our promise to you is that we will pass on to others the love you have shown us. Amen.