Barbara Davidson – Senior Deacon
November 4, 2007
"The Gift of Sanctuary"

I was convinced that I would be the first Senior Deacon in the history of our church not to give a sermon on Laity Sunday but I have come to realize that this tradition is a privilege - and so I pray that "The words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts, find acceptance in thy sight, Oh Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer." Amen.

We all do our best to stay safe in this world. We buy cars that are most highly rated in Consumer Reports crash tests, we don’t let our children wander too far from the front doors of our homes, and we wear helmets when we ride bicycles. We stand on long lines at airports to help ensure the safety of our flight and we save for retirement to have a sense of security for the future. But often in life we are shaken and hurt by events for which there are no seatbelts or insurance policies. In fact as Father Mychal Judge, Chaplain to the New York City Fire Dept on 911, was known to say, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him what you plan to do tomorrow."

In 1992, my life as I then knew it, fell apart. In what seemed like overnight I became the single mother of two very little girls and went back to work fulltime in the city. I was sad, I was worried all the time…and I was exhausted. During that time my sister Susan invited me to stay with her and her family on Long Island for a weekend. At first I didn’t think I had the energy to pack up the girls and make the drive – but I did. When I arrived at her house, she and her husband greeted the three of us at our car. My brother-in-law scooped up the girls and began tossing a ball with them. My sister merely turned to me and said, "Go upstairs and lie down. I’ll call you when dinner is ready." For the next three hours I rested, read and napped. For a time, the burdens of my life were held at bay. I realize now that the wonderful gift my sister gave me that weekend was the gift of sanctuary – a feeling of peace and safety.

Five years later I found myself in a new marriage, living in a new community and the mother of five children attending five different schools. My life was full of love, I was happy….and I was exhausted! I no longer needed the sanctuary of my sister’s care but, in the midst of negotiating my new life in Greenwich, I found sanctuary here at First Church. After a frantic morning of rushing and moving children along I would arrive at First Church, take a deep breath and feel a sense of peace. Over the last ten years this church has continued to be a place of sanctuary for me.

We are blessed to have this church and this community and I am so thankful for those of you who work to create for all of us a sense of peace and Christian fellowship. John, Terry and the choir practice week after week to give us the beauty of their talents and a time in our service for personal meditation. Members of the Parish Life Committee organize events for us where we can just show up, feel welcomed and enjoy a meal with friends. When I would come to church in 1997 with five children I, personally, blessed the church school teachers who took care of my children for an hour so I could sit with my husband and enjoy the service in peace. I also bless the Stephen Ministers and their, I think often unsung, ministry of counsel to those in our congregation who are suffering. The point is that we all work hard to make this church a safe and welcoming place for each other. It doesn’t just happen. And you don’t need to be the chair of a committee or a deacon to contribute to this sanctuary. Everyone who smiles at a newcomer, gives a greeting of recognition, pours coffee or instantly slides over in their pew to allow a latecomer to sit next to them adds to the feeling of love and safety of our church. This is not an exclusive country club or tennis group or a school to which you need apply for acceptance. It is a community where we share our Christianity openly, let down our guard a bit and find respite from our burdens.

But we should not be, nor do I believe we are, a congregation complacent in our sanctuary.

In the story from the Gospel of Mark that Pat read for us this morning, Jesus had just cast out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue of Capernaum. Those of us who traveled together to the Holy Land in February of 2000 visited the town of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. We saw the foundation of the 1st Century synagogue with the deeper foundation below which was most likely the exact place where Jesus preached. In Mark’s Gospel we learn that this is the beginning of a terribly demanding time in Jesus’ life – his last year on earth. He was on the go all the time, traveling from town to town. He was constantly bombarded with requests for healing or preaching and hoards of people followed him often tugging and pulling at the hem of his clothes. We learn from Mark that during this time Jesus was so intent on teaching and making his word heard and understood not only by the public at large but by his closest disciples. Jesus was relentless in his concern that his disciples truly understand him and be able to carry his word forward after he was gone. His heart was heavy with the responsibilities he was given and with the knowledge of his fate. After he left the synagogue in Capernaum Jesus took a short walk to the house of his disciple Simon’s mother-in-law Mary. Those of us on the trip in 2000 also saw the remains of that small dwelling. There, in Mary’s house, Jesus found a measure of comfort. He was served a meal and was sheltered from the crowds. His body and spirit were renewed for a time before he had to head out to face more demons and continue the work he knew was before him.

When we are here at First Church we also can be so renewed. We hear the word of Christ and we listen to the lessons of David, Ron and Dan. We are moved to think of the challenges in our lives but also of the needs of others in our greater community and in the world in which we live. The sanctuary we have given each other over the years has also given us the spirit and strength to go out into the world. As a congregation we have helped rebuild a church in Hungary for Christians just regaining their freedom to worship openly and without fear of retribution; and we have constructed and supported two health clinics in Honduras for a population who would otherwise go without any healthcare. Every year we work to build houses for the homeless in Orland Maine and neighboring Stamford. We grow vegetables in our church garden and prepare food in our kitchen for local food pantries. This congregation also supports numerous other organizations in our community through gifts made by Women’s Ministries and our Christian Outreach Committee. Our work outside the four walls of this meetinghouse is evidence of how we are strengthened by the peace of this sanctuary to then be of service to others.

Back in 1992, I remember not wanting to leave the upstairs room in my sister’s house and I would imagine that Jesus lingered just a little bit while retying his sandals after Mary’s dinner. But we are all aware of the challenges we have to face in our lives and we can all take strength from the renewed spirit we are blessed to receive here at First Church.

In closing I will sadly tell you that Father Mychal Judge, who knew that all our lives ultimately rest in God’s hands, was killed by falling debris in the Twin Towers on 911. Father Judge had just removed his helmet to give last rites to a fallen firefighter and an office worker.

So while we continue to take all the safety precautions needed in our physical lives let us do so knowing that our only true safety rests in Christ. As Psalm 91 goes on to tell us:

"For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways,
On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
   the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
   I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
   I will be with them in trouble,
   I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation."

With Christ’s protection and love, let us go forth from this sanctuary this morning renewed in spirit to comfort each other and to serve our world in His name. Amen.