there's only a shadow of me

in a manner of speaking i'm dead

A sermon on Stephen's Martyrdom

In the Gospel today Stephen, a server in an early Christian soup-kitchen, meets he fate… And we have to admit, he does so faithfully…

One of the earliest depictions of Jesus comes from an ancient boarding school. It seems that one of the page boys there, Alexamenos, was a Christian. And for his faith, he suffered not a little teasing. 

In one of the walls, someone scratched a man on a cross, except his head is that of  a donkey. Next to that they've drawn someone in a posture of prayer. Next to their depiction they wrote, “Alexamenos worship his God,” making it clear just what they thought of Alexamenos and his faith. 

In the next room, though, scrawled in the hand of a boy, perhaps Alexamenos’ himself, it says “Alexamenos is faithful.”

…

…You know, we spend so much time thinking what we would do if faced with some moment like the one Stephen faces today. And while we imagine what we’d do, life passes us by. 

A million opportunities to be faithful like Alexamenos, missed because we imagine being faithful look like something else.

Well, I’m here to tell you, that’s not how it works…

…My favorite show right now, is “Fargo.”
Have any of you seen it? (Oh! It’s sooo good! You got to watch it!)

It’s a takeoff of the Coen brother’s film, “Fargo.” And one of the things I love most about the show, is the assumptions it shares with the movie. 

That faithfulness happens in the midst of trials and tribulations. That it happens daily, in the little, often overlooked moments. 

Because they understand, like Luther, that until you’re faithful enough to get up in the middle of the night to change a child’s diaper, you not ready for anything else…

But that’s not exactly what I want to talk about. 

I want to talk about the way they wrote the show. How the first season takes place in after, not before the second season. And, by the way, season two is just perfect… 

The second season goes to one of the character’s past. Season two tells the story of Lou, a minor, albeit likable, supporting character from the first season. 

But this crazy thing happens as you watch season two. No matter what Lou goes through - you know in the end he’s going to make it. 

The thing about that knowledge is it doesn’t actually make anything less dramatic. If anything, it actually builds the intensity; because you know the way he handles what comes at him, is going to have a ripple effect on characters who come down the road, characters you learned to love in the first season, (and they are lovable)…

And what I want to tell you is, that kind of knowledge that makes for real faithfulness. A sure and certain hope in the things to come…

In our Gospel today Stephen, a server in an early Christian soup-kitchen, meets he fate… And we have to admit, he does so faithfully…

But, for as dramatic as the Gospel is, did you notice something about it? 

That there’s something in the Gospel that’s just, well, off. 

In fact, this discrepancy threatens to ruin everything. 

Did you notice it?

It’s what Stephen says he sees, as he meets his fate. 

“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

-Did you catch that?!?

The Son of Man standing??? 

That can’t be right!

You all know the Creed. Say it with me: I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

Seated at the right hand of Father! Seated, not standing…

So what could that mean?

…And the way you answer that question, will reveal a lot about you.

Perhaps you say I’m splitting hairs. That all this theological mumbo-jumbo doesn’t matter for a whole lot when you get right down to it.

…Well, next time you go the doctor and they’re making sure to get all the details right before making their diagnosis, tell them to stop splitting hairs. That it’s just a bunch of mumbo jumbo when you get right down to it.

Or, perhaps you think the Creed is just some artifact of a decaying institution. Go with the Bible you say, stop trying to make the Bible fit our molds.

It’s an easy thought, but try not to act on it. After all, it’s not what was confessed at your baptism, or your confirmation either. 

Regardless, I don't get to. Not from here. 

I am under orders, as are you. 

It’s given to me to lay open before you the treasurers of our tradition. To argue for the veracity of our confessions. To say there’s something more interesting than what we think; and that’s what the church confesses. 

So, hear me loud and clear; Stephen doesn’t see things as they are. The Creed is right, the Son of Man sits, not stands, at the right hand of God… 

*Here’s the deal, though; when you side with the Creed, things get really good. 

When you will let our confession shape how you see scripture, you get to see what’s really happening. When you let the Creed tell you what Stephen doesn’t see, you are freed to let it tell you what he does. 

That Stephen doesn’t see things as they are.
Because he sees things as they will be. Stephen sees The End.

Stephen, as he meets his fate, sees The End. When the Creed or faith will no longer be needed, because they will have passed on into sight. When the Son of Man rises from the throne!

Stephen sees when the Son of Man leaves the throne to confess those whom he’s claimed to God. When the Son of Man stands to judge the living and the dead.

See, that’s what’s really good about letting the Creed condition how you see scripture, you get to see Stephen’s vision for what it really is. 

Not just his end. But the end. The end of all things. Your end.

Remember when I described the way that television show “Fargo” was written. Backward; with the end first.

How I said, that’s the way faith works?

Well, faith has never worked by wondering, worrying what your fate will be, sisters and brothers in the Lord.

Faith always, only comes about by someone ordained to speak it to you, tell you it. To confess the ending that’s so good, it could never come by effort. But only as a gift. 

And that’s what I’m here to do; to tell it you. What the church, Jesus’ body here on earth, has commissioned me to say to you. What Stephen’s vision authorizes me to do to you. What the Creed frees me to confess to you. 

To tell you the end. Stephen isn’t seeing what he’s earned, he’s seeing what Jesus has promised. To leave his throne. To stand before the one who raises the dead and confess Stephen’s name, and your name. The name of all those Jesus has claimed!

When you meet your fate, you will see what Stephen sees. The Son of Man, not sitting, but standing. Rising from the throne to confess you to God. To whisper your name to the one who raises the dead. 

To keep the promise made to you in your baptism.

And in the end, that is how Stephen gets this vision. It isn’t because of his works; after all, all he was just following orders. And it wasn’t by his death, either. All he does there is suffer. 

No, Stephen -and so you who get to overhear his confession- sees this vision by the one who was crucified, died and was buried; the one who descended into hell. The one who on the third day rose again; ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

The Son of Man sits in his glory, for now. 

But when it matters. In the end. In the twinkling of an eye. At the last trumpet, he will rise and say your name. He will say ______________

The name of all those who have been baptized into his name. *And if you’re not baptized, let me know - we can take care of that. 

You want to be faithful like Stephen? Meet your fate like he did? Be a witness like him? 

Then get a load of what he sees now; the end. Know how it all shakes out; Jesus rising from the throne. 

And in the meantime, be obedient. Say the creed. Keep your vows in the little, often overlooked parts of like. Because your neighbors need it; your husband or wife, your sister or brother, you child or grandchild, your mom or dad, the person sitting net to you, the stranger in the next lane over; they all need you to be faithful. 

Just do that, and God will handle The End.

Can I get an “amen?”