News Flash! It’s the Action, Not the Talk

Harry T. Cook

9/28/08

Matthew 21: 28-32

Scene: A vineyard.

Dramatis Personae: A father, owner of the vineyard, two sons Plot: Father orders first son to go into the vineyard and work. Son says, “OK,” but does not go and work. Later, father orders second son to do the same. Son says, “Hell, no” but goes anyway.

Moral: Actions not only speak louder than words. Only actions matter in the end.

Were this story not included as one of a group of many thousands of words – all spoken and read – in liturgies, you could leave it as outlined above, and the point would be made sufficiently. However, the story is presented by a sacred minister, preceded by candle bearers in solemn procession, reading from an ornate book with congregational affirmations before and after. Thus does it seem to resemble its antiquarian surroundings. I suppose if one were to substitute a bump shop for the vineyard, the story would more readily gain attention. Or, say, the common venue of everyday life.

What’s at stake is reputation. When one says he or she will do a thing, he or she better be prepared to do it and then do it. When a religious community says it will do a thing, there is no substitution for doing it. When an individual member of one such community says, “I will,” the word is given. And just as often broken. Parents who press to have their children baptized are presented with an array of promises to make and keep. You can look at them. They’re laid out on pages 304 and 305 of the Book of Common Prayer 1979. If I’d had a hand in the writing of that passage, I would have insisted on plain English. Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellow, in the breaking of the bread and the prayers? is one of the rhetorical questions asked of parents, godparents and sponsoring congregations on the occasion of baptism. I have never yet known of a person not to answer in the affirmative. What if it were phrased this way: Will you get with the program here, become a student of Christian history and literature, will you support this church generously so it can do its work, will you be here on Sundays with your community? That’s what the actual Prayer Book language means. We’re supposed to answer, I will, with God’s help. The all-too-frequent hollowness of the response and the consequent breaking of that promise are part of what gives parish clergy a permanent headache and drives them to atheism. I kid you not. Hypocrite is the word used of people and churches who say they will but don’t. The word means “actor” or “role player.” It’s often a tie between self-styled religious people and politicians for which gets tagged with being hypocrites. Success in the world of churches is measured by how many people show up in the pews, how up-to-date the facilities are and, in some quarters, by how seriously people believe in all the incredible theological propositions put forth in recitations of creeds and sermons.

Wrong. If we have to use the concept of “success” where church is concerned, an individual church is successful when most of its members take seriously and put into action these concluding words of the baptismal covenant: Will you serve all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself (as if he were you)? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

That’s the “doing” part. That’s going into the vineyard or the bump shop no matter what you’ve said. Belief in propositions like resurrections and ascensions are as empty as they are abstract unless they somehow lead the believer in them to the loving, the serving, the striving and the respecting. Don’t say the creed if you won’t soon be out the door to love, to serve, to strive and to respect. Saying “I believe” is like saying “I will go to work” but failing to do so. Saying, “I will not work,” but going on to work anyway is what it’s all about in a world in which it’s the action not the talking that matters.

READERS WRITE:

Jolene from Sioux City, Iowa: “Thanks for you entertaining and enlightening homily (‘Counterintuitive’) filled with good food to chew on.”

Marcelline from North Carolina: “A friend sent me a copy of your sermons on forgiveness and the one last week on Jonah. I don’t know how you get away with the things you say, but I would sure join your church if I lived up there.”

“You, sir, are everything that is wrong with the Episcopal Church today. Who do you think you are to deny such fundamental truths as the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ?” I heard some time ago from a friend up in Michigan that you were going to be tried for heretical preaching. How are you and your fellow blasphemer, [Bishop John S.] Spong, going to be allowed to keep on with your rants? ‘How long, O Lord, how long?'”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Copyright 2008, Harry T. Cook. All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced without proper credit.