Our Hidden Identity, Proper 28 (A) – 2002
November 17, 2002
[A special note to the reader or preacher: this sermon is built around a poem or kind of “rap” lyric that is designed for antiphonal call and response. The reader reads a line and the congregation repeats that line. Of course, the lyric can simply be read as a poem. But if it is done antiphonally, it may, for instance, be accompanied by a simple drumbeat — a conga drum, djembe, bongo, etc. Or it may be accompanied by some kind of clapping or by a combination of foot stomp and clap-stomp-stomp clap, stomp-stomp clap. If you use some thought and creativity, and can work in collaboration with musicians, you and the congregation will be richly rewarded. The more the congregation can participate in reading the lines, the more each person present will internalize this exploration of the meaning of our church’s corporate name: The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.]
The Parable of the Talents that we hear in today’s Gospel is one of our trickier parables. Trickier because we want to see it as justifying capitalism or some sort of commitment to self-improvement by better using the gifts and talents we are given. John Pilch, an important biblical scholar and author of The Cultural World of Jesus, assures us that the Mediterranean peasants listening to this story would not share the modern concern for capitalism or the culture of self-improvement. The story would, Pilch would say, reinforce their view that people like the master exist in their experience, and are dishonorable, shameless, and rapacious in reaping that which is not theirs to begin with.
In fact, there are other versions of this parable from the first century that conclude with the third slave being viewed as the only honorable person in the entire story, taking the safe and prudent course of action. That is, we ought not to jump to the conclusion that the master is demonstrating the behavior of God. Rather the story is illustrative of the kinds of oppressive ownership issues with which people in the world of Jesus struggled every day.
For Matthew’s audience of early Christians, this might actually have been descriptive of what was happening in the persecutions of the early church as they touched the lives of church members. But what about those of us who are hearing the parable this morning? What might Jesus be saying to us here and now?
It is as strong theme in Matthew, notably in the Sermon on the Mount, that we are not to hide our light under a bushel. A city on a hill cannot be hid. As the old song says, we are to let our light shine, shine, shine, so that others might see our good works and give glory to God. That is exactly what he says in chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel. To hide our light, to hide the city of God, to hide the church, to hide our good works is to deny others the opportunity to give God the glory and praise our God so deeply desires and richly deserves. To do so is to keep our true identity as imago Dei, people created in the image of God, a secret from others, ourselves, and from all of creation. To hide one’s true self, suggests Jesus over and over again as well as in this parable, has eternal consequences.
It might surprise many people to learn that the name of our church is hidden. Not of this parish, but in some respects, of the Episcopal Church itself. The corporate name of this body — an institution of which many of us are rightly proud — is very significant. By resolution of our General Convention in the last century, our corporate name became The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society — or DFMS, for short. Like the third servant, we keep that face of our identity buried. It’s too bad, because DFMS is a name that is wonderfully descriptive of who we are and what we are meant to be doing.
We are indeed a society of missionaries sent to do mission both locally and abroad. It might help if we knew that. It might help if, as a reminder, we put, on our Episcopal Church sign in front of our church building, for example, St. Peter’s Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, if only to remind ourselves each time we come to church, who we are called to be.
To illustrate the richness of our corporate name, join in repeating each line of this “rap” poem, exploring the hidden and yet important meanings of that name: DFMS.
DFMS
DFMS
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
Serving people everywhere of ever variety
We work for Jesus, We work for God
Serving people everywhere
At home and abroad
Domestic means family
Domestic means home
Domestic means native
Domestic means servant
Ye servants of Jesus
Ye servants of God
Domestic and foreign missionary society
Serving people everywhere of every variety
We work for Jesus, We work for God
Serving people everywhere
At home and abroad
Foreign means from another country
Foreign means Alien
Foreign means Immigrant
Foreign means Different
Foreign means Unknown
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
Serving people everywhere of every variety
We work for Jesus, We work for God
Serving people everywhere
At home and abroad
Missionary means Messenger
Missionary means Teacher
Missionary means Apostle
Missionary means Herald
Hark, the Herald
Hark, the Herald
Missionary means Evangelist
Evangelist means good angel
Good angel
Good angel
We are all good angels
A society of angels
Society
Company
Fellowship
Communion
Society of variety
Company of variety
Fellowship of variety
Communion of variety
The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
Serving people everywhere of every variety
We work for Jesus, We work for God
Serving people everywhere
At home and abroad
Let our lights shine
Put them high on a stand
To shine in every heart
Everywhere in every land
Don’t hide them in the ground
Don’t bury them in the sand
We are the light
The light of the world
A city on a hill cannot be hid
We are the light
The light of the world
Let your light shine
So others might see
See your good works
And give glory to God
Let your light shine
So others might see
We are the
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
Serving people everywhere of every variety
We work for Jesus, We work for God
Serving people everywhere
At home and abroad
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society
DFMS
DFMS
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. That’s our corporate name. We should take it out from underneath whatever bushel we hide it under so that all the world may see just who we are and what we are all about.
Amen.
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