"God's Vineyard"
A Sermon of
The Rev. Dr. David A. Killian, Rector
All Saints Parish
Brookline, Massachusetts
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 2, 2005
Text: Matthew 21:33-43
I
A little boy got into an argument with some boys twice his size. He drew a line in the dirt and dared them to cross it. The big boys accepted the challenge and crossed over the line. Whereupon the little fellow smiled and said, "Now you're on my side."
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable in an attempt to win over his enemies to his side. The parable is addressed to those who were plotting his death. In the parable the owner of the vineyard sends his servants and they are rejected. Then the owner sends his own son and he also is rejected and put to death. The parable is an invitation to accept Christ's teaching of love, a call to work with him in the vineyard to bring the good news of God's love to the world, even if it costs you your life.
II
This summer I met someone who gave his life to the service of the Gospel, someone who spent a life time teaching people from all over the world about God's great love and reconciliation. Like the son in today's parable, he gave the ultimate gift of his own life.
I am speaking of Brother Roger who founded the ecumenical monastery in Taizé, and who was cruelly murdered by a mentally-deranged person on August 16 during a prayer service in front of 2,500 worshippers. I had been at Taizé only three weeks earlier and had participated in services and received a blessing from Brother Roger. He was 90 years old and frail and needed assistance walking. He was a man of gentle disposition devoted to peace. During my week at Taizé over 3,000 young people from 60 countries were present to pray and to study. Like today's Gospel parable, the death of Brother Roger is a shock. Like today's parable, it is an invitation to look at our lives and to draw strength from his example.
Perhaps many of you have not heard of Brother Roger or of Taizé. You may be familiar with the Taizé songs which we sing as meditation chants after communion. Brother Roger and three friends bought a house in the tiny village of Taizé in northeastern France in 1940. France had been conquered by the Nazis and the future did not look bright. Brother Roger knew that he couldn't change the entire world, but he could do something. He and his friends gave shelter to Jews and other refugees who were fleeing from the Nazis. Even to save one life is to give glory to God.
Roger's father was Protestant Reformed pastor in Switzerland. He and his friends were Protestants active in a Young Christian group. Exiled for a while to escape arrest by the Nazis, they returned after the war to continue the work of prayer and caring for the poor. They formed what would become one of the first ecumenical monasteries, open to all. They welcomed Lutherans, Presbyterians, Anglicans, and Orthodox. In 1969, they welcomed the first Roman Catholic. Each of the brothers retained his religious identity as they lived together in community. Their community became a model of Christians overcoming the hatreds, hostilities, and suspicions of the past. From the beginning the brothers have gone to work among the poorest of the poor in the barrios of Brazil, the slums of India, and Hells Kitchen in Manhattan. Brother Roger said he would have been happy if there were 10 monks; today there are 100 -- from every continent on the globe. The brothers come from various religious backgrounds from 20 different countries
Over time, young people were attracted to Taizé and began flocking there in numbers. Thousands of young people come to Taizé every week in the summer. They bring their own tents and backpacks and sleep outside. They do the cooking and maintenance work and practice a wonderful hospitality welcoming visitors from around the world.
During the week I was there Brother Pedro from Spain gave an instruction on the Acts of Apostles to those of us known as the "adults over 30"; after his talk we met in small discussion groups. In my small "English-speaking" group there were people from Slovenia, Holland, Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Uganda, and Kenya. We met once or twice a day together to share how the good news of the Gospel was a gift in our lives and how we would share this gift with others. I may never see these good people again, but they touched my life in profound ways and we continue to hold each other in prayer.
Brother Roger founded one of the great revitalizing movements in the world today. It has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people -- and also of "adults over 30" like myself. It began because Brother Roger and his friends decided to accept God's call, to "cross the line" over to God's side, to become partners and stewards in the vineyard.
III
In a minute so, Tom Nutt-Powell will show us a media presentation about that portion of God's vineyard in Brookline known as All Saints Parish. We will see pictures of how our parish shares the good news of God's love in Spirit, Community, and Service in the World.
Like Brother Roger we are invited to become co-workers in God's vineyard. May we respond with generous hearts.
Amen.