Sermon: "Through the Shadows of Death"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

[This sermon by Bishop vonRosenberg was delivered using the following notes.]

This has been quite a summer! It began for me in celebrating with our guest bishop - Creighton Robertson - at the Niobrara Convocation of Native Sioux People, at the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. What a wonderful gathering together of people that was … people who were dispersed into reservations many, many years ago. Then the summer continued with the once-a-decade gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world, at the Lambeth Conference. You may have read or heard a few stories about that conference, and more will come, I assure you. Now, near summer's end, we have come to this mountain top, with the Episcopal Laymen of Tennessee. We have prayed and sung and celebrated - celebrated, that is, in a variety of ways. And, with the help of our speakers, we have considered the reality of challenges that we face in this life … and the awareness of angels of God who somehow help us through those challenges. The conference theme calls to mind the "hells" we encounter in this life, as well as those who help us along the way.

Our First Reading this morning seems especially appropriate in this context - the story of Joseph and his brothers. But, before I mention that, I want to point out that today's Psalm - Psalm 133 - contains the motto of this University, "Ecce, quam bonum!" That is, "Oh, how good and pleasant it is" and continuing, "when brethren live together in unity!" That's a good motto, indeed, not only for the University of the South, but also for the Niobrara Convocation, the Lambeth Conference, and the Laymen's Conference as well. "Oh, how good and pleasant it is when brethren live together in unity!" Some groups are better at practicing that message than others. It certainly is true, ironically, that Joseph's brothers did not live into it well at all … at least, until they had no other option.

You may remember that Joseph's brothers, in jealousy, had kidnapped him, thrown him into a pit, sold him in slavery, and convinced their father Jacob that Joseph was dead. Not very good and pleasant for those brethren, we have to say! However, Joseph made quite a name for himself down in Egypt, rising from the position of slave to that of the pharaoh's right hand man. Some years later, he was in the position of giving aid to his starving family back in Canaan and, then, of participating in the happy reunion described in today's reading. Later in the book of Genesis, we may read this summary of the whole story, from Joseph's perspective as he spoke to his brothers: "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good"(50:20). I suggest to you this morning that the story of Joseph offers us an important and appropriate perspective … a perspective on the hells we go through in this life and the angels who help us along the way.

In my own life and ministry, how many times I have heard that message repeated. "You intended to do harm to me, (but) God intended it for good." I think of a conversation I had with a young man earlier this summer. He spoke of his bad feelings toward his former sister-in-law, who had an affair that led to divorce. This young man had harbored serious anger toward this woman, who had so devastated the life of his brother. However, he told me that just several days prior to our encounter, he had visited his brother, who has now remarried and has a wonderful family. According to him, the joy of new relationships was enabled only by the pain of an earlier, broken relationship. Thus, this young man could affirm the words of Joseph: "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good."

Before moving to Knoxville, my family and I lived in Wilmington, North Carolina. During our several years there, the eyes of three different hurricanes went right over our heads. Some storms were worse than others, and in the very bad ones, life simply stopped for days and, even, for weeks - trees down all over the place, no electricity, no contact with the outside world, damage and destruction that would take years to repair. And yet, a remarkable thing happened, in the midst of those ordeals. People helped each other out. Neighbors who hardly ever spoke to one another expressed care and gave aid to each other. Bonds of community were formed, in response to need. And what seemed to be a terrible experience - and what was a terrible experience in many ways - actually became something very positive, in other ways.

During this weekend, the laymen have heard powerful and profound witnesses of such endurance - endurance, which as St. Paul writes, "produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts" (Rom 5:4-5). We have heard testimonies of support and encouragement - perhaps angels from God - in the midst of challenging and trying circumstances in life. And, at least one of the messages that has rung loud and clear is the same as the message from Joseph: "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good."

Of course, the greatest example of this reality is the cross of Jesus Christ. On Tuesday of Holy Week we pray, "O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us … to glory in the cross of Christ" (BCP, p220). The instrument of shameful death - the cross - has become for us the symbol of adoration and of ultimate hope … the symbol and means for eternal life. Such is the transforming power of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Indeed, the power of Jesus is such that he transforms the whole world. He it is who makes the amazing claim, "Behold, I make all things new … I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" (Rev 21: 5, 6). The one who makes all things new is the same one who transforms the world. And he will have the last and final word. That word may sound something like this: "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good." Thanks be to God!

Copyright © 2008 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee