SERMON ON PROVERBS 4:23 - FR. LANCE SCHMITZ, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
AMEN 
“We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.” Paul is sitting in his jail cell penning a letter to this community of Christians in Ephesus reminding/warning/imploring them to not lose focus, to not forget who they are, to hold the line and not fall back.  Paul is trying to keep this new peculiar community intact. 
The Church in Ephesus was this community of Jew and Gentiles who had found a new identity/understanding in Jesus and Paul was working to keep them united.  This community was a sign to the world that something wonderful had happened that two people, formerly in opposition were united in Jesus.  The way of Jesus Christ had united these people who had been at odds with one another.  Paul  knows just how special/unique it is and how powerful the sign of these two groups coming together is as a testament to the power of Christ. 

Paul, it sure seems, knows how very easy it is to drift away from the important things and lose sight of the greater goal. This letter is about teaching/reminding these Christians to not give in to their old ways/behaviors/practices that do not further but only do damage to the mission of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to a world that deeply needs it. The things we do matter profoundly, the lives we live determine who we are. 
The way we live gives shape who/what we become and reveal what we value as the good. If I confess one thing with my lips but live in a way contrary to that utterance what does that show to those around me? Those things we give our attention to, guide us.  The deeds we do, give shape to our passions.  The practices we participate in, reveal our loves.  

What we do with our lives shows what we value. We are human beings, but we are just as much human doers.  The things we choose to do draw us towards God or repel us away, and do the same thing for others. Thinking all the “right” thoughts, having all the “correct” facts, worshipping in the “proper” way;  doesn’t much matter for anything if it doesn’t change the way we interact with others.  I can say I love Jesus and others all day long, but if my actions don’t match up what does it matter at all? If we gossip, slander, or talk bad about others, but still say we are Christian what message of hope are we projecting to the world?  If we are mean spirited, judgmental, or engage others with a smug sense of superiority, what does that do to us as individuals? 

How we act in any given circumstance ought be consistent regardless of the company we find ourselves in. Paul says “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.”  He’s no dummy, he knows that our predilection/pattern/proclivity is to get distracted. He knows that unless we remain focused as people of purpose we will lose sight of the mission. We know how easily we can get caught up in patterns, behaviors, beliefs that pull us away from our mission to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.  Wittingly and unwittingly we are tempted, tested, and tried everyday to lose sight of the calling that has been placed upon us as disciples of Jesus Christ.  


We have been called to be a certain type of people for the sake of the world around us. Whenever we drift away, we become people who think in their minds they are Christian but act in ways utterly contrary to the way of Christ. We are defined to ourselves and others not by what we think, but by how we act.  One of the most destructive things we can do is pay attention to the wrong things, when we do that our behaviors and deeds are shaped and we end up looking nothing like the person of Jesus Christ. Instead we disciples need to take account and  focus on our deeds and our habits because those are the things that .  We oft pick up behaviors/notions/disposition without even recognizing it and we need help to correct/remediate those things.


So then fellow Christians how do we battle back against a world/culture that is trying to shape us into a people, who live contrary to Christ?  How do we prevent ourselves from being tossed to and fro and blown about and tempted by trickery, craftiness, and scheming? It requires deliberate attention and a concerted focus that we use to examine our lives and our practices to ascertain/to see/to determine if we are looking at the wrong thing.  
So from time to time in our efforts to be faithful witnesses to the world for Jesus Christ for us to engage in an audit of practices.  As Christian disciples we need to be aware of what we are doing and what kind of people we are becoming.  Take some time to reflect upon your life and see where you spend your time, energy, resources, and commitment. 
What do you do everyday, every week, every month? What do you do that pulls you away from or draws you towards people? Are you attending to the ordinances of God? This is a very fancy way of saying Prayer, Eucharist, worship, confession, service to others. What behaviors do you need to, after reflection, cut out because they are shaping you to be a person contrary to Christ?……Perhaps you need to take account of the types of ways you talk about others and yourself.….
After you reflect upon your life, determine what behaviors/practices/commitments you need to cut back or cut out in order to remain steadfastly focused on your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. What things might you need to take up? Maybe a renewed commitment to gathering with the faithful, service to the poor, prayer, worship, time with your loved ones.  One of the practices that I have kept with greater degrees of faithfulness is keeping the hours of prayer.  A practice of the church historic and contemporary. What does this mean? I make it a point to pause in my day every three hours to follow the offices of prayers of the church. Sometimes I just take a few minutes to pray during these times. If that seems daunting, try keeping some of the shorter offices of prayer in your BCP.  Page 137. Something I’ve learned is that as I’ve done and kept these practices I have noticed a marked change in how I interact with the world  around me and think of others and myself. My sense of God and God’s presence has grown stronger.
We are formed whether we want to be or not, our hearts and lives will be shaped by the things we do.  If we aren’t careful it will be craftiness, trickery, and deceit which are fancy ways of saying, a life that is assuredly nothing like the way of Jesus Christ and only does damage to Christ’s Good name. Everyday our choices will either do good or harm to the way of Jesus.  We have a choice, everyday.  I hope you make the good one.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

AMEN

​~ Fr. Lance Schmitz, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma