It is finished"...meditation on the Seven Last Words of Christ

“It is finished…”

Sometimes it is hard to finally admit something is over, done, finished.  It is often hard to turn the final page of that compelling novel, or feel a pang of personal pain when one realizes that the final paper of the final class before graduation means one part of your life is finished and another will be beginning. In the most simplistic interpretation of these words of Christ at the time of his crucifixion one can say that Jesus is expressing the obvious: His life is ended, his suffering finished.  But others, perhaps the deeper thinkers among us, could also say that what is finished was his mission on earth; the work he was called to do caring for God’s people.

St Mary's Castleton: Today's venue

Jesus’ earthly work included feeding the hungry as he did providing food for many from just a few loaves of bread and several fish, he healed the sick, including lepers, cripples, the blind and a woman suffering from internal bleeding.  He comforted mourners as when he comforted Mary and Martha on the death of their brother, and at least twice commanded those who were physically dead to arise.  These were, of course, miraculous works and perhaps we feel that what we attempt to do in his name would be of lesser quality and value. We would be wrong to think this.



Congregants at St Mary's Castleton

As Christians we are charged to “Love one another as Christ has loved us.”…unconditionally and openly caring about the welfare of all. But what is an acceptable way to do this?  Who is to be included in our caring circle: congregants? Episcopalians? Christians? Neighbors?  Strangers? Others? The answer is all of them and any one else we meet along the way.  What kinds of things are other church communities doing to answer this call? Let me see:

A Presbyterian church in Dallas, TX has over ten congregational care groups that offer a whole menu of ways congregants take care of each other. They have specially trained members who can provide support to individuals who have had a recent diagnosis, recurrence, or are undergoing long-term treatment for an illness. Others have organized themselves to provide a helping hand for minor in-home repair services to members in need.  A transportation team works together to supply transportation for parishioners in need.

Interior St Mary's Castleton

Several mainline churches are offering therapeutic foot washing to the homeless and struggling communities in places like Richmond, Va., Atlanta, GA, Ashland, NC and Portland Oregon.  Yesterday morning, St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Gresham, Oregon offered a "foot spa" at Snow Cap Community Services, a local social services agency.  Members of the congregation, led by their deacon, Maureen, washed the feet of clients and after drying them, offered new clean socks to each guest.

Perhaps, you are thinking, we don’t have the means to do this kind of caring work, but, for a mainline church that represents a small percentage of the total population on this, our island home, there is much that we collectively do to care for each other and those in need in our neighborhoods.

And we have examples close to home.  Members of several Episcopal congregations have been preparing and serving meals at a local soup kitchen for many years.  Another one has begun to follow suit with their monthly Saturday evening community meals.  Folks at a north shore church have been quietly ministering to residents of a local adult home for many years.   Knitters and crocheters across our ten parishes have crafted bonnets for preemies at local hospitals and cold weather hats and scarfs for mariners across the globe. And with the help of Episcopal Charities our Episcopal island wide community provides over 700 holiday meals for food insecure families across the island. Our churches open their doors for scout groups, support groups, hurricane relief workers and after school arts programs.

And there are countless other small ways this care is manifested: silent prayer for those in need; a reassuring phone call for someone in personal turmoil; a warm embrace for a companion in need; a crafted palm cross for a sick church member…all of these seemingly small gestures speak so much about “getting it done.”

All of these things, large and small…communal and individual, are important pieces of Jesus’ reminder to us to “love one another”.

Perhaps the penultimate experience will be when our time on this planet is over; our personal mission done, saying firmly with our final breath, the words Jesus uttered from the cross:  “It is finished.”