St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church - Elizabeth, NJ
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  • Welcome
    • History >
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    • I'm New
    • Let's Get Acquainted
    • Rev. Canon Andy J. Moore
    • Leadership
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    • Habits of Grace: Prayer into Action
    • Bishop Curry Who is my Neighbor
    • Bishop Curry
    • Make a Gift
    • Services
    • Sunday Service Aug 30th 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 23rd, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 16th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 9th, 2020
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    • Gallery >
      • Harvest Sunday
      • Sunday School Father's Day 19
      • Men's Club Community Flea Mkt
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Thankgiving Baskets
      • Celebration for High School Gradates
      • Homecoming 2018 >
        • Homecoming
      • Music in the Garden
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Sunday School Youth Sunday
      • Maundy Thursday
      • Christmas Mass St. Elizabeth's
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Frist Presbyterian
      • Feast of All Saints
      • Sanctuary Sunday 2017
      • International Food Festival
  • Get Involved
    • Sunday School
    • Sunday School Lift Ev'ry Voice
    • Moments in Black History 2019
    • Black History - MLK
    • Sunday School Black History
    • Sunday School Black History ii
    • Youth Ministry
    • ESL Fall 19 Classes
    • ESL Cerificate of Achievement
    • Computer Literacy
    • Episcopal Church Women
    • Mens Club
    • Outreach
  • Hall Rental
  • Calendar
    • News & Events >
      • Free Testing for COVID-19
      • Robin Pierre DCN
      • Pastoral Letter April 24th
      • Holy Week Schedule
      • Church Services Suspended
      • Reading Lent4 - Mar 22nd
      • Lift Ev'ry Voice & Sing Challenge
      • Absalom Jones Service Sunday 2/16
      • Brad Kleiman in Concert
      • Annual General Meeing
      • Christmas Service
      • Cathedral Day 2019
      • Bern Nix Jazz Festival
      • All Saints Sunday, 3rd, November
      • Sight & Sound 2019
      • Int'l Food Festival July 13th
      • UMHA - Workshop Canceled 6/15
      • Prayer Breakfast Mar 16th
      • MLK Day of Service
      • UMHA - Sunday Dec 16th
      • New Year Eve Service
      • Christmas Celebration Fun Night
      • ECW Trip to Lancaster PA
      • Homecoming 2018
      • Music In the Garden
      • Saxophone Recital
      • Elizabeth Homeless Coalition
      • From Your Door to Heaven's Door
      • Urban Garden
      • Black History Events
  • Contact
  • Realm E-Giving Launch
  • Harvest Baskets Giveaways
  • Rector's Harvest Message
  • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala
    • 25th Years of Priesthood Gala
  • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala
  • Sunday May 5th
  • Lent 2019
  • Living Like Job
  • Operation Warm Heart
  • 9th Annual Food Festival
  • it's Friday....but Sunday Comin!!
  • Bishop Curry
  • Poor People's Campaign
  • Zoom Sunday Service Oct 4th
  • Stewardship Sunday 10/18/2020

Jesus #METOO

10/7/2018

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Mark 10:2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?

I am not sure how many of us heard about this news. “(Bloomberg) — Americans under the age of 45 have found a novel way to rebel against their elders: They’re staying married. New data show younger couples are approaching relationships very differently from baby boomers, who married young, divorced, remarried and so on. Generation X and especially millennials are being pickier about who they marry, tying the knot at older ages when education, careers and finances are on track. The result is a U.S. divorce rate that dropped 18 percent from 2008 to 2016, according to an analysis by University of Maryland sociology professor Philip Cohen.”

Now this has little to do with the scenario in which Jesus was forced to respond.  Yet, at the heart of this story, there is much to glean. When the Pharisees approached Jesus, it was again an attempt to delegitimize his ministry and teachings. They were firmly convinced Jesus was a religious fraud whose teachings were not of the Mosaic tradition. The Pharisees believed if they could publicly ‘catch him’ then they had a strong case to destroy his authenticity and his ministry.

Thus, the matters of divorce and welcoming are used here to illustrate not only the authenticity of Jesus’ message, but also the tearing down of the barriers imposed by those for whom religion was about restrictions.  For Jesus’ heart and His mind responding to the power of God is to be willing to live out the fullness of God.  Jesus knew having faith in the greatness of God must live at the very core of all of our actions.

Women and children should no longer to be treated as the playthings of men. Divorce was an easy process if initiated by men. However, women could not initiate divorce under any circumstances. Children were viewed as chattel to be owned and not valued for their self-worth. It was a man’s world! It was a world for the privileged and wealthy who used religion to reinforce their position.

Thus, the dialogue we share today must be seen within the perspective of Jesus challenging a society so far bent out of the shape God created, Jesus was willing to die to reshape it. Thus, to be a Christian is not to live in the conformity of an out-of-shape world, but to be one willing to step out in faith to repair this broken world.  “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

When we review the story of Job it is about a man who lived within the sphere of God’s world in spite of all the challenges and losses he endured. It is about faithful living and faithful thinking which leads to faithful loving. Many of the teachings of Job’s story came alive on the lips of Jesus. Job was one of the first to declare his preference to lose an eye than lose his heavenly reward. (Job chapter 31)

We are called to be making disciples for Jesus through faithful living and faithful thinking. By this I mean how we live out our daily lives should draw others to Christ. This is not just about divorce or attending Sunday school or voting Republican or Democrat or following the dogma of any religion. It is also how we care for those who struggle with divorce and the loneliness of dissolving relationships. It is also how we care for the children in the community; not just those children in our Sunday school. When Jesus responded to his detractors, it was through teachings and sermons forged on the streets, amidst the people, with hopes and sighs and tears too deep for words. 

What do we do to share with others the love of God in Christ Jesus? My friends, let us, a faith community, remember to keep central to our life the call of Jesus is to make disciples. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) The role of the Christian is to participate by calling all who are being trampled upon to find healing and by leading those who trample upon the weak to the justice and the love of God. We are called to hold on to the bold claim of having faith in Jesus allows those of us who hunger for justice and truth will sustain hope in the living God even when the world may proclaim otherwise. Kingdom living drives us forward even when the way looks cloudy. Do not wait until Good Friday to remember at the hour of the death of Jesus, the Temple cloth torn asunder.

The news media reminds us there is much to be done to protect the rights of the powerless.  And, as easy as it may seem to limit our faith to the “spiritual realm”, we are here to do more for God. Here, we follow Jesus as he strides into the arena of the world and declares all things and all people matter to God; men, women, children and nature are all part of the economy of God’s love.  Let us as Christians set out boldly to go where the young people are calling us. “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” The children are here teaching us to love deeper, stronger and more faithful.  Now, if we can only get them to pray harder.
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    Rev. Canon, Andy Moore 

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St Elizabeth’s
305 N. Broad Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207

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