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St Francis, Citizens of Heaven

The Rev. Thomas W. Simmons IV

Today is a special day.  We celebrate the feast of St Francis.  He's one of the most famous saints of the Church – most often seen as a statue in people’s gardens.  We know of his love for animals, which we commemorate today with this outdoor liturgy and blessing of the animals.  In his own day in 13^th century Italy he was famous for his humility and service to others.

Francis was a man of extraordinary zeal and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.  He wanted more than anything to be like Jesus.  He was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant and he lived the fashionable life of privileged youth of his city, partying it up and fighting in wars.

But in his early twenties he began to change.  He experienced a gradual conversion to Christ.  When he was 25 he heard his call from God.  He was praying in a run-down chapel in Assisi when he heard Jesus tell him to build up the church. 

He took this calling literally and set to work repairing the chapel.  To raise money he sold a load of his father's cloth, for which he was disowned.  This propelled him even further into his vocation.  He became a beggar and used the proceeds to rebuild four churches in the next two years.  He sold all his possessions and lived as a beggar, preaching poverty, repentance, brotherly love and peace.   

It didn't take long before he attracted a band of followers who later became a monastic order.  They followed his example and wandered all over Italy preaching to Christianized people who had, in many ways, forgotten the gospel and the uniqueness of Christian commitment and identity. 

To get their attention Francis and his followers lived the Gospel and their commitment to Christ with radical intensity.  Both their words and their examples were compelling. 

That’s how Paul wanted the Christians in Philippi to live.  He urges them in our Epistle lesson to embrace their identity in Christ and to live differently from the non-Christians around them. 

He does this in our passage this morning by talking about citizenship.  He says “your citizenship is in heaven”.   He contrasts this “Christian citizenship” with Roman citizenship, which was very familiar to the people of Philippi, which was a Roman colony.  

To be a Roman citizen meant to give allegiance to the faraway city of Rome, to support and spread it’s ideals and to love and serve the Emperor. The Emperor was, by this time in history, viewed as a living god on earth, as Lord and Savior through the might of his armies and the Pax Romana.  He was literally worshipped by Roman citizens around the empire as Lord and Savior. 

Well, Paul’s preaching contradicted this ideology.  Paul proclaims Jesus of Nazareth as the true Lord and Savior.  This was a profoundly political statement – which is why he’s in a Roman prison now, awaiting execution.  Paul contrasts the pagan lifestyle of the Roman citizens with Christians, who have are citizens of Jesus’ heavenly Kingdom. 

The Caesar worshippers have their minds are “set on earthly things. Their god is their belly."  They worship and serve the things that satisfy their appetites for pleasure, power, pomp and prestige.  "They glory in their shame" celebrating things that are gross, violent, perverted and demeaning to human beings.  his is the lifestyle of citizens of Rome and their pagan Imperial cult. They are just imitating Caesar , their imperial lord and savior. 

Paul says that Christians should, too.  Their citizenship is in Rome and they live like it.  Our citizenship is in heaven and we should live like it.  We should imitate Jesus by loving God with all our heart and loving their neighbors as ourselves.  That’s the lifestyle Francis and his friends were trying so hard to embrace and demonstrate to others.  

Just as those Roman citizens lived in Philippi as colonists, exporting Roman values, culture and power to the far corners of the empire, so we Christians bring the values, culture and power of heaven to the far corners of the earth.  That’s what Francis was doing in Italy in the 13^th century and that’s what we are doing at the beginning of the 21^st in Loudoun County. 

And as we do we are motivated by a glorious vision of the future.  Paul assures us that Jesus will transform our bodies and the whole world with his glory.  Just as Roman citizens in Philippi hoped that Caesar would conquer the barbarians that invaded northern Greece, we anticipate the time when Jesus will conquer death, sin, evil and chaos and raise our bodies and the whole world to new life.  As we say in the Creed, “We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” 

As Christians we live and work and pray today in light of that future. That tends to focus the mind. What we do with our bodies in this world counts.  Our bodies – as frail, embarrassing and deteriorating and as they may be – matter to God.  

When Francis realized that he went to extreme lengths to make the most of what God had given him.  He invested his body, his time, talent and treasure as radically as he could in things that eternal impact.  It inspired Francis to good stewardship. 

This vision also helped Francis see the world in a new way. If God will transform the whole world, then the little things, the physical things, the creatures of this world count.  Therefore we must take care of and conserve God's creation, as our liturgy says, we must "rule and serve God's creatures."

That's why we’re worshipping outdoors and invite all God's creatures to join us.  We’re taking all creatures great AND small seriously, like St Francis did. 

It’s like a story about St Francis and the birds.  One day Francis and his friends were traveling through Italy and spotted a large flock of birds on the side of a hill.  Francis left his friends on the road and ran toward the birds. Instead of taking flight as birds usually do, these birds awaited Francis’ approach. 

Filled with awe, he asked them to stay awhile and listen to the word of God.  He said to them, “My brother and sister birds, you should praise your Creator and always love him.  He gave you feathers for clothes, wings to fly and all other things that you need…Without sowing or reaping, you receive God’s guidance and protection.” 

At this the birds began to spread their wings, stretch their necks and gaze at Francis, chirping, cawing and tweeting their praise of God.  From that day, Francis always invoked all birds, mammals and reptiles to praise and love their creator. 

Legend has it that in his travels Francis came to a cathedral that was inhabited by many noisy birds who often disrupted the liturgy.  When he came, however, much to the wonder of all present, the birds remained quiet until Francis finished preaching.  I’m glad that I’ve had the same affect on the animals gathered here today! AMEN