" Grant O God that we may show forth in our lives what we profess by our faith ……;"

What on earth are we here for? Or stated in a slightly different way, what is the purpose of our lives here on earth? I have thought about this question many times. Perhaps it is the same with you? Obviously there have been thousands of others that have been interested in finding these answers. This interest is reflected by the popularity of the recent New York Times best selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life, What on Earth Am I Here For?" This book was written by a Baptist clergyman named Rick Warren and has experienced an amazingly long run on the bestseller list. In this book Mr. Warren outlines a 40-day course to help a person find or clarify the true purposes God intends for their lives based on more than 1200 passages in the Bible. After a preliminary perusal of the book it sounded so intriguing that my wife Pat and I have decided to begin this 40-day exercise in the next few days to do just that. And that is to improve and clarify our understanding of God's purposes for our lives. I understand that this book was instrumental in bringing about the recent surrender of the murderer of 3 people in Atlanta when the hostage being held by him read passages from the book to the killer. Apparently he got answers here that changed his understanding of God's purposes for his life.

My interest in this book was aroused last week when I began to work on this sermon and as I read our Collect for today. In our Collect we heard these words: "O God grant that we may show forth in our lives what we profess by our faith …". It seems to me that what we show forth in our lives is influenced primarily by the purposes that we perceive for our lives here. And it also seems to me that our faith is the primary basis for Christians in determining our purposes here. Perhaps some of you have reached these same conclusions.

In reflecting on this Collect, then, several questions came to mind for me. The first question was, what is the faith that we profess? What faith do we profess as Episcopalians as well as what faith do we profess as individuals? A follow-on question is: How are we called to show forth in our lives what we profess in our faiths?

The faith that we profess regularly in our worship services as Episcopalians is summarized in our Creeds, the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed.

I must confess up front that I have problems with professing some elements of these creeds, as may some of you. Related to this, I heartily confess that I really welcome the new Affirmations of Faith that we have been using recently in our liturgy here at St. Thomas. For me these Affirmations are closer to my individual beliefs than the creeds we have used for centuries in the Episcopal and Anglican Churches. I commend Wendy for bringing these new thoughts and language into our liturgy here.

Also I have found that it has been helpful to me to develop a more personal profession of my own faith containing the key elements of my beliefs. For me this begins to answer the key questions raised earlier, "What on earth am I here for?", and "What are God's purposes for my life here on earth?" and, "What am I called forth to do here based on my faith in God?"

So how do I express the key elements of my personal faith? I have heard some say that this is one of the most difficult questions to answer for a Christian if asked by a non-Christian, by a Christian of a different denomination or by an atheist. This question is often followed by a second question. And that question is this: How do your beliefs affect the way that you live your life?

But let me take a crack now at expressing briefly the key elements of my personal faith that influence strongly how I live my life? If you have not done this for yourself in the past, perhaps this may be something you may wish to do in the future for your soul's health.

First of all I believe in a God that is the source of all being. That is, I believe that God created the earth and all that is in it. I further believe that God created the entire universe and all that is in it. But most importantly I believe that God is present in all creatures and in all of creation. And especially I believe that the Spirit of God is present in all human beings and in all of the elements of nature around us.

I also believe that God revealed himself to us in a special way in the person of Jesus. For me, Jesus reflects the true nature of God in a way that has been done through no other person. I believe that the Spirit of God was especially present in Jesus. I believe that the Spirit of God that was in Jesus is still with us today and will be forever to aid us in the same way that it did with Jesus. And I believe that each of us is called to grow as best we can into the likeness of Jesus.

I also believe that the Holy Spirit of God is available to each of us to guide us and empower us to do those things that we have been put here to do. I believe that this Spirit is wise, powerful and loving. I believe that this is the same Spirit that was available to Christ and the same Spirit that enabled Christ to do the amazing and wonderful things that he did in his earthly life.

Finally, I believe that God gave each of us a unique set of talents along with a purpose for putting us here on earth. I further believe that it is important for each of us to enlist the Holy Spirit within us and around us to help us identify, develop, and then use our unique talents so that we are best able to fulfill God's purpose for our lives here and also in the afterlife.

So based on these elements of my personal faith, how do I believe this faith has influenced the way that I live and act in my life?

First of all, I believe that it has given me a different outlook on the way that I feel and act towards all other human beings. I also believe that it has given me a different outlook on the way that I feel and act towards the environment and all of the other creatures of the earth. By believing that the Spirit of God is present in all of creation, I am more at peace and in harmony with all others and all of creation. I believe that it has given me a more tolerant and understanding attitude towards others and to act accordingly, especially towards those who are different from me. I believe that I am more able to forgive those who have injured or hurt me or hurt those close to me. And finally I believe that I am more aware of and more able to utilize my unique talents in the ways that God is calling me to use those talents for my own benefit and for the benefit of others.

As a wonderful example of one who understands all of this so well, I would like to cite for you the example of Dudley Williams. Dudley who recently had an article published about him in one of my favorite reading pieces these days, The AARP Bulletin. Dudley, an amazing black man, is 66 and the longest-active member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York. About his work, Dudley said, "God gave me a talent, and if I don't use it, shame on me. I love dancing, I love performing. And I can still do it. Why not?"

Now that we are fully into the Easter Season, we are celebrating some of the first resurrection appearances of Jesus. It might be good then to look closely now at one of the first resurrection appearances of Jesus to His disciples in the upper room there in Jerusalem, as described in today's Gospel. There we heard Jesus speak these words to his disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit," and "As the Father has sent me, so I now send you." It seems to me that Jesus is giving his disciples here a strong initial understanding of what God's purposes and directions are for their lives. And not only did he give them directions, he empowered them to carry out those directions. Jesus empowered them to do this work when he breathed on them and endowed them with the wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit. Using these gifts they were able to discern exactly what God was calling them to do. And we all know now how well they accomplished their work. It is because of them that we have today our marvelous understandings about and relationships with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

In reflecting on all of this, then, as those first disciples did so well, where do you perceive that God is sending you forth, and to do what? And with what gifts of the Spirit do you feel blessed and empowered to do these works?

AMEN