Click here to listen to the homily.

Jim Tracy is often approached on Sunday morning to address any number of complaints. Most often they have to do with the temperature in the Sanctuary.

It is not unusual for Jim to hear, “It is too cold in here. Can you please turn down the air conditioner?” This is followed by someone else who comes alongside Jim to say, “It is too warm in here, can you please turn up the air conditioner?”

We have parishioners who complain about talking in the Narthex before the 10:45 am services begin. “The church is a holy place where people must learn to be reverent and respect people’s need to pray.” We have parishioners who complain about being asked to leave the sanctuary after the 9:00 am service is over. ‘The church is a holy place where people must learn to support one another in Christ Jesus and respect people’s need for fellowship.”

We have parishioners who complain about the hymns selected by our choir leadership. “How come we sing unfamiliar hymns? Why can’t we sing hymns we all know?” This complaint comes from half the congregation. The other half say, “How come we always sing the same old hymns?”

We have youth who complain about how traditional worship is boring. We have older parishioners who complain about how worship is not about entertainment. We have parishioners who complain about how the church is always “asking for money.” We have other parishioners who complain about the parish office not having enough staff to support more ministries.

Everyone complains about the Rector.

The first chapter of the book of Genesis describes God’s creation of the world. After each successive day of creation, the Scripture says, “And the Lord saw. . . and it was Good.” On the sixth day of creation, after the Lord created you and me, the scripture says, “And the Lord saw. . . and it was Very Good.”

What the scripture does not say, is that it was on the sixth day, after the Lord created humanity that all the complaining started.

On the first day the Lord created Light. And we said, “The Light is too bright!”

On the second day the Lord separated the Land and Water. And we said, “The sand on the beach is too hot!”

On the third day the Lord created vegetation, and plants and fruit trees bearing fruit. And we said, “This orange is sour!”

On the fourth day the Lord created the stars in the heaven and the moon. And we said, “I can’t find the big dipper!”

On the fifth day the Lord created swarms of living creatures after their kind. And we said, “What’s with the cat hair all over the sofa!”

On the sixth day, of course, the Lord created us. No wonder on the seventh day he rested.

Complaint lives inside people. It has nothing at all to do with the world the Lord created. Moses dealt with it. So did Jesus. Complaining people nailed Jesus to the cross. For complaining people Jesus died. But before he died, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them. For they know not what they do.”