Introduction to the Sermon, by the Rev. Astrid Storm
Good morning. This is a slightly different day at St. James the Less because, both in this service and afterward at our 175th Anniversary lecture, we’ll explore an event in our history of local, even national significance.
On January 8, 1961 my predecessor, the Rev. George Kempsell, preached from this pulpit a sermon in which he excommunicated members of our congregation for excluding a young man of Jewish parentage from a debutante ball at the Scarsdale Golf Club. This boy was a baptized Christian by his own choosing, and member of St. James the Less. Even so, his family background (in the eyes of these members, both of the Golf Club and this church) made him an unsuitable escort.
Excommunication in the Episcopal Church is rare. It’s nothing more than the act of withholding Communion from someone at the altar rail. If one doesn’t receive Communion, one isn’t a member of the Episcopal Church. So by definition, Father Kempsell was suspending their membership.
Whatever you think of his actions, and we’ll debate that I’m sure at the lecture after this, it helps to remember that what he did that day was not just about an odd, isolated incident that happened here at St. James the Less in Scarsdale New York. Behind it was the force of 2000 years of history in which Christians mistreated Jews, excluding them from our neighborhoods, our places of work, our clubs, even our countries.
The White Anglo Saxon Protestant culture that in 1961 still made up many of our Episcopal congregations was very much at the heart of this culture of discrimination. Father Kempsell of course knew this larger picture well, and knew how seemingly small acts of exclusion are never isolated. They often lead to greater harm, and normalize the larger atrocities.
His call to stop that in its tracks was genuine and (I believe), in hindsight, it probably helped save our church from the slide into irrelevance and institutional demise that happens when the people of God don’t grow, and change, and confront, and challenge our histories. But again, we can debate that more after this service.
This sermon was preached in January, in the season of Epiphany, as you’ll hear in a moment. But it comes to us now right before Holy Week, a time of year when we can’t help but hear in our Christian Scripture the words and stories that were misinterpreted and used against our Jewish friends and neighbors for almost two thousand years. So, although this sermon you’re about to hear was originally preached at a different time in the church year, it’s poignant hearing it now.
I wish you all a blessed Fifth Sunday in Lent. I hope to see you back here after this service and again next week for Palm Sunday. I’m happy to give the honor of reading this sermon to parishioner John McNally, who’ll present our lecture later and is a professional historian and educator.
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Part of the sermon preached on the First Sunday after Epiphany at the Church of St. James the Less, Scarsdale, N. Y., by the rector, Father Kempsell.
Let us learn the virtue of fortitude as exemplified by the Magi. They set out to find Jesus and they did not give up their search until their tedious efforts were rewarded. May we be as faithful and as persevering as they. Having professed Christ as our Lord and Saviour let us not betray him, let him down, grow luke-warm and even indifferent.
I am calling upon this congregation to exemplify the same kind of fortitude as the Magi. This morning I stand before you with a heart overflowing with sorrow and heartache. Something has happened in this community which I feel must be brought to your attention and I spent all day yesterday getting at the facts of this situation.
My assistants and I and many in this congregation here present, have the privilege and pleasure of being members of the Scarsdale Golf Club. As I believe you all know on the Tuesday after Christmas the annual Holly Ball was held at the Scarsdale Golf Club. What has made me sad is that one young man of this parish, of Jewish parentage, whom I baptized at this font, who I presented to the Bishop of this Diocese for confirmation, who has received the sacrament of our Lord's Body and Blood regularly and faithfully at this altar rail, was not considered acceptable to be an escort of a young lady of this parish at the ball. Now this young lady showed fortitude because when her friend was not acceptable she withdrew from the ball. She was not a debutante of this season, she did not come out at the Scarsdale Golf Club..
Now I realize that I am dealing with a very complex religious and social issue. I personally feel that a member of the Club should be able to take there as his guests anyone who acts with decency, dignity and decorum. Well, this is not the Kingdom of God, and we are a long way from that position now, but I do insist that I must, as a priest of this congregation, and the pastor of this young man, speak out when a member of my parish, now a Christian, is excluded from the Club. I know that the Scarsdale Golf Club is free to work out its own rules and regulations, but I also know that as a priest of this parish, I must insist that the members of my congregation take a firm stand against a policy which is morally reprehensible.
I am not attacking the club; this is an internal problem of the club; I am attacking members of my parish, who claim to be a Christian, who are not acting as Christians should act in their club. In Christ there can be neither Jew nor Greek; there can be neither bond nor free; there can be neither male or female; for ye are of one in Christ Jesus.
This young man is hurt and we Christians have hurt him. He would not come to this Church to receive Holy Communion on Christmas. Christmas has now no meaning for him whatsoever. He is deeply hurt, and we must be responsible for his healing. Now, when the chips are down and we face the facts baldly, what we are saying is that if our Lord Jesus Christ had come back to earth in Scarsdale in time for the Holly Ball, He would not have been allowed to escort a young lady of this parish to that dance. Now this is it, isn't it?
Therefore, I feel it is my responsibility as your pastor to see that anyone who has in any way, by word or in thought or deed, acquiesced with this position of the Scarsdale Golf Club is no longer welcome to receive Holy Communion at this altar--God's altar--in this parish until such time as he has worked out his own peace with God in his own way, whether by using the General Confession in Morning or Evening Prayer, or by making his confession to me or any other priest of the Episcopal Church. I say this to those members of this congregation who may have shared directly in this decision, and I say it to anyone here who in his heart and mind agrees with that decision.
This is a sin against God and against the members of this congregation, and no one dares to come to the altar to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ unless he repents him of this sin, and is in love and charity with his neighbor and intends to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways.
Therefore I charge you the members of my congregation to work and pray with me in this matter and to see that it shall never happen again in our community.
The collect for today is most appropriate and may we say it now: "O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.