Sep 10, 2023 |
Sunday Sermon
| The Rev. Jeanne LeinbachSunday Sermon
The Constitution of the United States is in the news quite a
bit these days – what it says, what it means. Let me offer just a few
highlights from our government’s charter. “We the People of the United States,
in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America. … All legislative
Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States. … The
executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States of
America. … The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one
supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to
time ordain and establish. … This Constitution and the Laws of the United
States shall be the supreme Law of the Land.” We have a binding document in the
pursuit of a perfect Union. Yet, as we know all too well, laws are-violated. In
fact, laws are more-effectively-violated by those who have power, exposing the limits
of laws. Our hope for justice, for freedom, for safety, for prosperity is
carrying out these laws of the land in the context of Christ’s love. As we hear
in Romans this morning, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is
the fulfilling of the law.” In the Gospel passage, Jesus tells us, “…whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will
be loosed in heaven.” Christ’s love inspires right enactment of law. Love is no
small matter. Christ’s love – I’m focusing not on the sentimental love for
those who are dear to us, but the selfless love for those with whom we differ
in any number of ways - Christ’s love is our hope for a perfect Union.
The Church has an important mission: working with God to transform the world in the light of Christ. Jesus tells us that all commandments are-summed up in these words: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Loving our neighbor - friend, colleague, stranger - is vital to a just society, and, yet, loving is not a simple task. You have to watch the news only for a short time to know that we, as a society, have a whole lot of work to do in learning how to love one another. And, we can be real with our selves individually. For our own well being, let’s stop long enough to reflect on our own behaviors and recognize that we come up against disagreement regularly in our everyday lives. Animosity has creeped into our culture. Let’s be aware of our emotions, so that we can be deliberate in listening, and learning and collaborating and caring; so that we are deliberate in loving.
And, so, we come together in this faith community to support one another in deliberate loving, to inspire one another to live the lives we are meant to live, in relationship with one another, in the light of Christ. We are-invited to cast off the yoke of individualism and enter into a profound commitment to others, a discipleship of fellowship. This fellowship will not always be easy. At times, we will disagree. At times, we will be offended. But, our faith does not prioritize right vs. wrong. Our faith prioritizes relationship. So, here, in this faith community, we commit ourselves to forgiveness and reconciliation, so that we keep our hearts open to one another, so we can faithfully collaborate in ministry. Life is challenging for any number of reasons. And, at this point in time, we have an added layer of divisiveness pervading our culture. We are frustrated. We are disappointed. We are tired. The rest you are looking for is in Christ. The hope you are looking for is in Christ. A discipleship of fellowship in the light of Christ is life-giving.
We learn about God’s covenant with God’s people, God’s promise of love, throughout Scripture. We hear in Isaiah (54:10): “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord.” Every Sunday, in Eucharist, we receive the “Blood of the New Covenant.” We enter into Christ’s covenant, who forgives our sins and offers us new life. Covenant is deeply rooted in our faith. As we kick off a new program year, let us enter into covenant with one another to create a discipleship of fellowship.
I offer five elements for our covenantal life together. First, let us worship together, and as much as possible, in person. There is synergy in coming together. Relationships among us deepen as we recognize our common desire to love God, and our dependence on one another. We are supporting and inspiring one another on our faith journeys. Second, let us assume the best in one another and trust that we can be authentically ourselves with each other. Every-one-of-us is-loved by God in our uniqueness. Third, let us forgive one another. We all need forgiveness. God forgives us, and so we forgive. Fourth, let us give ourselves to this community, sharing with each other our talents and resources. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Fifth, in gratitude for being-nurtured in our faith, let us share Christ’s love in the world. Worshipping, trusting, forgiving, sharing, loving.
Loving is no small matter and not a simple task. Let us remember these words from John’s Gospel (15:11), when Jesus is urging us to abide in his love. Jesus says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Discipleship does ask something of us, being deliberate in loving. Within a discipleship of fellowship, we share the journey, we lighten the load for another, we inspire one another, and come to the joy that is God’s peace. Through a discipleship of fellowship, we bear witness to the world of Christ’s love. What a respite from the divisiveness. What a gift to the world. Amen.
The Church has an important mission: working with God to transform the world in the light of Christ. Jesus tells us that all commandments are-summed up in these words: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Loving our neighbor - friend, colleague, stranger - is vital to a just society, and, yet, loving is not a simple task. You have to watch the news only for a short time to know that we, as a society, have a whole lot of work to do in learning how to love one another. And, we can be real with our selves individually. For our own well being, let’s stop long enough to reflect on our own behaviors and recognize that we come up against disagreement regularly in our everyday lives. Animosity has creeped into our culture. Let’s be aware of our emotions, so that we can be deliberate in listening, and learning and collaborating and caring; so that we are deliberate in loving.
And, so, we come together in this faith community to support one another in deliberate loving, to inspire one another to live the lives we are meant to live, in relationship with one another, in the light of Christ. We are-invited to cast off the yoke of individualism and enter into a profound commitment to others, a discipleship of fellowship. This fellowship will not always be easy. At times, we will disagree. At times, we will be offended. But, our faith does not prioritize right vs. wrong. Our faith prioritizes relationship. So, here, in this faith community, we commit ourselves to forgiveness and reconciliation, so that we keep our hearts open to one another, so we can faithfully collaborate in ministry. Life is challenging for any number of reasons. And, at this point in time, we have an added layer of divisiveness pervading our culture. We are frustrated. We are disappointed. We are tired. The rest you are looking for is in Christ. The hope you are looking for is in Christ. A discipleship of fellowship in the light of Christ is life-giving.
We learn about God’s covenant with God’s people, God’s promise of love, throughout Scripture. We hear in Isaiah (54:10): “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord.” Every Sunday, in Eucharist, we receive the “Blood of the New Covenant.” We enter into Christ’s covenant, who forgives our sins and offers us new life. Covenant is deeply rooted in our faith. As we kick off a new program year, let us enter into covenant with one another to create a discipleship of fellowship.
I offer five elements for our covenantal life together. First, let us worship together, and as much as possible, in person. There is synergy in coming together. Relationships among us deepen as we recognize our common desire to love God, and our dependence on one another. We are supporting and inspiring one another on our faith journeys. Second, let us assume the best in one another and trust that we can be authentically ourselves with each other. Every-one-of-us is-loved by God in our uniqueness. Third, let us forgive one another. We all need forgiveness. God forgives us, and so we forgive. Fourth, let us give ourselves to this community, sharing with each other our talents and resources. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Fifth, in gratitude for being-nurtured in our faith, let us share Christ’s love in the world. Worshipping, trusting, forgiving, sharing, loving.
Loving is no small matter and not a simple task. Let us remember these words from John’s Gospel (15:11), when Jesus is urging us to abide in his love. Jesus says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Discipleship does ask something of us, being deliberate in loving. Within a discipleship of fellowship, we share the journey, we lighten the load for another, we inspire one another, and come to the joy that is God’s peace. Through a discipleship of fellowship, we bear witness to the world of Christ’s love. What a respite from the divisiveness. What a gift to the world. Amen.