NORTH MAIN SERMON SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER MAY 5, 2024

NORTH MAIN SERMON MAY 5, 2024           (Also April 28, 2024)  

 

Acts 10:44-48

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues^[a] and praising God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

1 John 5:1-5

 

 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ² This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

 

John 15:9-17

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

THE WORD OF GOD….

 

When we read the Scripture for today and we are commanded to love one another, it stops us to think for a minute..No one can tell me what to do. We live in a culture that worships choice, freedom, and rights, and has little time for responsibility, discipline, and obedience.  How can God or anyone else command us to love. The book of Acts describes our Christian Church in its earliest, most unspoiled and probably most idealized form. There were no buildings, there were no rules, there were no doctrines, there were no vestments and there were no rituals. There was only the power of the Holy Spirit transforming death into life.  This passage for today is a continuation of Peter’s vision and obedience to go to the Gentiles. It marks a major shift in Peter’s ministry; it is Peter’s conversion of sorts.¹  Peter has been touring the region of Judea, Galilee and Samaria, witnessing the Spirit’s work among the Gentiles.  At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius.  One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” ⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

At Cornelius’s request, Peter was summoned to Joppa from Lydda to raise Tabitha, a woman of holy works, from the dead. So when he arrives in Caesarea Peter is coming off a big win — a feat unparalleled since the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry! There is little wonder why Peter arrives in Caesarea with a bit of an entourage; if the dead heed the words of this apostle what else might be capable through him? Peter is trying to rid  ethnic prejudices and he  was slowly beginning to shake them. Peter has just begun to tell a room filled with Gentiles about Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and offer of reconciliation with God when the Holy Spirit indwells the listeners. Cornelius and his friends and relatives are silently and respectfully listening to Peter, and yet as soon as he offers the choice of the gospel, that through Jesus’s name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins, Cornelius and the other Romans believe in Jesus’s name. They do not shout it out, they do not declare their faith audibly. It occurs in their hearts The Holy Spirit falls when Peter is still speaking. These Jewish believers in Jesus who came with Peter to Caesarea were amazed to see Romans believe in Jesus. They were amazed because they were witnessing the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles also Peter had received a vision two days before, effectively telling him that Jesus had come for the Gentiles, as well. And Jesus had told him and the other apostles they would be His witnesses to "the end of the earth". But the natural progression, as Peter has seen it, is that he preaches extensively, people affirm their faith, he or another apostle lays hands on them and/or they're baptized, and then the Holy Spirit comes down.  Many Jews in the time of the New Testament simply had nothing to do with persons who were not Jewish. And so here he is witnessing a first: the conversion of a group of Gentiles, in fulfilment of his instructions… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the world. The Holy Spirit, Himself, presents the validation of His work among the Gentiles.   These Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter must have expressed their amazement to him, because he answered them: Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.  Acts 10 may be one of the most astonishing chapters in the New Testament, containing the story of Peter. Today’s reading from Acts makes it abundantly clear that those who have the relationship with Jesus are NOT called to stand idly by and wait for the lost to come to them.

When we come to church we come as visitors. We are not called to welcome; we are called to be welcoming because God welcomes us and because we were accepted into His Grace. We are not called to forgive the sins of others, only God can do that. We are called however to demonstrate forgiving spirit; when we do that we testify to our conviction that our sins have been forgiven. We enter into the Call to worship. And Jesus made it all quite simple: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  There are teachings in the church that we might take as common sense and obvious that are actually far from it. Last week, we focused on the first part of John 15 where Jesus very clearly tells us that we, as branches connected to the Vine, are called to bear fruit. Perhaps you’ve never thought of yourself as bearing fruit. The fruit is the end product of the planting season. First comes the seed, which is placed strategically in the ground. The seeds of our fruit as a Christian are being planted throughout our lives. As the water of love, relationships, and experiences pours into us, the seed becomes active and begins to grow. When we accept Jesus into our lives, the seed sprouts and the Holy Spirit continues to nurture the seed of our fruit. Once we produce fruit, we can see the simple, non-complex way it happens.. First we choose to receive God’s love. Then we receive the joy of knowing and being the child of God. Then we find peace. Jesus tells us “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” In other words, regardless of the state of the world we can feel at peace because the fruit of peace comes from Jesus, not from the world. Inward peace is reflected outwardly and allows us to be ambassadors of Jesus’ peace. True peace comes from knowing God is in control. Knowing that God is in control takes us to the ability to be patient and wait for God’s words to us. Without patience, we may just find ourself intolerant and impatient, anxious to correct the behavior of others. And without patience, there is no peace. From patience we can learn self control, but it is not easy. An unspoken feeling among many hyper-religious people is that somehow they are superior to others by virtue of their religious status. God can do amazing things through ordinary people when He empowers them through His Spirit. We do not have to be superior to gain God’s love. From God’s perspective, there is only one race--the human race. From our Scripture reading from Acts today, we have one final thought..  Peter was sent to go visit Cornelius, not Cornelius sent to visit Peter.  God was giving the early church a simple revelation that we are to take the message to the world, we can’t sit around waiting for the world to come hear the message. The message is clear to love one another. Jesus showed no favoritism .. We are all invited to love one another as Jesus loves us.

TODAY WE CELEBRATE COMMUNION.. HOLY COMMUNION ..  MAY 5, 2024

Loving God, As the crowds followed Jesus, eager to be filled with hope, we come this day to this place, seeking nourishments for our souls as they sought nourishment for their bodies. Jesus died on the cross but you brought him to life, to live with us forever. You send us your Spirit and bring us to this table so that we can share your love. For all your goodness we give you thanks, and together we give you praise.  Through the sharing of the bread and the cup, we have been knit together into one Communion in the mystical body of Jesus Christ our Lord. May God grant us grace to follow in His footsteps in fellowship with others within our Church and our Community and to follow the commandment to love one another. Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sins and seek to grow into his likeness and live in peace with one another. The Lord’s table is open to everyone. Therefore, let us draw near with faith, make our humble confession, and prepare to receive this Holy Sacrament.

 

CONFESSION AND PARDON  (In Unison)

Merciful God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. We do not presume to come to this your table, trusting in our own goodness, but in your unfailing mercies. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have broken your law, we have not loved our neighbors. We have not done your will. We are not worthy that you should receive us. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

LEADER: Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that is proof of God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

PEOPLE: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

 

ALL; GLORY TO GOD.

The Table of our Lord is set.. the Sacraments have been blessed..all are welcome here to this table.. lift up your hearts and give thanks to the Lord..    come forward when you are ready… James come forward..

 

PRAYER:   (In Unison)    Most bountiful God, we give you thanks for the world you have created, for the gift of life, and for giving yourself to us in Jesus Christ, whose holy life, suffering and death, and glorious resurrection have delivered us from the captivity of slavery and sin. We thank you that in the power of your Holy Spirit you have fed us in this Sacrament, made us one with each other and united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of your heavenly banquet. We are your children, and yours is the glory, now and forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Weekly Sermon April 28, 2024 with Certified Lay Servant, Sally Kwak

How Does Your Garden Grow?

As we hear the words from John, I can’t help thinking about my gardens, and yes, I have more than one! Even though in the scripture he speaks to the grape vines and their branches, he’s really just talking about every plant, and person.

Spring is an intoxicating time for every gardener. Don’t believe me? Spend just a few minutes in the plant section of any box store, plant nursery or even the lawn and garden department at Walmart’s. There are customers agonizing over which color petunias would look best on the front porch. Which variety of tomato plants would they like most? Do they want green beans or yellow waxed beans? How much and what kind of fertilizer should they use? Diatomaceous earth? Bonemeal? It’s so complicated! These are life altering decisions, you know!

I think it’s something akin to getting to eat out at a real restaurant after being away for a year at a commune, or maybe locked up at home during COVID. Maybe it’s like a long -awaited vacation. Where do we go, what can we afford to do and how many days are we going to be there? It’s the excitement of choosing the right thing, not being too extravagant but, most of all – it has to be satisfying! In short, it’s a head rush.

There are those who live a life of spontaneity. Planning is almost a dirty word. The excitement is in the unknown adventure. My husband was one of those. These are the people who need the wildflower mix that you just scatter and wait to see what you get. This is the minimalist landscaper who doesn’t want to have to water all the time, rake a lot of leaves or needles, or trim repeatedly during the growing season. They like to refer to themselves as ‘low-maintenance yard keepers. They also like fences, especially the ones that start about 8 inches off the ground – just enough to let the lawnmower ride under. They still have the original string reel in the trimmer they bought 2 years ago.

They pick the shrub for the edge of the yard by how healthy it looks in the store .Never mind that this one needs full sun and it’s destination is that spot in the yard that is in perpetual shade where nothing else ever seems to grow. Mowing is overrated. And trimming the hedges is done once a year – just before the parade goes by.

Then there’s the serious landscaper who researches every shrub and tree to see how tall it grows, whether it ;ikes sun or shade or some of both. Does it flower or provide fruit? If it flowers, what color and when? Does it compliment the other colors in the yard? The patio furniture, the shutters, the trim on the house? How long does it last? Which birds will it attract? Never mind the squirrels = they’re indiscriminate squatters.

 These souls mow faithfully when the grass is barely 2 inches tall or the occasional stray dandelions are starting to poke up. This is the manicured lawn addict. They trim the hedges weekly. Their sidewalks are perfectly edged. They are out there using the leaf blower as the last ray of light has left so that they can go to bed satisfied that their yard is the model example for the neighborhood. Bless their hearts!

Their neuroses not with-standing, these plant people have a point. Plants are really just like people. They have basic needs that must be met to thrive. People need food, water, shelter, safety and love to thrive. Plants, no matter what kind, have basic needs too, right? They need good soil, sunshine, a certain temperature range, adequate water and protection from pests and drought. So, who takes care of all this? The gardener, of course!

John makes the point that, like plants, we need to be constantly monitored and tended. Like a vine or plant, we need to establish good roots. How? It’s not complicated really.

First we need good soil. One rich with nutrients, in just the right balance and loose enough to let us spread out. Hard, compact soil is like a household where there is only law and order, only one way to do things, only one view of the world. Safe and orderly, but does not encourage growth. It makes for a stunted plant with little or no fruit. To thrive, the words of Jesus are the good soil. There is guidance, directions and expectations, but there is always understanding and forgiveness.

Second, we need light. Just like plants that produce healthy branches and leaves, we need the warmth of love – the love of Jesus, the Son, to encourage us to grow closer to Him and reach out in the same direction. Darkness has it’s purpose, a time to rest for a few hours. But to live in darkness is to wither away, shriveling up and eventually dying without ever giving fruit or flowers.

Third, we need water. Through baptism we are reborn with the water. Making a commitment to love the Lord and to love our lives in the way He showed us by His example.

God tilled the earth when He created Eden, Adam and then Eve. He decided which plants would be perfect. Created everything He wanted to complement that garden. Beautiful trees and flowers. Fruits. Shade.  Birds of the air, beasts of the fields and the insects and plants to sustain them. In His wisdom He made a cycle of life that perpetually sustains itself. God walked in the garden and He saw that it was good. But why did He plant the Tree of Knowledge there? Satan used it as a temptation for man, and that began the first problem in the perfect garden. Yet it must have been there and chosen for a reason. Perhaps like children, it was for when they were older and could understand how it was to be used. We do not know. Man was kicked out of the perfect garden for his disobedience and had to learn about things that God the Gardener had kept outside the garden.

Think of the briars as jealousy – envy that torments us when we strive to get what is out of our reach, or not ours to start with. Poison Ivy as temptation – always lurking when you don’t watch out for it to cause a rash that is almost impossible to quell for days on end. Mosquitos like hardships. Necessary to sustain and provide what others need, but miserable when we are the one they’re feeding on. Things we’d like to keep out of our gardens.

That’s where Jesus came in. Jesus, was the gardener again. He walked the earth and saw pain, hopelessness and despair. There were bare spots, withered plants and an imbalance of nutrients. He planted new seed. He came to sow more good seed and make healthy the most beneficial of all the things the Father had placed in the garden – us. He is the good soil and the nutrients through His teachings  and His miracles. He planted anticipation of the rewards to come. He is the water and the sunshine through His forgiveness. He planted hope.  His death and resurrection are the resting darkness of the winter and the excitement of rebirth and a new garden in the spring. Heaven will be our garden in the next life. Wonderous, beautiful, sustaining, peaceful and satisfying. He planted peace and joy!

But John reminds us in these scriptures that Jesus has provided us with all we need to grow and thrive like the plants and the grapevines. We need to keep our roots in good soil, seek the sunshine and wait for the rain. All the things our faith in Jesus can provide. Renew your soul constantly in His Word and you too will thrive and produce good fruit that will make the Gardener proud.