(Comm)Unity

John 17:1-11, 22-23  

^17:1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴ I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵ So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

⁶ “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸ for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹ I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰ All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹ 

And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

²² The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Ephesians 4:1-16

^4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

⁷ But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” ⁹ (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ 

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴ We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. 

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What community are you part of?

I heard an interview this week on the radio with the leader of a Michigan LGBTQ rights organization. She was being asked to share her feelings after the horrific massacre, the mass shooting that took place in Orlando a week ago today. She said, the people who were targeted, the people who were killed, they are our community and so we grieve them as if they were our own.

And I thought to myself, isn’t that my community too? I know and love numerous people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. And also parents of LGBTQ individuals. They are in my hometown community, and they are in this church community.

I read an article about a mom whose 30 year old son was trapped in the bathroom at the Pulse nightclub where the shooting took place, and was texting his mom to tell her that he was going to die. She spent almost an hour trading sporadic texts with him, hearing the horror unfold, and sharing whatever details she could with the 911 dispatcher, until the texts from her son stopped. It was 15 hours before she knew his fate.

And as I wept I knew that she was part of my community too, the community of parents of adult children who trust in God that they are OK, now that they are off on their own. The community of parents who pray every day and night that they will never get the sort of call that this parent and so many others received last Sunday.

All week long my clergy colleagues have been acknowledging the silence of too many churches, whether congregations, pastors, or denominational leadership, about the need for church to be safe space for those who are marginalized. And especially these days that is the LGBTQ community. LGBT youth in America make up 7% of the total youth population, but they represent up to 40% of youth who are homeless. 42% of LGBT youth say the community in which they live is not accepting of LGBT people. And LGBT youth are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide as their straight peers. There is a desperate need for safe space, for sanctuary, for a community that embraces, not rejects, LGBTQ individuals. And so often, too often, the church is seen as the opposite of that – either because the church takes a stand that excludes them from the fullness of life in Christ, or because the church is simply silent.

And I had to ask myself, will I be part of the clergy community, of the church community, that speaks out in the name of Christ, or will I be silent?  And, as always, the scripture text for this week gave me my answer.

In our scripture text today, Jesus is speaking to the disciples, giving last instructions, so to speak, before he goes to the cross. And his words to them are to be one – to be completely one – one with God, one in Christ, one with one another, just as God and Christ are one. Jesus expresses the unity of the world as being one with the unity of God and Christ.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, even though he is in prison, he calls for those of us who call themselves the church, to lead a life worthy of our calling. What does that life look like? It is a life of humility – not considering ourselves as better than anyone else. It is a life of gentleness, of patience, of mutual forbearance in love. It is a life of unity. He begs us to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He goes on to describe us as one in so many ways – one body, one Spirit, one hope of our one calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Not of all Christians. Not of all who are baptized. Not of all people who look like us, or act like us, or even people who intend good of us. But one God and Father of all people. The God who is not only above all, but also through all, and also in all. All people.

Who is in your community? And more importantly, who is not?

The Presbyterian Church in the USA received a letter this week from the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea.

Dear friends and partners:

The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea is much saddened to hear of the senseless and dreadful loss of life that happened at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday morning. We grieve for those who were killed and those whose lives are shattered by the deaths, as well as those who are struggling to survive even now and will have to suffer the guilt of survival from such a trauma. We also grieve the blind anger that led one man to take the lives of so many others, we grieve the intolerance and hatred that gives vent to such violent action, and we seek to support you, our Christian partners in the USA, as you once more call for gun control which would not allow the irresponsible purchase of such destructive weapons.

On Saturday, the Gay Pride parade was held in Seoul. People marched in solidarity with sexual minorities who still seek consistent and basic human rights in the Korean society. As they marched, they were confronted by the anger of people who protested acceptance of sexual diversity. We are so saddened by this verbal violence, which is such an affront to our understanding of the gospel that calls us to ‘love one another, for love is of God’ (1 John 4:7). ‘If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20), and yet hatred spews from those who stand under a cross as they shout.

So our grief stemming from these words of violence and hatred were multiplied as we heard about the Orlando shooting, and we pray for the day when all people know security and peace in their lives. ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives our fear.’ (1 John 4:18)

Please receive our prayers and the comfort of our solidarity as you, brothers and sisters in our partner churches minister in the face of this tragic circumstance.

And it is signed,

In the comfort and love of Christ,

Rev. Bae Tae Jin, General Secretary, The Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea.

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Over the past six months this congregation has been actively participating in the New Beginnings process. Its purpose is to help us define who we are, the community in which we serve, and what God is calling us to be and to do at this time and in this place.

This past week, the Session heard from the mission statement completion team, who took the draft mission statement work from every table in our second congregational workshop, and prepared a statement for approval – a statement of who we are and what God is calling us to be. After a motion and discussion, this statement was unanimously approved as proposed.

(on screen)

“Assured of the new life we have received in Christ, we will live out our faith together through worship, prayer, education, fellowship, and mission.  Being called to love all people, we will use our gifts to serve God in an imperfect world.  Equipped with our faith and filled with the Spirit, we will:    

• reach out in acceptance to a diverse community;
• embrace the marginalized and show love to all;
• feed the hungry and care for the sick;
• search for peace and work for justice.”

Who is our community?

We are called to love all people.

What is God calling us to do?

To use our gifts to serve God in an imperfect world.

To reach out in acceptance to a diverse community.

To embrace the marginalized and show love to all.

To feed the hungry and care for the sick.

To search for peace and work for justice.

Paul calls us to speak the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head of the church.

As a community, this mission statement is the next step in our process of maturing as disciples, as growing up in every way into Christ. It is a framework for how we are called to speak the truth in love.

In unity with Christ…unity with – this is true community. Based on the same root as communion. Union with.

May we live out this call, in prayer and in works, making our church home and our homes places of peace and community, helping especially those who have reason to feel rejected by their communities, to know that New Life Presbyterian is a safe space and a sanctuary, a place of communion, a place to experience God’s love and to learn about God’s peace and unity, in word and in deed. May we live out this call, as our ordination vows express, with energy, intelligence, imagination and, above all, with love, with great love, with unconditional, unending love. The love with which God has loved us in Christ.

Amen and Amen.

Self Care

Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near

and heard them disputing with one another,

and seeing that [Jesus] answered them well, he asked him,

“Which commandment is the first of all?”

Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Then the scribe said to him,

“You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’;

and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’

and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—

this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him,

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Romans 12:3-21

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you

not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think,

but to think with sober judgment,

each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

For as in one body we have many members,

and not all the members have the same function,

so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,

and individually we are members one of another.

We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering;

the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation;

the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence;

the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

love one another with mutual affection;

outdo one another in showing honor.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints;

extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty,

but associate with the lowly;

do not claim to be wiser than you are.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil,

but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you,

live peaceably with all.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves,

but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written,

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them;

if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;

for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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When the scribe asked Jesus for the first commandment, Jesus gave him not one but two commandments in reply. It was almost like those times when someone asks you for your favorite whatever, and you just can’t decide between the top two. Jesus tells the scribe – ‘there is no other commandment greater than these” – love God with all of your self – and love your neighbor as your self. How interesting that both of these, the top two commandments, are described in relationship to the self. Love God with your whole self, and love your neighbor as your own self.

When both of these are placed in relationship to our self, it must be important how we perceive ourselves.

Because we are called to love our neighbor as much as we love our self.

And we are called to love God with our whole self.

So if we don’t think much of our self…..then what does that imply about how we love our neighbor, and even how we love God?

Our self is what we have to give to God. Our self is the measure of how we perceive our neighbor.

So how should we consider our self? What does self care mean in the life of a disciple of Christ? If we are to love others as we love ourselves, what does it mean to love our selves?

In our yearlong study book, We Make the Road By Walking, Brian McLaren reminds us that when the Holy Spirit calls us to love ourselves, it is not in the way of selfishness, or self-interest, as we are often tempted toward by the majority of advertisers as well as politicians these days. Instead, the way the Holy Spirit teaches us to love our selves is a way of mature self-care, a way that involves self-examination, self-control, self-development, and self-giving. By practicing this kind of self-love, we are enabled and equipped to love God and love others more fully and more joyfully.

It’s important for us to remember that God intended pleasure for us. The world was created to give us an amazing array of pleasures, which we experience through our God-given senses of taste, smell, sound, sight and touch. Scripture tells us that God takes pleasure in creation and in us, and has given us all things to enjoy richly. The fullness of joy is experience in the presence of God. The creator is definitely pro-pleasure.

However.

It is all too easy for life’s great pleasures – food, drink, sex, owning, winning, resting, playing, working – to become addictive and destructive. Indulging in pleasures without self-control or self-examination can quickly lead to great pain, both for the addicts themselves and for those whose lives are touched by their addiction.

So, McLaren tells us, rules about pleasures, as we find in scripture, have an important place, keeping us from letting our desire center to have “what I want, when I want it, as much as I want”. Living by rules is like learning in primary school – it is necessary, but it is not sufficient. When we are ready, the Holy Spirit leads us from primary school to secondary school, teaching us wisdom.

He says, “Wisdom is what helps us see how a hasty purchase of a desired indulgence can lead to the long term pressure of debt. Wisdom reminds us that a one-night sexual liaison can lead to lasting tragic consequences for both parties, plus spouses, children, parents, and many others – literally, for generations to come. Wisdom knows that a single ill-advised business shortcut to increase profits can ruin a reputation earned over decades – as can one careless sentence spoken in anger or dishonesty. Wisdom remembers that habitual overindulgence in alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or even food can greatly shorten your life. And wisdom warns that even one night of drunkenness or one outburst of anger can end your life and the lives of others.”

But the other extreme is also important to acknowledge. McLaren reminds us that “wisdom also helps us see how excessively denying ourselves pleasure can itself become unwise. If parents are so exhausted from the work of parenting that they forget to keep their romance alive, they can drift apart even thought they are sleeping under the same roof. If someone who loves his work and gets great pleasure from it, begins to work too much, their life will fall out of balance, and before long they will hate their work. So parents need to nurture their relationship so that their family will stay in a healthy balance. A working person must find pleasures outside work to keep the work pleasurable rather than addictive.

These are all forms of self –care and self-love, knowing when to step on the brakes and when to step on the accelerator when it comes to our own life’s pleasure.

All this also relates to the way we relate to God, as well. Keeping a healthy balance in our relationship with God is essential to loving God fully and loving our neighbor fully as well.

Anyone who has flown in a plane has heard the instruction to “secure your own oxygen mask before helping the person next to you.” This applies to our relationship with God as well.

We tend to place our focus on asking God to help others. We have a prayer concern list. When we center ourselves in prayer, when we write out our own prayer lists, it is almost always about those we know who need prayer. And this is certainly important.

The apostle Paul, in today’s reading from the letter to the church in Rome, provides good wisdom in considering how we care for ourselves, how we put on our own oxygen mask in order to help others.

One is to know our gifts, to affirm them, and to use them. Whatever gift we have been given, is given by God, and we should not minimize our own abilities, but should use them boldly wherever they can help to further God’s kingdom. Together we make up the body of Christ.

Paul also says:

·      Let your love be genuine.

·      Serve the Lord with enthusiasm!

·      Rejoice in hope;

·      Be patient in suffering;

·      Live peaceably with all, so far as it depends on you. The Message translation puts it this way: “If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody”.

·      Persevere in prayer.

I want to talk about prayer in particular as a way of self-care – again, because we tend to prayer for others, I believe, more than we pray to God regarding ourselves.

Our personal relationship with God has a lot to do with the health of our self-care.

Paul tells the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. Here in Romans, he says, “vengeance is mine, says the Lord.” These are reminders that what is between God and us is, well, between God and us. God’s love for us is the result of God loving us first. God’s judgment is between God and each of us. So how well do we take care of our relationship with God? How much do we bring God alongside us in prayer and in all aspects of our everyday lives? How well do we invite God into our thoughts, our joys, our sorrows?

Anne Lamott wrote a book about prayer entitled, “Help, Thanks, Wow.” These three words come alongside just about everything we do, and they bring God into the midst of everything we do. All of our lives can be translated into “Help me, God, Thank you, God, and Wow, that is so amazing, God!” And whether we have the words to express it, or just the feeling that comes from sensing the need for help, the glimpse of heaven, or the joy of an unexpected blessing, God hears our hearts, and God comes along side us to participate. It is self care, just to be aware of this. God with us.

Please consider the importance of prayer to your own self care as you watch this video excerpt of a conversation with Kallistos Ware, an Eastern Orthodox Bishop and retired Oxford professor.

Looking at God, as much as we can – in the creation around us, in the people who love us, and even in the people who don’t – in the least of these, Jesus Christ told us, we see him. Remembering always that God is looking at us, always there to help us, to guide us. to hear us.

Confessing our selves to God – as we do early in worship each Sunday.

Handing over our cares, our shortcomings, our doubts, our worries, to God.

Rejoicing in our joys, our blessings, with God, giving thanks to God in all things.

Caring for our self, by drawing more closely to God, seeing God more clearly, loving God more dearly, following God more nearly, day by day, is what will equip us to love our neighbor as our self, to love those who cannot love themselves or us, and to love God with everything we have.

And this, my friends, is Good News!