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“8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Do we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves? Do we spiritually own up to the things we have done and left undone?
If becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ means opening that
Pandora’s box of faith to surrender and lift up everything we hold or hide from
the Lord—this is something we cannot and should not fear. This is something we cannot doubt as well as
we must not think of ourselves as being “religious” more than living into
belief—life itself.
I unknowingly jumped into the midst of a nasty debate the other
day on Facebook with an atheist; which as you know, can make fun or colorful
conversations… You’ll either talk to
people who label you an “intolerant jerk” or call you worse such as a “religious
bigot…” All I am is merely a fool for
Christ, foolish in the eyes of some but what really matters or truly IS the
most important centers upon God Alone to know and see.
The first paragraph of this sermon most likely rung a familiar
tune in the Lutherans’ ears; it is the beginning of the corporate confession to
most worship settings. Probably said way
too often where it most likely has gone into being a staple of familiarity
breeding some kind of contempt… We are contemptible
creatures though, are we not? Being a person of faith is to unlock and open
ourselves to vulnerability and release or reveal most profoundly that inner
hunger for TRUTHFUL communion with the Lord!
If we allow ourselves to become faithless, we as disciples become Christ-less,
graceless, hopeless and joyless.
Those are the fruits of the wilderness of a spiritual hell
created by our own divisiveness. This is a place of bondage built up by fear,
doubt and anxiety. We are not created to
handle this merely through human intellect but we always try… Do we not? For the ego loves for us to not only make us
to feel as if we’ve arrived but have become.
Become for whom? Most likely for ourselves and an inward world that
cannot fathom a need for God yet alone realize His kingdom… in the here and now
of our daily journey.
Christ Jesus gave my life purpose and TRUE meaning; my very
living is an acknowledgment of that wonderful communion I have just between He
and I. In fact, the more this particular
person went on and on in the Facebook debate; I actually felt that this unfair
verbal persecution made my faith transform into being even stronger! But I must realize as that wonderful Matthew
West song notes so profoundly—I am not ‘strong enough’ & I must surrender
to God in order to allow His strength to empower, encourage and enlighten me to
where I can do all things in, with and through His Gospel for the Kingdom of
God’s Glory, Shalom and Grace!
Shalom is a beautiful expression that Jesus uses in quieting
down the disciples in today’s Gospel.
This is when He first comes into their presence in all His resurrected
Glory and most likely they are terrified...
Shalom means prayerfully wishing others an inner peace, stability or
holistic wellness. We are hardly in a
time of knowing peace and this goes way beyond ourselves in the hell we have
created all around us as a world unto itself devoid of meaning and ultimate
purpose. The former agnostic
existentialist I was as an artist rose its voice in rebellion to hearing the
atheist’s complete denial and anger in finding any kind of meaning and purpose
except to just “exist” for the self and their family and friends. What a lonely life this must be, is all I
could think about.
Before I came to Christ at that fateful conversion experience
nearly twelve years ago; I was very alone and built a “mighty fortress” of
solitude through “delusions of grandeur” by ‘becoming’ a “success” in the world’s
eyes in the Chicago Art scene. I was
alive to the world but dying inwardly.
My conversion experience raised that white flag up to God and I
surrendered my life, my soul to His service and this former art world success
became an ordained Lutheran pastor some 11 years later~ how crazy is that?! However, I now have hope and battle to
realize joy in my life but such is the journey of taking up that cross to
follow Him and resurrect into that New Natured person the Lord wants me to
truly be, become. Since I have said yes; I must realize I will always be in the
state of becoming. To use another
familiar saying…we must realize that we are aspiring saints as well as sinners!
Poor Thomas got a bad wrap over the years being labelled a
doubting disciple as well as one who wasn’t there with the others at first to
initially greet the resurrected Jesus.
Was he cowering in fear somewhere or was he a realist in the sense that
he did come to confess, offer in essence a complete surrender to God by opening
his heart to say: “28…‘My Lord and my God!’”
This scene is 2,000 something years old, and we weren’t there
when they crucified our Lord yet alone rolled that stone away from the entrance
to our inner world to realize that not only Jesus Christ resurrected but that
we are in the process of resurrecting ourselves as people of faith! The Divine truth and purpose to our lives is
Christ Jesus—this is my introspectively, realized, rebellious and forbidden or
condemned, internal revelation about my communion with God! It can’t be yours…
but could be shared…
Sharing in this context is that big word called evangelism and
when it creates a truly connected community it is that beautiful Greek word
called Koinonia. The secular world and
the “religious world” to some extent have avoided or misunderstands this
transformative action as communism or “progressive” politics in and for the “church.” I am a pastor for Christ not a chaplain to
culture. Being a chaplain to culture
seems more logical though, to our human understanding of forming a “model” community. It becomes in reality a place of doctrinal
perfectionism and hierarchical control and unto itself for its’ own Gospel thus
becoming a liar against the TRUTH!
Talk about an intellectual straight jacket, a bondage against the
Will of God to serve the self and the empty promises of the Evil One himself! As jokingly made in observation at our text
study this Saturday; we really do need some kind of spiritual “ex-lax” to rid
ourselves of these obstacles to developing and realizing not only true
communion with God but living faithfully in true fellowship with one another as
people of faith, not a religion, but LIFE!
I noticed today that the Facebook post was removed which most
likely the poor person who innocently put it up couldn’t bear the graceless persistent
yammering from the angry atheist much longer…
I don’t blame them, I would’ve probably done the same thing. As Jesus told us in one of many of His
profound truths to guide and guard our lives in Grace—it is better to offer
your cheek to your enemy and surrender the self unto God, for God, then to cave
into contributing to their graceless behavior.
There’s so much more at stake to consider. There’s so much more to live for and into
with a life resurrected into the beautiful purpose and meaning to Grace.
We can all have our moments of doubt and despair but those tears
must always baptize us back into the reality of God at work in, with and
through our lives for His Kingdom’s sake. Can’t you feel the power of Grace in
the world when you surrender? Not my will, but Thy Will be done and left undone
for another day towards becoming.
Becoming for the Gospel a piece to that the puzzle in the Body to be
used for a greater goal, purpose beyond ourselves… It’s not a religion; it is
simply being alive. Simply being alive
not in a lie but in a profound truth we are to carry, share and transform by.
AMEN
Second Sunday of Easter, April 12th,
2015; Year B; SOLA Lectionary; Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins
Psalm 148; Acts 4:32-35; 1 John
1-2:2 & John 20:19-31
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