"Walking Boldly;" Sermon for July 26th, 2015 by Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Well yes that is true but there’s something about that statement that seems to set people on edge.  I think it is the mere fact that it provokes fear.  It’s like the figurative polar bear plunge onto the next leg of the journey of your life as a child of God, child of Grace & promise.  We normally don’t like change.  Why is that? Is it because we can’t accept the promise and hope of things to come in a positive, non-skeptical light?

The Psalmist today seems to go out of his way to echo: “For His steadfast love endures forever.”  Essentially the Psalmist says this nine times at the conclusion of each and every verse.  Yes it is a Psalm of thanksgiving but it is saying something before these five words which are all centered around the awesome power and sovereignty of God. Could we consider this the song to sing as we dare to walk boldly by faith?  I would hold “hope” to DO so.

This past week I have been blessed to discover a whole new world within the Lutheran world of believers.  The promise and hope for a new chapter in the story of my life as a servant for Christ is something I have felt empowered and encouraged to now step forward upon those rocky waters of uncertainty. Welcome to the wild ride of ministry! It’s definitely not been easy yet alone ever seem stable…

Some people however, feel that they never really change.  They have found this false security blanket of living in the past.  Walking down the memory lanes of this is the way it’s always been… Hate to break it to you but the world is constantly changing, endlessly moving forward.  This is hard to wrap our minds around, but then we always “try” don’t we? Things seem relative and stable but the truth to be heralded from the Living Word of God is that everything, everyone, every moment and etcetera is in constant change.

The ancients used to have a great fear of the outer layer of the known universe.  They envisioned space as not the “final frontier” but as the waters of chaos & certain death, destruction. Our faith holds promise in a God however that is ALL about Grace.  Today’s passage even from the Old Testament is about God extending Grace. The many layers of colored light we have come to know as the rainbow are the calm after the storm. The painting of a life of love, hope and peace.  The Living Word illumines the profound truth we all need to hear…

A dear colleague of mine will be starting a new journey soon.  His carefree attitude about approaching taking that next great step forward amazes me.  Some people could look negatively at times to that kind of behavior as being too serendipitous or unplanned… Or it could be seen as how we need to be confident; which truly IS the nature, character & drive of faith!  All of our faith journeys as disciples of Christ are not only unique and personally challenging but need to strive towards keeping with that momentum we are NOT in charge of “really…”

The Good soil of our hearts is that 1^st church as I’ve often preached about and St. Paul once again encourages us to be receptive and responsive through the reaping...  We have received the Grace of God, our response is LIVED Grace also known as faith! St. Paul’s words reminded me of receiving a beautiful statue from my late grandmother Kay years ago.  It is a white porcelain statue of St. Francis of Assisi.  Being a lover of animals especially having a decade plus of cats, I had this statue in my wall unit overseeing the urns of my former cats.  My grandmother was Roman Catholic.

Recently packing away this statue among other things STILL in hopes to MOVE somewhere….  I had to take another look at that beautiful prayer of his.

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;” Yes God, please help my heart to be at peace as well as SHARE peace with my neighbor out of love for You and my neighbor.

“Where there is hatred, let me sow love;” Yes God, it is more than easy to engage in the graceless wars of others or BE a selfless fount of Grace and love to others for Your sake and for my neighbor.

“Where there is injury, pardon;” Yes God, continue to strengthen me to be a healer and someone who lives forgiveness as I must always be grateful for how You forgave an undeserving sinner such as myself!

“Where there is error, the truth;” Yes God, Help my heart to always be humble—I will never fully “arrive” to Your expectations since I will always be Your child, always growing…  Help me to stay in the plumb lines of Your Gospel imperatives’ Truth!

“Where there is doubt, the faith;” Yes God, continue to encourage me, build me with the confidence Your love and Grace have released… When the world, when other people think I am just a fool. May my heart always know and be encouraged that I am a fool for You—a Fool for Christ Jesus and His Gospel of steadfast Love and Grace that I must carry on as long as I live.

“Where there is despair, hope;” Yes God, in a world greatly struggling to find its way out of the darkness and evil that Satan has released in this world… May we stay the course and harbor that beautiful Hope that indeed IS the source of life.

“Where there is darkness, light;” Yes God, we are certainly in the midst of dark times, may the Light of Your love and Grace guide us through it.

“And where there is sadness, joy.” Yes God, You know more than anyone how we suffer on our journeys at different points long that road… Continue to open our hearts to realize the purpose and plan so that we may find joy in perseverance.

“O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek…” Yes God, we must remember that You are a God who comes down to us.  Through our lives fueled by prayer, we know You are with us.

“To be consoled, as to console;” Yes God, help me to SHARE Your healing love and Peace

“To be understood, as to understand;” Yes God, may we always be learners & aware of who we are and whose we are…

“To be loved as to love.”  Yes God, Your dear Son Jesus Christ came to us and taught our hearts that He indeed is the end of the Law and that Law is Love!

“For it is in giving that we receive;” Yes God, help us to stop revolving around the world of the self and LIVE to Give out of love for You and our neighbor.

“It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;”  Yes God, Grace beckons us to be gracious as we LIVE into the promise of Your Gospel imperative—when we forgive our neighbors’ transgressions, we know the power, truth and beauty of living into the lifestyle of Grace.

“And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”  Yes God, through Your dear Son Jesus Christ, we undeserving sinners can aspire to holiness—once we reap that New Creation planted deeply in the walls of that 1^st church—the Heart.

In saying, “Yes God,” it is much more than an ordering of your life to the model and journey of Christ it is walking boldly in faith! It is walking boldly as a witness, walking boldly as a voice that cannot be trampled down or oppressed by the Evil One & those seeking worldly power and control…  Walking boldly across the troubled waters of your life’s path is realizing that His steadfast love does endure even our sense of timing, completion and understanding.

Help us to embrace changing the things we feel comfortable being held under… Help us to KNOW what promise truly means which is to harbor a hope that can move mountains, transform hearts and minds to live to praise the glory of Your Kingdom as long as we are here in the world but not of it.

AMEN

July 26^th, 2015; 9^th Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 12; Year B; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon by: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 136:1-9; Genesis 9:8-17; Ephesians 3:14-21 & Mark 6:45-56

https://youtu.be/d_AvfzXiKao

"Righteous Leadership;" Sermon for July 19th, 2015 by Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

When we think of the concept of righteousness; what seems the most natural for us to do? I believe we naturally want to or are drawn to revolve around the self and respond from a self-righteousness that not only can become graceless and judgmental but be truly ungodly in responding to loving God and neighbor.

When we think of the seat of the soul, the heart is truly the first “church” that “abstract” place where God indeed works.

We don't like abstraction, however... abstraction is something nebulous it is invisible, it is not of any kind of physical material, or measurable in any kind of sense of  chronological, finite time. As the saying goes God's time—Kairos Time, it’s dimension and righteousness is something we struggle with as disciples of Jesus; the priesthood of all believers. If we can't go there as the church, the physical church yet alone individually through the spiritual church being truly the first church, the one Jesus talked about, how can we be good shepherds and leaders of Grace and goodness in this world but not of it?

Many years ago when I was in the art world I had and held a closer affinity to abstraction. I love abstract art; how can you tell however if abstract art is “good art?” It's how things come together that make an impression of unity in a particular thought, in a particular emotion that relay the artist’s intention or overarching purpose. The same can be said in a parabolic way about the disciples’ journey into taking the reins of leadership in the world out of love for God and neighbor.

To build that solid foundation of being a fully accountable disciple of Jesus fully empowered, fully equipped and encouraged takes an unnatural radical commitment… It takes integrity, humility, a selflessness that becomes a fount of blessing to others. “Blessed to be a blessing” is an “attitude of gratitude”—both of these sayings are a “play” on words, a creation or genesis of thought that are fruits of Grace—living into the lifestyle of Grace.

 Where there is a disconnect, however, is similar to what happens in viewing and contemplating or considering abstraction as in my example, abstract art. We choose to couple things with the physical with something earthly that we think answers the call and solution of who we are and where we are and what we need to do in the world. This has become what we know as the quote, (physical) church. Where there is a grave disservice, though, is in that we focus on the physical more than the spiritual which is the more important quote “church.” The spiritual church is the one that Jesus needs us for us to realize throughout our lifetime’s journey as His disciples....

When you look at the Jeremiah text, it is similar in some senses to what was said in the Prophet Samuel’s writings. This commonality was that the people were seeking a fleshy, military, political leader... It is not thinking or looking at the godly dimensions of leading in the world as “good” shepherding. Today we have a similar problem in that the many bad shepherds out there have replaced, out of fear, the spiritual and its focus on inner transformation. The call to action or response has become more about politics, the world of the self, and “chaplaincy to the worldly culture!”

In the field of chaplaincy which is something I am very interested in as well as pastoring in a church; there is a focus on care, there is a focus on well-being but it is about healing—it is about empowering the heart (that 1^st & true church). It is definitely not about judgmentalism building a foundation all about worldly power, self-encouragement and justification! It is holistically focused on compassionately caring for the spiritual body or soul of the individual. Which brings me to discuss how we have been bombarded recently with public figures re-creating themselves not for the sake of others or in gratitude of what God has given them but purely and solely for the self alone. The pioneering bravery of these ventures, some may champion as a worldly right or “existential victory…” The moment, however, we deny and turn away from the Grace and gifts bestowed by God; we move into a land of empty promises—a graceless wilderness.

The graceless wilderness develops from our own self-righteousness not only trampling over the Will of God and His Divine righteousness; but is the reality of hell.  This is more akin to the Old Nature which we have come to a point of justifying over and above the New Nature that was planted, sewn by the Blood and sacrifice of Christ Jesus at the Cross. It is as if we have glued the petals of a newly blossoming flower shut so that its fruits lie trapped and imprisoned by the negativity and evil of a burgeoning, self-justifying godless society.

The only way we can reap what God has sown is by facing something we fear and that is that call to leadership of the Gospel of Grace! We can't get by through just paying it lip service through pious platitudes, an empty analogies...  We must embrace the radical, seemingly illogical commands of the Gospel to build upon that spiritual transformed structure deep within our hearts—the New Nature.  God has given us so much, there are so many things we cannot fathom yet alone see but to deny them just because they are abstract, spiritual, metaphysical is to deny the very life given to you!  We were not born from nothingness and certainly were not born into a world that is purely for our consumption…  We were created and born by the mystery and miracle of a God of Grace, Mercy, and Compassion!

Compassion is a loaded Word, one that we use as a surface aspiration, a Word of devotion or one that we fight to bring into this world with the blood, sweat and tears of a cross-carrying discipleship! There is no place for the world of the self here for that is purely chaplaincy to the worldly culture.  What do I mean by the term—“Chaplaincy to culture?”  Bad shepherding plain and simple—leading and empowering people to just see and experience a consumerist version of a god who merely sows.  There is no need to reap yet alone hold authority in God’s Word anymore for we have intellectually “arrived,” to recreate and shepherd others with a designer Gospel catering to the unholy trinity of I, Me, and Mine! Words and ideologies divide and create a worldly war that leads no one but creates a reality of gracelessness…

Years ago, I used to enjoy going to various art openings; which truth be told, those who would come with me were more interested in the free “booze” and food being offered by the poor, (physically) “starving artist…”  There would be genuinely creative people and their works tucked around the corner or backrooms of many of these galleries since they DID speak but were purely in abstract terms.  The more popular or trendy art of the early ‘90’s as one friend best penned it as, was just: “Refrigerator art for the savvy Yuppie.”  His cynical words could perhaps have been an expression of his discouragement in his finding an audience for his art or maybe truthfully reflecting where we fear to go.

St. Paul in his discussion to the Ephesians illumines our struggle as disciples of Jesus: “^16-18 Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father. ^19-22 That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.”

The Message may not be the best translation of God’s Word but it does indeed prove a point.  We are all individuals, with unique journeys and perspectives about living fully into Grace as Jesus’ disciples, but we have and need to keep that integrity, humility and faith.  This is dealing with your spiritual formation—living truthfully into shaping and transforming your heart for God’s Will and precepts—The Kingdom of God, and its’ Divine Righteousness, glory and Shalom.

We have to fight those urges to build a foundation and monument to the world of the self.  We need to truly love neighbor with a compassion that reveals the miracle of God’s work within your heart.  That seed sewn of the New Nature needs to blossom, blooming to overflowing with a beautiful attitude—graciousness with all its’ blessedness.  This beautiful attitude will create leaders; one’s led by and for Christ Jesus, the Great Shepherd.

Amen.

July 19th, 2015; 8th Sunday after Pentecost; SOLA Lectionary; Proper 11

Psalm 23; Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ephesians 2:11-22 & Mark 6:30-44

Sermon by Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

https://youtu.be/bJ6LQ7o6JB4

This digital art piece is my reflection on Jesus as well as Grace active in our lives.

"The Drawn Line;" Sermon for July 12th, 2015 by Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

One of my favorite “battle” scenes in the Lord of the Rings’ ‘The Return of the King’ film is when Éowyn removes her battle mask after Merry had just stabbed the Witch-king of Angmar in the back & declares to him: “I am no man!” all the while plunging her sword into his dark chasm of a face in order to save her uncle Théoden, the King of Rohan. Little did she know it was too late for her uncle to survive, but she moved forward fully motivated in commitment to a greater cause.

Before this battle scene, she was hiding herself amongst the soldiers in the battle lines since she was commanded to stay back and care for the wounded because that is what the women were expected to do.  Running on a shaken bravery and a cause she could not turn away from; She and Merry, a small Hobbit, moved into battle. Éowyn was driven to help fight for the pursuit of freedom and the death of evil rising in the world she loved. One could say that she was truly compelled to serve. Somewhere the line was drawn but she had to cross it for a greater good.

The Christian journey is similar in that we are always engaged in a “battle” of some kind or another.  This battle however is always a foundational issue in that first church of the believer—the heart.  The Heart or the soul, we must always know is the seat of the Holy Spirit—the place where God works to transform us through our prayerful introspection to be and become the disciples, children of Grace that His Gospel imperative challenges us to be.

She was just a “middle earth” human working against the cultural boundaries not too unlike the Prophet Amos preaching an unpopular revelation that the King of Judah will die by the sword and not too unlike John the Baptist—who’s voice of conscience speaking out against Herod’s pride and lustful intentions could not rest… As we would come to find out, Éowyn wouldn’t get her desires ever truly answered as well as we know Amos was banished from Judah and John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod.

The most cruel and humiliating way to die is in the form of beheading.  We know from many different news reports how ISIS uses beheading to both torment and make their message of hate and dominance quite real. Apparently the line still hasn’t been breached enough to motivate our society to take action and truly bring an end to the grave evil already stirred forth! One could almost negatively harbor fear that the voice of the Christian is being systemically silenced whilst those in authority overt their eyes to their own agenda’s imperatives.

One of the creedal affirmations we share on occasion in worship is a statement penned by a now martyred Zimbabwe Pastor. His prayer begins: “I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power. My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

Here is a beautiful personal statement of faith, commitment and not backing down on the journey we all must walk as disciples of Jesus.  This man dared to cross those boundaries or challenges presented before him to do the right thing but he kept to that internal plumb line that the Lord places upon each of our hearts to be shaped and guided by the Law of Love and Grace in order to truly and truthfully LIVE into the Gospel with full accountability and intentions to transform, renew!

This statement of faith is so profound, I think in many ways it should be used during the process of one’s ordination. Though on many a Sunday evening it has been greatly received at the Gathering North. One could read this in some form or fashion either during worship or as a devotional to encourage and enlighten others to the power that faith can yield!  They are more than bold words coming from a devoted, now martyred South African pastor. St. Paul calls out to the Ephesians in this week’s text to faithfully hear: “^11-12 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.”

What is particularly profound about ‘The Message’s’ take on verses 11 and 12 is that it affirms how God’s Grace has designs for our lives and that our purpose is founded in struggling to realize the glory of God being a life lived fully and completely in GRACE.  The gift of salvation from the cross of Christ set us free from sin, death and the devil—the reality of GRACE in order that the New Nature sewn by Christ deep into our hearts is reaped by and through our transformational process from an Old Natured creature to a New Creation in Christ and for Christ—out of love for Him and neighbor.

Just this past week I was involved in a wonderful debate with a dear Eastern Orthodox friend of mine: what is the profound, central truth and law underneath all of scripture? He essentially wanted to do verbal battle about the Church Fathers and denominational theological stances, etc.  The Truth to be told, however, is something that ALL Christians take heed to: the timeless, eternal foundation behind all of scripture being the “Golden Rule.”  The Golden Rule is to Love God and Neighbor through an incorporated and transformed life, shaped by and for Grace. As my mentoring pastor should have had patented this statement: “it is living into a constant process of reflection, confession, repentance and renewal…” in order to spiritually grow as a devoted disciple of Jesus.

That drawn line God challenges us to hold “true” to is living by faith as a freely responsible servant accountable in love, care, voice and action for God and for neighbor. We’ve all been at some point or another on our journey’s response to a loving and gracious God, made to feel weak by the valleys and challenges that come across our path. People can go out of their way to make you feel inadequate and insecure in whatever you have chosen to do as your ministry in the world.  You can take this criticism in to further as one friend put it—“needle away at your heart like a woodpecker,” or look towards the Gospel—trust in the Lord and look above and beyond what was said for a greater goal, imperative—purpose.

In nearly those same Words from the Prophet Amos: I am no prophet, or a prophet’s daughter but I am a former artist breaking away from the Chrysalis formed around me to LIVE for a greater purpose! The drawn line created by God is what I choose to be bound to… The one drawn by humans in order to exclude, control and eliminate I give no credence to, period.  Maybe that’s a recipe for persecution but then I have to ask: Where are you on this same path, point of the journey?  We can’t turn a blind eye like Herod for worldly, empty things…  This is just what the Evil One wants for us to cave into. We have to face each and every day as a blessing and a challenge. The only curse we experience is truthfully caused by our own failings.

We must spiritually grow to be and become a blessing to others even when it seems that our journey is riddled with “curses.” Turning a curse into a cause is painful, transformational work but this is living by the Law of Christ for the Gospel of hope and glory unending… The Kingdom of God and all its righteousness. When all arms are finally laid down, when our hearts are truly opened and changed we will know deeply the power and victory of Grace as New Natured prophets preaching, teaching and living the Golden Rule.

AMEN

July 12th, 2015; 7th Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 10; Year B; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon By: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 85:1-13; Amos 7:7-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29

https://youtu.be/-p4IkFkvsMY

"Gathering Dust;" Sermon for July 5th, 2015 by Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

“Watch the mountain turn to dust and blow away

Oh, Lord, you know there's got to be a better way

And the old masquerade

Is a no soul parade

Marchin' through the ruins of time—…”

This stanza I just read is from a wonderful old “Flower-Power” ‘60’s song by Tommy James and the Shondells called ‘Sweet Cherry Wine.’  It’s really one of those reactionary songs written against the Vietnam War but I experienced another layer in hearing it as a beautiful song about both being human & our struggling faith journey with God.  In elaboration of “a matter of faith,” we must truly be aware of ourselves as children of Grace, children of promise. This takes humility and being accountable.

Living into being a child of Grace & promise is really and truthfully about being accountable. It is living as a freely responsible servant of Christ.  Which leaves me to ask: Are you accountable not only to God, but truly to others as we are all broken, earthen vessels? We are weak, but as St. Paul says—in realizing our humanity through a humble heart shaped by God—we can see and utilize the power of God to CHANGE—a faith to move mountains, to stir up the dust, to gather the faithful and embody the true power of faith—LOVE.

Not too much unlike the stanza I started with from the Tommy James & the Shondells’ song—we can move mountains of obstacles out of our way, rendering them to dust… in order to serve God and love neighbor...  All that we have is from the Lord—the sovereign King of Grace who set us free from sin, death and the power of evil.  “And the Old masquerade” of the Evil One’s empty promises will hold no weight any longer on our spiritual formation to live in Grace, and for Grace—as we are so blessed by the Lord and all He has given us!

The only parade we should be standing in, walking forward in is the Gospel’s, for the sake and future of the Gospel.  We must always know that while we are both ‘aspiring saint’ and sinner, we can carry on our commission, our mission to serve the Lord.  We are currently “marchin’ through” terrible times of wide-spread global persecution, unrest, grave evil and sadness—But do we give up and allow Satan’s current rising to triumph? No, we must live in remembrance, in example of Christ—what He gave us.  At that table, His blood was the sweet wine of promise, given to those disciples—ordinary men & women, who drank into their hearts a New and glorious HOPE.  The hope of the resurrection formed a New Body in the world—The Body of Christ—disciples of Jesus, here and now!

We could almost hear Jesus calling out to us:

“C'mon, everyone, we got to get together now

Oh, yeah, love's the only thing that matters anyhow

And the beauty of life

Can only survive

If we love one another”

This is actually the first stanza of the Tommy James and the Shondells’ song but not too unlike the Psalmist, it is a voice gathering people together to realize their purpose in life to serve God and neighbor.  This can only be accomplished through Love which is what Christ Jesus taught us, exampled for us…  Not to be “perfect” in the worldly sense of it at all, but be perfected in all humility to whose they are and where they need to go for the sake of the Gospel!

So much has happened over the past several weeks right here in America and around the world.  It is hard to not let the negativity of it all become overwhelming… For what can we really do?  This is our human nature speaking: What can I really do? Where to start is from within—this has been Jesus’ message from the beginning of His ministry in the world but definitely not of it!  Truth be told, we rebel against the very notion of change! We rebel against the vulnerability of developing spiritual knowledge which is heart-knowledge—transformation.

St. Paul acknowledges this rebellion for we are of flesh and we are of spirit. This spirit within can be shaped for the Gospel or be a destructive tool or resource for evil. It is up to us to lift our hearts to God to willingly and joyfully be renewed. There is a beautiful sense of freedom, when we do realize where we are and whose we are—this is always beyond the self and for the other, period.

This very weekend is the 4^th of July weekend for all Americans who cherish freedom…  Freedom is another word that encapsulates a Pandora’s box of meanings to it.  Just the past several days the media has been growing that human fear factor that ISIS and other extremists are planning several attacks on the 4^th of July just to murder, martyr and condemn the notion of freedom.  The evil here is simple, the love of power to control and eliminate have been made into a religious, fundamentalist ideology to render the world into peril—chaos.

Other examples of evil against “freedom” in the world currently come in the forms of racism and intolerance through fire.  Fire to burn down the churches of God and a fire of words to fuel hatred, non-acceptance and misunderstandings. This is just reaping a graceless wilderness contrary to God and defiant against Him.

The Evil One’s victory is in our denial of our human failings which burgeon forth greed and indifference resulting in death.  Ashes to ashes, dust to dust—Yes, We will all return to the earth, but the spirit within us will carry on with the Lord—the one true God; Jesus Christ. It is the spirit within us that must be open by and for the Lord. Why do I choose to believe? Why do I have faith? Why do I even still hold on to that painful Hope?! I am confident in the Grace continually given.  It has put more than a deep peace in my heart but a deep trust to leave this into God’s hands—for His plans for me are yet to be completely realized. People will only see you as you are.  This is the inward struggle to change, to transform for both God and out of love for neighbor.

We are in the middle of two wars right now.  The first war being literally with false prophet soldiers murdering, raping and plundering at will throughout the Middle East abroad and the second war is the greater one.  This war is the one within our hearts to live into faith—Grace, Love, Promise & Hope.  Sin, death and destruction are empty promises, devoid of hope, unchanging withering away the beauty of the Gift of life, the gift of Grace so freely sown!

While many are marching on the 4^th in various parades to celebrate what this country is to represent, which is freedom… We must not lose sight to the other battle we are either marching in or deriding.  The New Nature was sown into our hearts by the Grace of God—Jesus Christ, our Crucified Lord and Savior—a God who came down to us—fully human, fully divine and saved us in more ways than one! Reap what has been sown. Be love, grace, peace, mercy, acceptance and hope to one another.  Being and becoming are a life time’s journey and goal—the Gospel’s imperative is clear.

Let us take hope in the future that we can overcome our sense of failings and triumph for the Gospel—trampling Satan under foot.

Let us Pray—

Gracious and Loving God,

Help us to rebel against Satan, and not You

Shape our hearts to realize Your saving Grace

In the bounty of our lives

With the Holy Spirit’s help, may we reap the beautiful fruits of the Kingdom of God

Which is the power of love, grace, peace, mercy, acceptance and hope

Lived through our broken but mendable, transformative vessels

AMEN

July 5th, 2015; 6th Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 9; Year B; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon by Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 & Mark 6:1-13

https://youtu.be/RmyyCxpFY-k