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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 1st 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 1st 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 26th, 2015; 9th
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
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