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The
news headlines lately have really been challenging to hear yet alone pray
about. From within our own backyard
there have been some awful crimes committed recently. A soon to be retiring cop gunned down in far
northwest suburban Fox Lake, Illinois to a young woman brutalized in her own
parent’s home in the southwest suburb of Willowbrook, Illinois. In both cases
there has been the question to arise between the concept of good and evil as
well as the notion of justice and righteousness.
Meanwhile
on the other side of the world, nearly, there is a human crisis that has made a
small presence known via the popularity vote on social media but hasn’t really
been talked much about at all on the local news channels or radio stations ... This human crisis is the systemic persecution
of Christians and related groups of individuals by the agents of evil known as ISIS. A little 3 year old boy’s body was seen
washed up on the shores of Turkey… Other refugees fleeing Syria and surrounding
areas are packing trains and fighting with one another to get a ride out.
Turkey
is the modern name for the area that St. Paul and his fellow church planters
traveled to in order to bring the good news of Christ to many. Not too recently as well, an early Christian
monastery was brought to dust by these same evil people—ISIS. Not too unlike
the beginnings of WWII and the Holocaust to follow. These actions started by an evil mad man
using Romans 13 to begin his speeches of extermination, and ethnic cleansing—we
are seeing the diabolical fruits of people causing a mass exodus into Europe.
The little boy as well as his other family members who drowned trying to escape
Syria is just as they say, the tip of the iceberg of the horrors and suffering
this persecution is inflicting.
What
on earth is ISIS being driven by? ISIS claims to be driven to commit these acts
out of a strict, fundamentalist, “faithful” adherence to quote, “Islamic law…”
It is more like human laws invented by extremism and driven, motivated by
partiality and hate, period. A hardened
heart driven by works righteousness really is not faith, but can only cause
destruction. Their capacity for murder,
dominance and destruction is only growing and gathering momentum the more we
are indifferent to responding…
All
of these headline news stories of recent history question our capacity by and
through faith. Faith is reliant on inner
transformation, a heart turned to God, to exercise works naturally from a heart
shaped by Grace. Luther’s “favorite
author” James, (Yes, pun intended) may have been seemingly speaking to
satisfaction made and created by faith that may have been too much about
building that works righteousness ladder back to God. This is our problem though, we naturally have
a tendency to rebuild the ladder since we can’t get away from having a sense of
self or the ego. We are all too aware of ourselves as earthly creatures and all
too easily bind ourselves and our actions to that Old Nature—the Old Adam and
the Old Eve.
The
disciple empowered and transformed by Christ Jesus in their heart would strive
for selflessness, humility and faithfully living into their natural role
created by God in the greater scheme of all creation. It is a personal theology
of your relationship to God and in essence embracing the cross and resurrection
of Christ as your saving motivation to build Faith. All that we do from an intentional, inner
transformation burgeoned by Grace is what God is seeking as a response to
living into the lifestyle of Grace for the glory of the Kingdom of God.
The
relatively young police officer known as “G.I. Joe” Gliniewicz was living a
life connected to faithful service in small town America. Outwardly and
inwardly speaking, he was embodying gracious behavior naturally,
authentically. Joe Gliniewicz’ natural
behavior in essence, was New Nature behavior purely produced by faith, not
works righteousness. He was called to serve his neighbor, protect them, enforce
the law and be a kind and gentle person helping to grow and keep the notion of
a kinder and gentler world.
The
young woman who fought off her attacker appeared on the news the other day with
visually notable stab wounds to her face and a severely bruised eye to be a
bold witness against the evil done to her.
In some ways you can say that her witness went beyond being about what
happened to her to be voice against evil, period. She made an intentional effort to be a voice
against evil in yet another small town American village for the sake of her
neighbor.
It
doesn’t matter where you are and where you come from is a part of the message
here today. This is not only so with the
story of this woman and this policeman but in the Gospel of Mark’s portrayal of
Jesus fully human, fully divine active in this world but living, teaching and
healing beyond this world. Jesus’
calling was to the cross and for His disciples it meant living into taking up
that cross and truly, faithfully, graciously following Him.
Jesus
may have been exhausted, by the time the Syro-Phoenician woman beckoned Him for
His help to save her daughter or maybe He was hoping for those flocking to Him
to see and contemplate the nature of faithful living and gracious response?
Jesus opening the ears of the deaf man is symbolic to how we hear. Do we hear as well as adhere to the voice of
God challenging our hearts to truly live into that New Nature, New Creation or
not?
Do
we allow ourselves to expand our capacity to spiritually grow, spiritually
develop to live into the Do’s of the Gospel?
Or do we just live as St. Paul says to the Galatians to just simply
recreate the wheel of the law with all its self-righteous merits and seemingly
intellectually-driven progress… We may never “satisfy” the mysterious call of
Grace to live and walk purely by faith but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t
try.
It’s
not “trying” for the sake of pleasing God and climbing that ladder of
self-righteousness/ works righteousness…
It is a matter of being and becoming by, for and through Grace for the
glory of God through love, kindness, mercy, peace and all the beautiful fruits
of faith naturally produced by a changed heart.
The
face and actions of a heart corrupted through and through for the Evil One’s
victory can only produce death, destruction, hate in action as murder, discretion
and violation. The sad and awful picture
of an innocent child washing up upon the shores of the lands of the early
church should be a red flag for us in just how Satan has manipulated and
distorted the egos of those called ISIS to bring about this death.
The
American media is not giving it enough time to air because it doesn’t sell… The
European countries are experiencing their neighbors knocking, begging and
crying at their doorsteps yet some are turning them away. If we can’t or won’t
expand the capacity of our hearts to change for a greater purpose… Then what
purpose are we really living for? Are we purely living for the world and for
ourselves? If we are not living for God
and purely living for the self and the world… We are creating death.
Let
us pray,
Heavenly
Father,
Open
the ears of our hearts
To
the Truth of Your command upon us
Help
us to truly become obedient
To
the Hope and Promise of the Lifestyle of Grace
Help
us to realize and love our neighbor as You have loved us
May
we be and become what You truly need us to DO
For
Your Kingdom’s glory and Grace
Amen
September 6th,
2015; 15th Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 18; Year B; SOLA
Lectionary
Sermon by Reverend Nicole
A.M. Collins
Psalm 146; Isaiah 35:4-7;
James 2:1-10, 14-18 & Mark 7:24-37
Here below the youtube delivery of the sermon at the Grace Hub Discipleship Ministries House church service 9/6/2015:
https://youtu.be/-jsE1PyK0YY
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