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One of the most interesting things I learned in the beginning of my seminary journey and even earlier before that when I taught Art History, was that the architectural symbolism in some churches was to be seen as an upside down boat! The church of my conversion, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, actually has a mini ship replica at the top of a door stop to their narthex hallway.
Ships… what an interesting thing to think about though?
The Christian journey together as both a family-the Body as well as sailing
together on or through the body of the rough and turbulent waters of life…
Water is a significant aspect of the “make-up” of life. Our physical bodies are
purportedly made up of something like 82% water. As well as we know that the
waters of Baptism cleanse and renew us to commit our lives to Christ. Great,
now as you can see you have enough of a primer for a good game of trivia
pursuit!
Life isn’t trivia however, though at times we may feel to
be spectators to what is truly going on, instead of ambassadors for genuine
change.... This is much like the reality
of fine tuning ourselves spiritually inside and out. Do we like to go there
however? Truth be told, no—but this is our given task as disciples of Jesus. St. Paul today makes the strongest and most
direct observation about our task as disciples of Christ. This observation is to live into the New
Nature—wholeheartedly, unabashedly and without hanging onto the bondage of fear
and doubt!
In some senses we are to always hear those Words from
another Gospel speak the truth to our ideal condition: Being in the world but as a citizen of
heaven. My Barclay commentary nailed it
beautifully on the spiritual head: “The Christian takes part in all the life
and the work of the world; but they are citizens of heaven. To that extent, S/he is a stranger. The Christian is always a Christian in an
alien world. The person who is not
willing to be different cannot be a Christian at all.”
The world currently is seemingly becoming more and more
alien with turbulence and unrest. It is
as if we are spiraling out of control in so many ways. It goes beyond the reality of sin and evil
but as mentioned by a colleague in my text study group—we are witnessing the
unraveling of the family, the church.
Those spiritual ships we sojourn together upon have crashed and are
wrecked upon the shores of our indifference, greed and misunderstandings. An
island unto ourselves that cannot survive yet alone thrive—strive for something
better.
As someone assisting at the helm of said spiritual ship,
where are we truly headed? The daily news has not been too good lately… This
goes past headlines and statistics to in fact reveal things that are truly disturbing,
violent and evil… I could rattle of a
list but that’s not the point. If we
continue to live into the world of the Old Nature, we are merely reinforcing a
dying amber and our light doesn’t shine out into the world… It doesn’t preach and reach people with the
Gospel of Grace and Love but creates destruction, anarchy—‘Hell.’
Where you are in realizing your role as commissioned by
Christ is spiritual formation. It is
being at the helm of a ship sailing across those ever changing waters. My
husband is a retired 21 year vet of the Navy, and as he’s told me, he actually
was never on a ship. His stuff was on a
ship and on one occasion the room with his things fell victim to an oil leak.
Another person I recently met was also a WWII Navy vet who served on “battleships”
where he literally loaded giant shells into guns that were fired at the “enemy.”
Since he was at the bowels of the ship, he never saw where those shells
hit. He just heard their destructive
sounds. He never saw much of the sun
either since he had to spend over 6 months in operations at the bottom of a
giant ship.
Can you see these images?
A ship, the self, the church? Returning to the image and symbolism of
the church’s architecture as an upside down ship… There is the whole world
beyond the arches, buttressed beams and walls! This goes beyond speaking to “Evangelism,”
but it is a reality of yourself at the helm of your life lived in, with and
through Christ—for His sake, not your own.
As St. Paul has said and let us hear echo, rattle those chambers of the
heart with a New Natured knowledge, He says: “20… we are ambassadors
for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake He made Him to be
sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Righteousness is not lived as judge and jury—this is God’s
work BUT we join in the task of freeing ourselves from death by reaping that
New Nature planted, sewn by Grace. Our lives shouldn’t be something we lament
and grieve but often like those with failing ambers of memory, we allow
ourselves to slip away. We drift away
from the solid rock of Christ, our hearts formation is to be anchored to and we
sail through those turbulent waters… Sometimes getting beyond lost and drowning
in a spiritual death of our own choosing. If our faith was only strong enough,
if our hearts only felt secure enough… where would we be in the here and now of
this troubled world?
Obedience and accountability is a two way street. Our human nature finds comfort in the “transaction”
of works righteousness but our soul finds the Kingdom of God through a
righteousness that is discovered by and through love alone. Love is the real
fruit and blessing of Grace realized and taking shape in the New Nature’s
manifestation in the heart. It is
looking out into the horizon with tears in your eyes… that renew, are not lost,
but are found.
Finding yourself is the pain of the human journey. Today’s
Gospel has the best example of this with the one son who had to go off , get
into trouble and discover for himself that he needed to come full circle with
his life to get back on track. One thing not mentioned and is a good point—what
about the “good” brother? Could he have been considered lost as well? Again
that comes down to what we have naturally made “appealing.” Being judge and
juror is something that works off of the Old Nature, it also is built by and
through the ego. And as we heard, the “good” brother was quite mad at his dad
for forgiving the renegade son and points out all that he has done… which he’s
missing the point, isn’t he? Who said it
would ever be easy—we must not forget that.
Selflessness, acceptance, compassion, mercy and more are
so alien to us—face it. They are
beautiful Words to hear but do they anchor themselves truly and truthfully in
our hearts? Our hearts—that ship of the
soul, the 1st church where the Holy Spirit works to crack open and
reap that New Nature—New Creature! Thinking of St. Francis here, but how could
we ever be vessels, instruments of peace—if we have not reconciled where we
are? Neglecting the hearts formation in, with and through Christ leads to
destruction.
Are we in times of crisis, where evil is reigning
unchecked and unchallenged? I hope not but I must, as you must live into something
beyond hopefulness! If we allow ourselves to become numb and the world, a
circus… we will know the pain of regret, the fruits of sin with its grief and
sadness. And speaking frankly… but Christ Jesus gave us so much more to live
for!!
Our heavenly Father forgave us in more ways than we could
ever understand… but this one solitary earthly life is not to be lived lightly
as a spectator seeking agenda or glory. This one solitary earthly life is to
blossom and bloom in, with and through Christ sailing boldly across that trembling
sea of fear, uncertainty and eventual death as a New Creature, building a New
World full of New Life! Grace upon Grace, Hope beyond hope—the Kingdom of God!
Let us Pray:
Gracious and Loving Lord Jesus,
Continue to anchor our hearts
To the Gospel of Grace
Help us to be sailors upon those rough seas
Hold and bind us together as the Body
Those ships destined for a much greater horizon…
May we never not be grateful for all You have given us,
taught us
To You be all honor, glory and praise—
AMEN
March 6th,
2016; 4th Sunday of Lent; Year C; SOLA Lectionary
Sermon by
Reverend Nicole A. M. Collins, FODM
Psalm 32,
Isaiah 12:1-6, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Below is a youtube link to this sermon's delivery at the Grace Hub Lutheran Orthodox Church
https://youtu.be/OVqKIqL5Uho
https://youtu.be/OVqKIqL5Uho
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