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In looking out my windows seeing the beautiful blossoms on the trees. ...made me think about God and the grace that surrounds us all. It also had me wondering. ... What exactly did Jesus mean when he tells His disciples, He had “conquered the world?” Imagine for a moment, where the disciples were, spiritually that is, in hearing that. .. ? I bet it was both encouraging as well as near terrifying to hear for every day people that they truly were… Fishermen, carpenters, tax collectors and so on. Our sense of victory, we must realize, is much different than what God’s sense of victory is. For as we know Christ Jesus would become Christus Victor by defeating sin, death and the power of evil at that Cross and through His resurrection.
For the disciples it would be the challenge to faithfully
endure. Beyond the persecutions and
myriads of stumbling blocks they would face, one could definitely see how it could
be a lonely road. In this day and age,
that lonely road is far more daunting especially when you may feel as if you
are sojourning in a world spiraling towards being without God. The
deep dark secret of your heart should only be opened to God to know. Sharing
love as a gift to your neighbor alongside all kinds of rejection that you may
face when you are living into what the Gospel is calling you to do and be, is
the pain of seeking the Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.
We need not harbor boundaries when it comes to loving
God, responding to Him. All too often however, our fears drown
out the pursuit of the cross, the one we must bear as disciples of
Jesus. This is where we need to open ourselves up to trusting in
the Lord for a greater goal beyond anything we could ever strive for. Being
called by God and being controlled by the world doesn't claim the mission of
the gospel.... it only builds towards its destruction! We all have been
commissioned by Christ and are built up by His love and Grace for the daily battle.
Victory is an inner peace that the Lord renews your opened heart to truly feel.
In some senses you could say that God has the last Word, and the world, does
not.
God is having the last Word, He more or less is
"still speaking," trying to reach out to us. This can be seen
in the beauty of nature, things created establishing this very life! The
Lord needs our hopefulness, our endurance and our commitment.
This Friday, I was blessed to share in the joy of being a
supportive colleague to a woman’s ordination. Ordination in its most positive
light is a wonderful affirmation of commitment that you share with your loved
ones and friends and eventually the world.
In remembering mine, the pain of six years of struggling and church world politics dissolved into revealing a humbling victory of the Lord affirming His call to my heart to serve! HE CALLED ME, not human. I was blessed to have my pastor and dear friends there to participate and witness with me, the culmination of my conversion experience’s goal. It is a revealing in many ways of what we strive for. It becomes an example of being a bold witness and putting aside those fears in order to take up the cross of leadership. We vow to be and become servant leaders. The means of Grace with the laying on of hands is not just the moment of consecration but a revealing of living into love. It is truly a sign of brotherly, sisterly love to those seeking a vow of service to God and neighbor!
What was particularly lovely to witness with hers is that
she served for a number of years as a devoted Lutheran Deaconess. Just for her ordination, she found a tailor
to transform her Deaconess stole into a pastoral stole. For her, this was a sign of further transformation
in her service to others and for her witnesses, I can say it was an even
greater joy! I was so glad to be there
for her and hopeful of the future we jointly share in service!
The second lesson this morning is once again from John of
Patmos. An exile and a visionary commissioned by God to poetically paint an
amazing picture of heaven, here and now. The New Jerusalem is here, a
holy city where the church is no more because God is revealed in the here and
now and truly amongst us!
We are assured by faith that we indeed are children of
grace and promise. The sacrifice is great, but our hearts will be united
by that wonderful peace, that wonderful joy that only trusting in the Lord can
give us. I don't know about you, but what have you been wanting to ask God to
receive? How many here remember that really silly Jim Carey film, Bruce
Almighty? ...In one scene in particular, he deals with the frustration of
answering so many prayers by first having an email account to God established and
finally giving up because of the overwhelming volume…he decides to grant them
all. He fulfills all of their prayers! Well as you can imagine the
following scenes. ...everyone wins the lottery, everyone gets to do anything
they want and so on. ... Consumer American satire at its absolute best!
Have you ever thought, though, to ask for something that
was beyond you? When you don't get it, could it possibly be that God is
perhaps trying to teach you or challenge you to grow, to be shaped in what He
needs you to be? These are good questions that build towards the lifetime
journey. Love can be a two way street in the world but through Christ it is wholly
one and unites us all most beautifully. Once we realize those moments of
a uniting love and beautiful peace which encapsulate seeing, envisioning that New
kingdom in the here and now that beautiful city, the kingdom of God… we
can see our humbling glory in the victory of Christ’s plans for us!
No matter where we are or what we do as the priesthood of
all believers the gospel calls us to be a jewel within the setting of God's
kingdom. He calls us to blossom like those flowers out my living room
glass patio door window. He calls us to lift up those heavy burdens and lift
them with a great love and grateful tears.
The other day I was definitely faced with a challenge. ..
I sat in to care for a young man suffering from advanced Parkinson's
disease. I have never been exposed to someone suffering like this
before. Not only was he not able to really speak much at all but he was
completely reliant on someone to help him walk. It was here that I failed
him for I couldn't carry him and he even fell or should I say we fell together
nearly missing the edge of his bathtub! It was in that very moment God revealed
to me the true humility of service. The pastoral role is so much more than
being a compassionate ear or as some think, a fount of knowledge. ... I needed
to physically express compassion towards this man and I was not adequate, I was
not up to the task.
Yes, it's true that I'll probably never see this man
again since it was an emergency substitute situation. ... but in order for me
to truly be what God needs me to be, I must stretch and challenge myself beyond
myself. ...there and only then will the beauty of God's love and grace reveal
the Kingdom, the beautiful city of God!
And yes, I am singing that Godspell tune in my head!
My newly ordained colleague has a brand new journey ahead
of her, I can only hope that she continues to be encouraged. We all need
to encourage one another wherever we are on that discipleship road. In
whatever we are doing to serve Christ and His mission for this one solitary
life on this floating rock in space! We will have an eternal peace with the
Lord but why not DO big now from a heart transformed by that Holy Spirit
Wisdom! Our united love builds that foundation of peace and the spiritual
fruits of beauty—the kingdom of God. Righteousness is built and claimed by
a pure heart that doesn’t fall prey to the ego—the world of the self.
It would be Francis of Assisi to remind us that our
common home is like a sister or a brother with whom we share our life and a
beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. Amen
Let us Pray,
Gracious Lord Jesus,
Grant us this beautiful courage
To endure our long and sometimes lonely journey
May our hearts be shaped by You, a God always speaking
Teaching us a New Creature humility and a New Way of
being
In the world but definitely not of it and aspiring
evermore
For that Kingdom in the here and now
United may our lives preach, teach and lead to this final
victory!
To Your Glory we are children
From Your Grace, we know Peace.
AMEN
May 1st, 2016; Sixth Sunday
of Easter; Year C; SOLA Lectionary
Sermon By Reverend Nicole
A.M. Collins, FODM
Psalm 67; Acts 16:9-15;
Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27; John 16:23-33
The link below is to the sermon's delivery at a special vespers service on Thursday April 28th, 2016 at the Grace Hub Lutheran Orthodox's house church service, 7pm
https://youtu.be/rB8EKDblPdE
https://youtu.be/rB8EKDblPdE
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