Sunday Sermon June
17, 2012
Gen. 2:18-23, 1Cor 12:24-27, Jn 15:1-8
This was an interactive sermon meaning the congregation participated in learning what God was doing and saying to us. I asked two questions and the congregation got into groups of 4-6 and discussed the questions and then responded to their discoveries. It was an interesting discussion about what God is doing in this faith community during this transition time.
Prayer:
We are continuing our series “Wandering Pilgrims where we’ve reflected that life often times has us experiencing wilderness times. Truth is… we should expect the wilderness or wandering times because they will take place. Last week we focused on “if you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.” That getting out of the boat is often times risky and fearful, but that we need to trust Jesus because Jesus believes we can do what he is asking.
Today… our readings reflect and our focus will be that… “We Need
Each Other”
I read a
story from Ward Williams and thought it was a good analogy to why we need each
other…. "Those
of you who live in suburbia know how some people take great pride in their
lawn. They do every imaginable thing to have the most beautiful and best
manicured lawn in the neighborhood. When we lived in Connecticut our neighbor
was such an individual. He was justly proud of his half-acre, until one year a
heavy crop of dandelions appeared. He tried everything imaginable in an effort
to get rid of them, but without success.
Finally,
in desperation, he wrote to the Connecticut State Agricultural College, listing
the remedies he had tried, and concluded with the appeal, What shall I do about
my dandelions now? Not long after, he received a brief reply: We suggest that
you learn to love them."
-Ward Williams, A stable God, vheadline.com.
-Ward Williams, A stable God, vheadline.com.
We are a faith community when we are together. This means we are on a journey of faith… and by
faith we do our best to live in Christ-likeness. This journey is often a journey of discovery…
not only for myself, but also for us collectively.
Some think this journey is dumb and stupid… after-all is all about just hiring a pastor. As a pastor I take offence to that… because what it’s about is growing in faith and becoming disciples or Jesus followers and not just about having someone do church, or baptize, marry & bury. On Confirmation Sunday someone commented to me that I was a rent-a-pastor… NO…. what we are doing is about growing in faith together. Growing in forgiveness and grace together. This is about learning that we need each other
Last Sunday we worked on Cross’s history time-line and near
the end someone said that they were glad we were doing this together and that
we are still a community that needs each other. This person was moved by the fact that being
with one another was still part of who we are as a faith community.
Today all three of our reading focus on connecting us to
each other.
- Gen 2:18… God says, “It isn’t good for man to be alone, I will make a suitable partner.”
- Paul uses body imagery in 1Cor as a metaphor to
being together.- Gen 2:18… God says, “It isn’t good for man to be alone, I will make a suitable partner.”
- Jesus talks about being connected to the vine.
- These stories help us visualize how God desires the church or as I’m fond of saying, “The Faith Community” to be.
So… with this in mind… I want to do something a bit
different. I want us to have a conversation together in
reflecting on our 1Cor and Gospel stories. That’s right… you are going to reflect on our
readings for the rest of the sermon. The purpose of this is to help us understand what God is doing and to help us discover a metaphor for our life together.
I’m going to ask you 2 questions to help you
reflect. This is an exercise in being with each other and
discovering what God is up to.
Those seated on my
right will reflect on 1Cor 12:24-27 story (Pg 153 in your bibles)
Those on my left will
reflect on John 15:1-8 story (Pg 95 in your bibles).
What did you discover? What is God up to?
Paul tells us that together we are the body of Christ.
Two brothers worked
together on the family farm. One was married and had a large family. The other
was single. At the day's end, the brothers shared everything equally, produce
and profit.
Then one day the single
brother said to himself, It's not right that we should share equally the
produce and the profit. I'm alone, and my needs are simple. So each night he
took a sack of grain from his bin and crept across the field between their
houses, dumping it into his brother's bin.
Meanwhile, the married
brother said to himself, It's not right that we should share the produce and
the profit equally. After all, I'm married, and I have my wife and children to
look after me in years to come. My brother has no one, and no one to take care
of his future. So each night he took a sack of grain and dumped it into his
single brother's bin.
Both men were puzzled for
years because their supply of grain never dwindled. Then one dark night the two
brothers bumped into each other. Slowly it dawned on them what was happening.
They dropped their sacks and embraced one another.
Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, A 2nd Helping of
Chicken Soup for the Soul
See You Out on the Road
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