“Opened by the Risen Jesus:
Opened Arms”
May 29, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and
peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen.
What do we need? That’s the question
we ought to be asking this morning, as we are gathering together after several
struggles which have taken place in our society. Today we remember the nineteen
innocent children and two teachers whose lives were so cruelly taken from them
at the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Just the past couple of weeks have
shown us how violence seems to be on the rise, as more frequent shootings and
threats of shootings have taken place. Arguments take place over how to resolve
the issue of increased violence. We remain divided in other areas, and it also
seems like it has become easier to insult people, to speak without any thought as
to the consequences of how our words may affect another person, affect our
relationships with others, or how we may be thought of. The instinct nowadays seems
to be to try to assert opinion or ideology, and to tear down, rather than build
up; to emphasize differences and divisions rather than commonality and unity;
to try to seek out our own “tribe” rather than reach out to build relationships
with others; to push away rather than embrace. But that is what the world needs
more than ever before: to be embraced. We need to be united, and to belong. We
need to be comforted as things seem to be even more fearful and uncertain.
Strange
as it sounds, we can say that what it seems like the world needs right now is a
hug. People just need to feel reassured – reassured that
eventually, even though things seem to be out of control right now, things are
going to get better. But as we know personally, sometimes when we feel like
nothing is going right, everything is out of control, and no one else seems to
care, we just need someone to give us a hug. A hug shows us that someone cares
enough about us to embrace us, and feeling someone’s arms around us helps us to
feel supported, and to feel physical touch assures us that someone real is
there to be there for us. A hug also creates a circle – a circle in which we
know we are accepted and included, and in which everyone who is part of that
hug is being held and held up.
In continuing to talk about the
various parts of the liturgy which make up our service, one which we hear without
fail every single Sunday is the Benediction. The Benediction, like many parts
of our liturgy, is taken directly from the Bible, in this case Numbers 6:24-26.
I will not recite it in full since we will be hearing it towards the end of our
service anyway, but what we can say is that it is an expression of God’s
welcoming love. The Benediction is God giving His people, and all people, a
hug. It is His way of showing who He really is: someone who is kind, and who
wants nothing more than to show how much He cares for everyone. When we hear
that God is blessing us and keeping us, we are hearing that God is giving us
every good thing, freely and without any condition; and that He is preserving
us and keeping us safe through all the struggles and trials of life. This is
also the same invitation He makes in today’s Second Reading from Revelation, where
He invites everyone who is thirsty to come and be refreshed by Him – to be
refreshed by His power and re-energized to keep going and feel encouraged. Him
making His face shine on us and being gracious to us means that He is looking
on us in love, is looking out for us, and is paying attention to us in a positive,
caring way at all times. His constantly being interested in us and watching
over us at every moment is not something we are to be afraid of, but something
we are to be comforted by – the fact that there is always someone who cares
about us, what is happening to us, and is doing something about it. Then, God
looking on us with favor means that we have His special attention – He not only
cares about all people, He cares about us personally. Everything He does is for
our good, and for our benefit. Finally, God gives us peace – peace, which, as
heard last week, comes from knowing that He, and He alone is in control, that
He is causing everything to work out according to His plan, and He will prevail
over everything else in the end. This, once again, is God’s way of giving us,
and everyone, a supportive hug, to let us know that He is not only there, He is
actively working in our lives, showing us His love and blessing in every way,
and He will always be there, no matter what. Part of the reason the Benediction
is almost always said with arms raised is to show that God is extending His arms
out towards all of us to give us a hug. God is inviting us to come into His embrace;
all are included in God’s loving embrace, and no one is excluded. His arms are
open to everyone, and He pushes no one away. Even when Jesus died on the cross,
His arms were opened wide – meaning that everyone who believes in Him, and
accepts Him as Lord and Savior, is accepted unconditionally. These are the
words the whole world needs to hear, and all people need to feel, right now. This
is the kind of hug from God we can also be giving everyone, starting with each
other.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus
prays that we would all be one. This is something we hear every year, and
something which is preached on frequently, but the actual need for us to be one
is greater than ever before. The unity Jesus wants for us is something far more
than just a vague aspiration, or even a sentimental feeling. It is a real
action and goal. It is something we are to be actively working for, by working
to break down barriers which have kept us from embracing each other. These
include any differences in political, moral, social, doctrinal, or theological
belief or opinion, which we have used to create different circles to which we
insist some belong and others do not, rather than seeking to create one large
circle, where all are included based on Jesus. It means eliminating any personal
suspicions we may have devised towards each other, and instead seeking to open
ourselves up to each other to form relationships. It further means, as we will
celebrate next week, welcoming each other and all baptized believers like us to
receive Communion, without any restrictions or exclusions, where no one is to
be kept away from receiving Communion for any reason. It ultimately means,
rather than finding reasons and excuses to push each other away, as we have
done for so long, to find ways of discovering what we share in common, what our
shared desires and goals are, and we are hoping for together. And, hopefully,
what we are hoping for together is to be responsible for each other.
As, once again, we are reminded
in the Benediction, God assumes a special responsibility towards us: to watch
over us and care for us in every way at all times. As believers in Jesus, we
have a responsibility to each other. As people who, in acting like Jesus, act as
Jesus towards each other, we are to have the same responsibility towards each
other that God has towards us. We are to be concerned about each other’s needs.
We are to show compassion to each other, accepting each other’s struggles, and
providing whatever support we can to each other. In various ways, we are even
to give each other hugs, hugs of support, and hugs of acceptance. We are to open
our arms to everyone, and encourage everyone by embracing everyone freely. We
are called to live together not only in unity, but in community – living in one
place together at peace with each other. Even though living under pandemic
conditions has probably caused us to forget what it is like, we are still
called to live in community. One of the most encouraging things I witnessed yesterday
at the dedication ceremony for the Hometown Heroes Banners was how many people
were there. I have to admit I was a bit surprised, since I was expecting maybe
a handful of people, but there turned out to be a large crowd. I was reminded
that, for the past couple of years, with the pandemic, our community hasn’t
really had much of a chance to gather together to celebrate all that often, and
Farmersville hasn’t really had anything to observe Memorial Day for a long
time, so this was a perfect opportunity to be able to do so – for us to be able
to celebrate the weekend in a special way, and for us to be able to see and
visit with each other. Opportunities to celebrate together in this way help us
to feel like a community – and when we feel like a community, we know that we
have a group of people we can count on for support. In the same way, when we
seek to be at peace and in unity with each other, we know that we are part of a
group, or, more importantly, a family, which we can count on for love, care,
and support. When we are at peace with each other, our witness to what we
believe, especially about God’s love, is a lot more effective and believable –
it is easier for other people to accept what we have to say as true if we are
living what we believe towards each other.
Today, in Revelation 22:17 God
gives us an invitation: “Come.” If you are struggling and in need of any kind
of help or encouragement; if you are in need of healing in your mind or body; if
you need to get rid of something which has been keeping you from living your
best life; if you need a fresh start for your life; if you need guidance and
direction; or, if you just need to know you are loved, come to Him. If you need
to feel included, that you belong to a loving, supportive family, come to Him,
and come to us, His family. And, we all are to come to God, and, in being
united together in His loving embrace, be united to each other, as we accept
and embrace each other as members of one family. May we be one, and may we be
able to give each other, and the whole world, a hug.
Now may the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
“Opened By the Risen Jesus:
Opened Hearts”
May 22, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and
peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen.
As long as I have been in ministry, I
have had the privilege of being able to meet, and serve, many unique and memorable
individuals. I frequently think of one man in particular, whom I had the
pleasure of being able to know in Northern California, and who went to be with
the Lord just last year. He was someone who had served in the Army, during the
Korean War, and had been a Drill Sergeant, mostly training new soldiers stationed
in Japan, as well as being in charge of North Korean prisoners in a prison
camp. He would tell stories about how he would be rough and tough with both the
soldiers under his command, and the prisoners under his charge. By the time I
met him, however, it would have been impossible to know anything about his past
without him telling anything. Over the years, he had become both a gentle man,
and a gentleman, in every sense of the word. His wife had passed away not long
before I first met him, and he still cherished her memory fondly. Together they
had raised a family, which had grown by leaps and bounds by the time he passed
away, including fifteen great grandchildren. He was also an avid baker, and
would frequently deliver homemade banana breads and cookies to various people
and groups around the neighborhood. But what he was particularly remembered
for, and what I remember him for the most, was having a large heart. He had a
genuine care and concern for everyone he knew, and made sure to provide them
with the best he had to offer. Practically everyone he knew was family to him: at
one point, he was even taking care of at least three single-parent families who
were not related to him, but he still took on the responsibility of caring for.
No matter what anyone needed, he was willing to go above and beyond to provide
it for them. He was someone whom God had truly blessed with a large and open
heart. And it was evident that not only was his heart open to other people, but
his heart was open to God: he was also a man who demonstrated great faith and
trust in God. He was committed strongly to following God, and could always be
counted on to be a positive encourager: he certainly was a positive encourager
for me on many occasions. He had faced many challenges in his life, but he
trusted God to keep him safe and bring him through. He also did not let the
challenges he faced cause his heart to grow small in any way: one of the families
he provided for unfortunately ended up stealing from him at one point, but he did
not let that incident interfere with his desire to care for other people in any
way. He simply trusted God to keep giving him the ability to have an open heart
to everyone. Since his heart was open to God, his heart was able to be open to
everyone he knew.
In today’s Gospel reading, in order
to have our own hearts become large, we are encouraged to open our hearts to
God, and so have our hearts be opened to each other. Jesus says that whoever
loves Him keeps His word: in this case, keeping our hearts open to Him, so He
can come and make His home in our hearts. By doing so, He changes us every day
to become more like Him. He also promises that He will send someone to help us
keep our hearts open to Him: the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. In Greek, the Holy Spirit
is called the Paraclete, which literally means someone who is running
alongside us at all times, who we can count on for help and support in any
situation. The word Paraclete also means someone who speaks up on behalf of
someone else: whenever we are in any kind of trouble, or in any kind of
conflict, the Holy Spirit speaks up for us, and asks God for help in solving
our troubles – which God always does. The Holy Spirit also leads us in the life
Jesus wants for us, and encourages us to keep living that life.
In John 14:27, Jesus tells us the
life He wants for us: a life of peace. Usually when we think of peace, we think
of the absence of violence, which we certainly do hope and pray for as the
fighting between Ukraine and Russia continues without any sign of letting up,
or after the recent shootings in Laguna Woods, California, and Buffalo, New
York. However, peace is not simply just the absence of violence, but it is the
absence of conflict. Unfortunately, conflict is inevitable. The events of the
past couple of years have created quite a bit of conflict. Conflict, as we have
also seen, frequently comes from fear. Fear comes from feeling as though we’ve
lost control – that we should be in control and able to deal with whatever it
is we’re facing, but we don’t know what to do. This means that we try to regain
control in whatever way we can – which causes us to be frustrated, even angry,
because we feel helpless and powerless, that we’re not in charge, and in turn
leads to more conflict. Conflict is also caused by a lack of understanding,
which, again, comes from a desire to control, rather than either accept the
situation for what it is. So the only solution to fear is peace. However, the
peace Jesus promises us is not peace which we can somehow create for ourselves.
This is what He means when He says the peace He offers is not as the world gives:
it comes from us giving up control. This is what Jesus means when He encourages
us to not let our hearts be troubled: the more we struggle to gain control, the
more troubled we become. But true peace comes from waiting patiently for Jesus
to act. It is peace which, in Hebrew, is described as Shalom, the peace
that comes from letting go of our own desire to be in charge, and letting God
be in charge instead. It comes not through our own brainstorming, but instead
through open and honest prayer: by describing our fears and struggle to Jesus in
as much detail and in whatever words we want to, asking for His help, and then letting
go of our struggle – trusting that Jesus is taking care of it, and it is not up
to us to work hard to find a solution any longer: Jesus Himself will reveal a
solution at the right time.
At this point, I wish to continue
the promise I made at the beginning of this month, to talk about the various
parts of the worship service. This week, we’re going to be talking about one
part which we frequently take for granted, but which is a lot of the reason we
gather together each week: prayer. The reason we are here is to be able to pray
to God: to bring our praises and what we’re thankful for, and to bring our
worries and conflicts to God, to place in His hands to resolve, so we can be at
peace. I can tell all of you, with absolute honesty, that some of the most
rewarding experiences I have been able to share with many of you the past few
years have been when I have been able to pray with you. I greatly enjoy being
able to listen to you as you’ve talked about your joys and struggles, and then
together we’ve been able either to thank God for what He’s blessed you with, or
be able to turn your struggles and conflicts over to God to take care of. I’ve
also enjoyed being able to pray with others in our community in other places,
whether it’s been out on the street, in people’s homes, over the phone, at
CAMP, or even at the Village Inn. Notice also in our Second Reading from
Revelation that in heaven there is no temple – Jesus Himself is the temple.
This means that since Jesus is everywhere, in both heaven and on earth, we can
pray to Him any time, anywhere – and take advantage of every opportunity we
have to pray. When we offer our prayers for various needs in the world, as we will
do in just a few minutes, we will both be calling to mind the needs of many
people both here and around the world, and turning those needs over to God to
take care of. Furthermore, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer together, we are not
just reciting ritual words: we are asking God for certain things, both from Him
and for each other. We are asking Him for His help in living in such a way
where we bring honor and maintain a good reputation for His name; to live as
His Kingdom here on earth, where He reigns supreme among us; to provide us, and
everyone else, with what we need to be able to survive each day; to be forgiven,
and to forgive; and, finally, at all times and in every moment, good and bad,
to praise and thank God for who He is and how wonderful He is to us. The reason
we pray the Lord’s Prayer is we are praying for what God wants for us, and for
everyone. In fact, the most effective prayers are the ones where we pray for what
God wants: specifically, He wants us to live in peace with each other, support
and encourage each other, and show compassion to each other because of our
common struggles. So if we pray for these things, that is what we will be given
– but the key is always to ask what God really wants for us, and then pray for
it to happen. When we pray for each other, we are also acting on behalf of the
Holy Spirit: just as the Holy Spirit is someone who runs alongside us to
encourage us at all times, we are also going along with each other to provide
encouragement. We can be paracletes to each other. Praying for each
other is also a wonderful way of showing that our hearts are open to each other;
that we are willing to respect and honor each other’s struggles; and that we
are there to support each other through every kind of struggle. In the past few
years, we have had to deal with many things – but many of these are experiences
we have shared and struggled with together. Which means that we can show
compassion, and understanding, to each other because we have these shared
experiences in common. Praying for each other helps us be able to understand
each other better, because we have to listen to each other in order to know
what to pray for. When this happens, the more at peace with each other we can be.
Being at peace with each other means we can continue to have an open heart for
each other, and so have our hearts be open to where God is leading us together.
So let us be large-hearted encouragers, as we pray for and support each other
and everyone else, and let us live with Jesus in control of us.
Now may the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Amen.
