“Fixing the Circle, Part 1”
September 17, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I’m really proud of our St. Andrew church family. I’m not just saying that because I’m your pastor, but I genuinely am proud of us, everything we’ve gone through, and everything which, by the grace of God, we’ve been able to accomplish as a church family. I know I’ve probably never said it much before, and I probably should definitely say it more often, especially since it would greatly help our morale to hear it more often, so I wish to apologize for not saying so as often as I should have. What’s especially helped me realize this has been talking to a number of people around the community and other places, and being able to talk about everything we’ve already got planned now that the summer break is over: we just had a wonderful Rally Day and Youth Sunday last week; we’re looking forward to being able to reach people in a special way at the Pretzel Festival this weekend; we’re going to be taking our youth and possibly other special guests on a trip to Tom’s Maze in October; we’re going to be welcoming back DAMAC in November, as well as having a lock-in for the youth. And, most importantly, we have our Fall Dinner coming up on November 4th, which is not only a tradition we ourselves been particularly proud of, but which many others look forward to year after year. In fact, many of us probably have gotten asked throughout the year if we’re going to do it again. As I talked about a couple of weeks ago, the fact that we are a small town church, with a multi-generational family makeup with several committed families, are ready and eager to offer friendship and support to everyone in our church family, and have a traditional yet flexible worship style, are all things that remain appealing, and relevant, to many people today. So, we really do have a lot to be proud of for ourselves, to celebrate and continue to be, and especially keep on being who we are, because who we are is special enough. And, if we continue to build on these strengths and special qualities we have, we will continue to be in a position to grow upward from where we’ve been.
And in order for us to grow, we are to be a place where people can feel welcome, comfortable, and accepted. And in order for that to take place, there is to be an atmosphere of genuine welcoming, support, and acceptance, which can mainly be created through letting people know they are welcomed in right away, valued as part of our church family, and have everything they wish to contribute be celebrated and fully utilized. And this comes from helping people to feel safe as part of our church family – where people can feel embraced and protected by us. Unfortunately, there are certain things which can disrupt this ambition, especially gossip. Gossip and misinformation can cause much hurt and misunderstanding. Without knowing the situation involved, and simply guessing, there can be a lot of damage done to reputations. It can break family and friendship circles, which is why today’s Sermon is titled “Fixing the Circle” – since harsh words, rumors, and talebearing can break apart relationships if left unchecked. Gossip is usually an inevitable part of the culture in small towns such as ours, but in order for us to be a welcoming church family, we are to be mindful of how we act towards each other, and towards potential new members of our church family, which at this point can easily be anyone in our community.
As it happens, Martin Luther offers a simple example for how to be able to be an antidote to gossip and rumors. In his Small Catechism, Luther explains the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” in this way: “We should fear and love God so that we do not deceitfully misrepresent, betray, slander, or defame (or lie about) our neighbors, but defend them, speak well of them, and put the best construction on everything.” In every situation, especially those involving our neighbor, we are to apply the law of love. We are to seek true understanding of what is happening, and to know the facts before making any sort of assumptions or statements. We are also to put the best construction on our neighbor’s actions, because, although we may not fully understand our neighbor’s motives, he or she is still doing both what he or she knows to be best and is able to do. It is not our job to police behavior, nor is it our job to insist on conformity in appearance or adherence to what we believe rules ought to be. That is why Paul emphasizes in our Second Reading from Romans that all the commandments can be summed up simply as “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The commandments are meant to provide us with the best relationships: we love and respect God by worshipping Him as the one true God, honoring His Name, and spending time with Him regularly. A good and healthy relationship with God then leads to us seeking healthy relationships with each other: looking out for each other’s health and well-being, protecting each other’s livelihoods and reputations, and making sure our neighbors keep everything of value that is rightfully theirs. We have a responsibility to each other, just as Jesus has a responsibility to us. In fact, that is what the hymn we sang earlier, “Trust and Obey,” really means: to be happy in Jesus means to follow His example. And the example He has provided us is one of care and concern for each other, just as He does for us. Jesus cares about our reputations, and wants us to be safe with Him, which is why He accepts us for who we are. He then wants us to do the same to others – to accept others for who they are, and to have them feel safe with us.
All that being said, as Ezekiel admonishes us in today’s First Reading, if we do know of someone, especially someone in our families or close circle of friends, who is engaging in behavior or habits that are genuinely and visibly causing harm to themselves, their well-being, their families, or their relationships, then we do have the right to step in and intervene. This is a part of having responsibility to each other, and expressing it in a helpful way. But, again, this is only to be done where real and obvious harm or hurt is taking place, and multiple people are involved and affected. It is also, according to the example Jesus lays out in today’s Gospel Reading, to be done in a genuine manner of concern one-on-one, as confidentially and privately as possible, involving only those who can exercise the same sort of loving approach. We are not to put ourselves in the position of judge in those cases, or assume some sort of moral superiority, but instead as equal family members and friends who have shared in the same struggle. Yes, we are trying to confront sin. But we can even say that this is the real definition of sin is not simply breaking or disobeying laws or commandments, but causing great harm to ourselves or others. When we confess that we have sinned against God and each other in thought, word, and deed, we are confessing those things which we have done to either cause harm or wish harm on ourselves or others. As we confess, we are also to resolve to amend our ways and behaviors, especially to have how we behave towards others reflect the example of Jesus.
Thankfully, because Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross, and then rose again, all our sins are forgiven. Everything we have done to hurt ourselves and others has been erased, and we are able to start over again with new thoughts, new actions, and new ways of living towards others. As we embrace this new way of living and being, we are able to demonstrate the unique kind of family we are, and bring more people to a relationship with God. And as we do so, we will be able to love God and love others, and truly fulfill God’s law.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
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