“Fixing the Circle, Part 2”
September 24, 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 was really encouraged by what we, by the grace of God, were able to accomplish at our Pretzel Festival booth yesterday, and I want to offer my personal thank you to everyone who came to staff the booth, helped haul water and materials, helped lead the kids’ craft, which was especially popular this year; sewed the quilts, which we’re going to be raffling off today; and who donated money for buying water and ice. And, we’re not done yet – we’re back at it again this afternoon, and we’re looking forward to another awesome great day! If you haven’t stopped by to see us at Veterans Park yet, come on down! We’re over by the Armed Forces flags at what’s probably the best-smelling corner of the park, next to a candle seller and across from what seem to be the most popular pretzels – the line’s probably already gathering about a mile long like it was all day yesterday! I’ve actually got our application in hand for next year already, and as soon as Council approves, we’re going to get it in ASAP to make sure we get the same spot, since, as I’ve been calling it, we have “prime real estate” right where we are. Now, especially since where we’re at is a high traffic area in general, it definitely seemed like not only were there a lot more people at the Festival than last year, but a lot more people stopped at our booth. In fact, talking about our kids’ craft, someone said that it seemed like there was more action over at the kids’ table than there was up front – to which I say, praise God! As a matter of fact, those of you who are working the booth this afternoon, please make sure you encourage all families with kids to go to the craft table to make a bracelet – to see the joy the kids have been having while they make their bracelets and having fun together has been rewarding itself.
One thing that happened was we not only were able to get the word out about our Fall Dinner and DAMAC concert coming up in November, but this year we sold more cookbooks than we did last year. Which means people still have a hunger for good home-cooked meals, and goodness knows we’ve had some excellent cooks in our church’s history!
But not only that, this year, we also started passing out small pocket Bibles, like the Gideons give away, and like in this picture. Those are actually almost gone after yesterday, which is encouraging, because it shows people still have a hunger for God’s Word. As a matter of fact, to put in an early plea: if any of you have small pocket Bibles that you want to give away, we’ll start collecting them now, to give away next year, since, again, they went fast like our cookbooks did. Which, again, shows that, especially with the ongoing problems of this day and age, people are hungry to hear some good news. And that’s ultimately our job, that’s why we’re here – to tell people good news. To let people know some real good news, that God loves us, and all people. He sent Jesus to die and rise again both to have our sins be forgiven, and to demonstrate His extreme love for us. We’re to tell people that, no matter what they’ve done, no matter what kind of life they’ve led, even no matter what others may think of them, God loves, forgives, and accepts them. He also promises to give a new life and new direction to everyone who asks Him for a change and guidance.
But in order to make sure that this good news is heard clearly, and we tell it clearly, there are things we have to be mindful of and change about ourselves. We are the medium through which the message is communicated, and our overall attitude toward life and other people can either make the good news easy or hard to hear. Much of the reason I have been writing out my sermons for the past couple of years is to make sure that what I have to say is clear and easily heard, without any room for doubt or ambiguity. I also have been wanting to make sure I say clearly what needs to be said for the sake of encouraging us as individual Christians, as well as our church family, to move forward from where we have been. And, unfortunately, the place where we have been as a society, and at times as individuals, has been one of negativity and a desire for vengeance. Politics have divided us even further than before, with the response to the covid pandemic, the economic and social fallout further driving a wedge between already-existing divisions, and creating even more anger, hatred, and suspicion between groups. Furthermore, the current political and social climate justifies vengeance and anger by calling it either a desire for justice, rights, or restoration of values. We have become both easily inflamed and easily offended. And, what has happened is we have become more easily prone to anger.
Once again, it is easy to justify anger. It is also more easy to become angry because we are programmed, as human beings, to fight back when we feel hurt. We also easily hold on to grudges, because they make us feel good about ourselves. It gives us a sense of power and control to be able to feel superior towards someone by holding a grudge against them. Unfortunately, even though it is easy to do so, like any sort of addiction, it eventually eats away at us and causes us to die slowly inside. This is why Jesus uses the specific image of torture in today’s Gospel reading, because even though anger may give us a temporary good feeling, it is ultimately torture. We may not realize it, but every time we act on anger, hatred, or a desire for vengeance, we’re torturing ourselves, and making ourselves suffer. Constant anger causes our heart rate to elevate, both wearing away at our heart vessels and the lining of our hearts, putting us at greater risk for strokes, among other things. But more spiritually, it makes us approach other people with suspicion and prejudice, causing us to judge and dismiss others without seeking to understand, and causing us to want to fight and argue, rather than seek relationships. And what this also does for us spiritually is damages our relationship with God: by being angry, we assume God is also angry at the same people we are, and hates the same people we do.
But to avoid being consumed and dying such a slow spiritual death, there is a way out. Right here, right now, we can repent of all those things we have done, and all those thoughts we have had, which have kept us trapped in anger and negativity. We can ask God to forgive us, and help us to forgive others, look at life and other people in a new and positive way, and be in a position to want to help rather than harm. In order to move forward, we have to let go of all the things we have been angry about. We have to let go of all the grudges and resentments we’ve been holding against others. We also have to recognize, and remind ourselves, that God is a God of unconditional love: He has accepted us for who we are, forgiven us for all the ways we have hurt ourselves and each other, and has done this for everyone, even those we may not think deserve His love and acceptance. Most of all, we have to let go of any overall attitude of anger, vengeance, or reaction, and embrace the opportunity God is giving us to be content with the life He has given us, be positive about where He is leading us, seek out connections with the people God has put in our lives, and learn from what our experiences may be.
To get back to what we were talking about before, with being able to tell people good news, once again, our attitude determines how clearly that good news is heard. And if we Christians are known for being angry and reactionary against things, then that good news won’t be heard clearly. A faith that is based on anger, and expresses itself in a desire for vengeance, or in reacting against whatever is happening, is ultimately ineffective in witnessing to true Christianity. As Christians, we do not seek vengeance against each other, or against groups of people. We also do not seek to oppose, debate, or “correct” people, but to seek out relationships and common ground. As Paul encourages us in today’s Second Reading, we are to recognize that even though we may be diverse in our thoughts and practices as Christians, we are still Christians, and all belong in the same family of the same God. We may not realize it, but we Christians carry a tremendous amount of influence, and people are still watching what we do and listening to what we have to say. We therefore ought to watch our conduct towards others, especially those with whom we may have disagreements, whether in personal interactions, or on social media. In all interactions, we are to exercise graciousness, compassion, mercy, and sympathy. As Christians, we are in a position to change our culture, and the world around us, more than before. And we can do so by using the spiritual power we have been given to help forgive and reconcile. We can imagine ourselves as being in the same position of power as Joseph in today’s First Reading: he not only possessed earthly power as a ruler of Egypt, but he also possessed spiritual power as a follower of God. He could have chosen to condemn and destroy his brothers for what they did to him, but instead he chose to forgive them, and to recognize that what they did ultimately turned out for the best, because he was able to help save them from hunger during a famine. In doing so, he used the authority to act on behalf of God in a way that God intended. He did so acting towards them in kindness, reflecting God’s kindness. As Paul further encourages us to remember, whether in this life or the next, we are the Lord’s. And as the Lord’s, we are who He is. We are in a position of greater authority than before – let us use this authority wisely, for God’s purposes alone.
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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