Tag Archives: Romans

The Obligation of Love (Sermon) September 7, 2014

Posted on by

Sermon – September 7, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 18) Track 1

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  Romans 13:8

Please be seated.

I don’t know about you, but I have thought a lot about love over the years.  When I was 13, a church youth newspaper printed my thoughts about love.  It was a contest of sorts and I remember receiving a check in the mail for a few dollars.  My favorite popular song at that time was, “Love Can Make You Happy.”

Our popular culture gives us plenty of messages about love, but it’s mostly about romantic love and even distorted love.

In our lessons today, we hear a lot about love…about the love of God.  Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes our sole obligation to each other – to love one another.  The Greek word used is Agape.  According to one commentary, Agape is actively doing what God prefers.  This is not about how we feel, it is about how we behave…. This is NOT about how we feel, it is about how we BEHAVE.

We are reflections of God’s love for us.  God showed us Agape, in that God came to live among us.  God, through his son, Jesus Christ, died the most horrible death at our hands.  Yet, instead of revenge, God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  God continued to show love and interest in us, despite our unworthiness and despite our rejection.  Agape is acting in ways that promote another’s good…that promote another’s welfare.

Open your Book of Common Prayer to page 305.  Let’s read the second paragraph on that page:

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

That’s what Agape is.  That’s what Paul says is our Christian obligation.

But make no mistake, this is not romantic love.  This is not conditional love – you do this for me and I’ll do that for you.  This is clear-eyed love.  This is love freely given, even when we reject it.

For example, look at our Exodus passage.  Now, most of us don’t live on farms anymore, so it might be hard to hear the details regarding the slaughter and eating of the lamb.  But even before the Israelites are freed from their oppressors, God is telling them to remember God’s love in action in freeing them from their oppressors.

Throughout this beginning part of Exodus, we continually hear God telling Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and demand that the Israelites be freed.  “Let my people go,” is the cry.  Now God, I believe, loves Pharaoh AND God is realistic about Pharaoh.  God gives Pharaoh so many chances to take the love actions.  Yet, God says in Exodus 7:14, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.”  God gives Pharaoh chance after chance to be loving to the Israelites…to not oppress them.  Yet with each time Pharaoh rejects God’s demand, Pharaoh and the Egyptians face tougher and tougher consequences.

God’s love of Pharaoh isn’t like the sweet love we so often see reflected in our culture.  This is clear-eyed love.  And just like Pharaoh, we get the chance to be guided by God…to be guided by the way God wants us to live  — love in action.  And just like God, we are smart and shrewd, wise and discerning about the reality of ourselves and of our fellow human beings.

We can work for the good of the people involved with ISIS and we are wise to the facts about the violence and evil they perpetuate.  I’m not sure I can exactly articulate how to work for their good, but it is the way we Christians are called to live.  Working for the good – active loving of the other AND knowing they are hard hearted and must face the consequences of that hard heartedness.

This agape love is challenging and hard, because our emotions pull us.  Also, our either/or thinking.  I must either love ISIS or hate ISIS.  But as Christians, we live in a both/and world.

Look at the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32.  “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me,” says the father’s youngest son.  Now, you know the father knew what was going to happen, but the father does as the youngest son asks.  The father doesn’t try to stop the son.  The father doesn’t lecture to the son.  And the father does not rescue the son, either.  The father lets the son leave, lets the son squander his inheritance – all that the father had to give to him.  The son must face the consequences of his actions and his choices.  The son ends up feeding pigs.  We read, “He would have gladly filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.”  (Luke 15:16)

Finally, the youngest son decides that living as a hired hand working for his father would be preferable to the life he is living.  We read, “He came to himself….”  He decides to go to his father, to own up to what he has done.  “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” (Luke 15:18-19)

And we are totally unprepared for his father’s response.  “But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.”  (Luke 15:20)  God gives us guidance and direction and ultimately lets us choose the way we will go.  And God knows that we humans make unwise choices and reject God.  God knows this about us.  God lets us “make our own beds and lie in them” as the saying goes.  Yet, when we want to return…when we come to ourselves…God runs to meet us and embraces us.

That’s the love Paul is speaking about…the love that God wants us to show each other.  The clear-eyed, firmly set in reality kind of love, that works for our own good, despite our own bad behavior.  That works for the good of others, despite their own bad behavior.

And so today in our Gospel, we are given specific instructions about acting in love when another church member sins against us.  We are to go to that person and talk to them directly.  If the person cannot hear us, then we take two to three others with us and talk directly.  If the person still cannot hear us, then we take the issue to the church community.  If the person still does not listen, there are consequences.  The person cannot be part of the community any longer.  Many chances and opportunities are given to the person.  And the person has choices to make, with consequences.  Tough, clear-eyed love.

So, each week, we gather as God’s community.  To the best of our ability, we confess our sins to God.  We pass the peace and greet each other.  We come to the table and eat the meal of love given to us by Jesus our Savior.

“Owe no one anything, except to love one another….” (Romans 13:8)

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday (August 24) at St. John’s

Posted on by

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God– what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Do you know what God’s Will is for you in your life?  Isn’t hard to figure that out sometimes.  At times, the way seems so clear.  God’s voice is loud and we know exactly what to do next.  At other times, we feel so confused.  Paul’s letter to the Romans provides a key to our confusion.  We are not to be conformed to this world.  This world’s standards and what our society thinks is important or “the good life” are different from God’s guidance and way of life.

Throughout the Bible, we read of the importance of economic justice, of God’s priority for the poor.  Yet, those are the values our world often presents us.  Trying to buck the trends and priorities created by our broken humanity is hard.  It requires being nonconforming.  It requires a transformation and change in our minds.  That’s what’s required for us to discern what is the will of God, the good, the acceptable and the perfect….

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Sunday’s Bulletin

Rebecca’s Schedule: Next week, Rebecca will be in Corbin on Friday, August 29, and her Sabbath day will be Tuesday, August 26.  You can get a message to Rebecca by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum: This summer and early fall, we will discuss a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel – Matthew 8:15-20.

Godly Play classes for children will begin next week, August 31.  We also need adults to conduct these classes, beginning in November.  If you are interested in being trained and conducting the classes for a few weeks to a month, please let Rebecca know.

We will once again be distributing water at the Pow Wow on Ken and Shelia’s property on Saturday, August 30.  If you’d be willing to donate for the water and ice and/or take a shift handing out water, let Rebecca know.

Pot Luck Sunday:  Next Sunday, August 31, is our monthly pot luck.  Bring a dish or drink to share.  And all are welcome!  Plan to fellowship with each other.

Interested in being a member of St. John’s?  If you have been baptized in another faith tradition, and want to be a member of The Episcopal Church and St. John’s Church, plan to attend confirmation classes this fall.  There will be 5 classes offered, most likely beginning in September.  If you are interested, please let Rebecca know.  If you have already been confirmed in another faith tradition and would like to be a member of St. John’s, let Rebecca know, so you can be received into the church.  If you are interested in baptism, also let her know.  Baptisms, receptions, and confirmations will be done when the Bishop visits.

Computer and Furnace Needed: The furnace located in the sacristy, which heats part of the social hall and hallways must be replaced prior to this winter.  Cost is $2,250 for a furnace that will also be more energy efficient.  We’ll also need to replace two more furnaces over the next two years:  one that heats the parish hall and one that heats the rectory.  Our computer also needs replaced and $600 will get us a new one plus the needed software.  Donations for these two items can be put in the boxes back on the shelves in the parish hall.

Columbarium Niche: The Vestry has voted to donate a niche in the Columbarium to the family of Deacon Dane.  A bronze plaque needs to be purchased to mark the niche.  The cost is $208.   If you would like to donate to the cost of this plaque, please let Gay Nell know.

Grow Appalachia!  The Vestry has voted to move ahead to become a Grow Appalachia site for 2015.  Please talk to the Vestry about your ideas, questions, and concerns.  The Grow Appalachia website is http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

Flowers for the altar: Donations for flowers for the altar are accepted for any Sunday of the year. Please place your donation in the envelope, marking whether they are in honor of or in memory of someone.

Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group.  You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections.  See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

Would you like to write Prayers of the People?  If you are interested in writing these prayers (there are resources that can help with this task), please let Rebecca know by phone or email priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

United Thank Offering.  Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church.  The next collection will be in the fall. 

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service?  Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service.  If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arms, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Subscribe to our Website Feed!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website:  http://stjohnscorbin.org/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-2

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

 

 

This Sunday (June 22) at St. John’s

Posted on by

We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6

How many times have our old selves been crucified with Christ?  I believe this happens many times throughout our lives.  Our faith grows.  Our understanding deepens.  As we continue to pray, worship, live in community with each other, we hear God guiding us in new ways.

When I was twelve years old, I belonged to a wonderful church youth group.  We were on one of our semi-annual retreats.  I had been pleading to know Jesus…to really feel in my heart that God existed without a doubt.  We were having a service (it wasn’t Eucharist, because you had to be confirmed to receive communion at that time.)  We started saying the Lord’s Prayer and I knew without a doubt that God existed.  I’ve never forgotten that moment.  While my faith has waned at times, that experience has stayed with me and is the foundation of my old self being crucified with Christ.

And I know throughout my life, these old selves have been crucified with Christ.  I never thought I’d live in Kansas nor Washington, DC, nor New York City, nor Kentucky.  Many things I’ve experienced were not even on my “bucket list.”  God bids me say good-bye to my old selves, yet like most of us, I want to hold on to them.  “I like the path I’m on,” I plead with God.  And God tells me there’s so much more waiting for me if I can let go.

What old self are you clinging to?  What old self is God asking you to let go of?

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

This Sunday we welcome Tyler “TJ” Tetzlaff to the pulpit.  Tyler ‘TJ’ Tetzlaff received his Masters of Divinity at Episcopal Divinity School in May of 2012.  He has worked with several religious orders and a number of church communities throughout the Boston area.  TJ is exploring the process for ordination in the Diocese of Lexington.  He currently serves on the board for the Clark County Homeless Coalition and works for the Nonprofit “STRIDE” as a mentor to developmentally handicapped adults.  He lives in Winchester KY with his wife, Chana, who is Minister-In-Charge of Emmanuel Church. 

Rebecca’s Schedule

Next week, I will be in Corbin on Thursday, June 26, and my Sabbath day will be Friday, June 27.  You can get a message to me by calling the church office, 606-528-1649 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum: This summer and early Fall, we will discussing a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel. This Sunday, we will discuss Matthew 10:24-39.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Month is June.  We will have a special service on Sunday, June 29.

 United Thank Offering.  Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church.  The next collection will be in the fall.

Pot Luck Sunday:  Next Sunday, June 29, is our monthly pot luck.  Bring a dish or drink to share.  And all are welcome!  Plan to fellowship with each other.

Wednesdays in the Park.  Our Wednesdays in the park conclude this Wednesday, June 25.  We will play games with the children.