Year A Proper 19 2023 Err on the Side of Grace

Year A Proper 19, 17 September 2023 St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA “Err on the Side of Grace” Collect: O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your

Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives

and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Romans 14:1-12 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.

Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not

despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat;

for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is

before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to

make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be

fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the

Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those

who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and

if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the

living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother

or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So then, each of us will be accountable to God. Matthew 18:21-35 Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how

often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I

tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle

accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand

talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together

with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on

his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out

of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same

slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii;

and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and

pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went

and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had

happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had

taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you

all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave,

as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would

pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not

forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Today we start with one of the hardest teachings of Jesus. Matthew puts

it this way… Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church

sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” Now in the Jewish mind, forgiveness took a few things.

• Recognition that a wrong had been committed.
• A ceasing of the sin or transgression and never do it again.
• And ask for forgiveness, and it should be sincerely given up to three times.

Three times. Three times for something really bad. So what does Peter do? He doubles the expectation and adds one to be

safe. “I’ll see your three and raise you four more, ha!” But then Jesus gets into complicated math. The NRSV translation (the

one we read from) says seventy-seven, while most translators say seventy

times seven. Either way it is a lot of forgiving. Forgiving without end.

Math, either way, that most who heard him could not imagine. Seventy

times seven! Now this is elementary math to most of us, but the staggering

sum of 490 would have probably been incalculable to most who were there.

It is like saying a gazillion, or some other nonsense word. Jesus is saying that we keep on forgiving. And because we had received it,

we are to be on giving side of it, too. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Or, better yet, “Forgive us our debts &/or sins, as we forgive those who

owe us &/or sin against us.” Matthew uses the same word for debt and

for sin. The nature of forgiveness is the root of our sermon today. It is about

receiving it and giving it. Then, and only then, can we have Grace-filled

lives. Jesus tells the story of one ingracious, who received grace beyond measure

and could not extend a cup of the same to someone else. The actions of

the forgiven servant could not be more ingracious and hypocritical. Friends,

we are to give to others as we have received. Forgiveness means letting something go. And that is why Jesus is so

adamant about forgiving things a gazillion times. He knows there is a

small little troll in each of us that hoards grudges. We hold onto it. It

comes out at strange times and in strange ways. And we have to once

again, forgive. We have to let it go. Fr. Richard Rohr said, “Forgiveness is to let go of our hope for a different

past.” Our hope for a different past could be that this never happened. (But it

did.) Forgiveness is not pretending it did not happen. Forgiveness cannot

change the story that has passed. Forgiveness is rewriting the story of

the future that is in our power to create. What’s done is done. What will

be can be influenced by us, our choices and responses, and ultimately

God’s Grace. Again, think on St. Paul, no greater sinner as a persecutor of the church,

as he put it. And yet, called in his sinfulness, redeemed by God’s Grace,

reformed through the Spirit, and sent by Christ himself to take the faith

that found him and saved him to a hurting and broken world. If God can

do that, God can do ANYTHING! When we are wronged, there is nothing we can do to change what

happened. The only power we have, the only choice in the situation, is to

forgive. If we wait for anything else to make it happen, it won’t. We have

to be the bigger person, the Grace-filled and Grace-giving person who will

offer and live into forgiveness. Often it is not fun. It might make us look naive or a fool. So be it. We are to forgive because

God forgives. Just as we are to love because God loves us. He models for us what is right and proper and God’s will. Paul talked about that in our Romans passage. There are some mature in

Grace (and if that is true, then they are also mature in forgiving). We all

make the best decisions we have with what we have got, and the intention

is the heart of the matter. The right thing in one context is anathema in

another. When we pray or say the national anthem, we ask people to take their hats

off. In the Jewish tradition, you cover your head to pray to show humility.

Opposite actions trying to reach the same outcome. Kneeling or standing

to pray. Opposite actions, but both set apart prayer by doing something

out of the ordinary to set it apart. In Paul’s writing in Romans, he looked at those who chose to be vegetarian

and those who chose to eat meat. He argued that the action was not the

thing, but the intention of the heart. I have seen a lot of arguments in the church in my short life. Women in

ministry, Gay bishops, LGBTQ+ participation, and now trans rights.

Every time one of these weapons of mass DISTRACTION comes up, I

have to remind myself of Paul’s words:

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you

despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment

seat of God. For it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Often, too often, these issues have been raised to get people’s ire up, and

if people get angry then they can be controlled. I would rather keep my

focus on God, and God’s way of doing things. And even then, I cannot judge too harshly my judgy fellow Christians,

for then I am just as bad as them. But I am called to discern and ask what

God is asking of me! I can remind myself of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth,

do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  

Isaiah 43:19

What seems impossible for us is possible with God. (Matthew 19:26, et al.) God can make water where there is none. God can make things that we

cannot fathom be real. God can put forgiveness and CHANGE in our

hearts when we are hardened and unforgiving. THANKS BE TO GOD! You probably have heard some of the story that led us into the Episcopal

church. And there was one guy who made it his mission to get me gone. I

will never know for sure why, but I have my guesses. Whatever the reason,

he did what he could to make sure I was fired, and besmirch my character

to never work in a church again. He was a fellow pastor, and I trusted him.

Long story short, he did not win, but the damage done meant that neither

could I stay where I was. Mine was a pyrrhic victory. And I had a lot of

questions about polity, power, and protocol that allowed that to happen. But more importantly, this was a guy that life in Richmond meant that I

kept bumping into him. Repeatedly. The first time, I slunk away, not

wanting a confrontation. Second and third time, similarly. But as the years

went on, it came that he avoided me. He would not make eye contact

with me. In the years since, I have come to pray for him and his healing.

Forgiveness took a long time. Not three times. Not seven times. Probably

about seventy-seven times or more. Forgiveness was letting go of the story

I had written that he had derailed. Forgiveness was letting go of the pain

that I felt. Hating him did nothing except feed my pain. Forgiveness meant

seeing him as the flawed sinner I was, as is each and every one of us. We

are flawed sinners that can be saved by Grace, if we let it. God may give

me a chance to bump into him again one more time and I can finally,

honestly, say, “I forgive you.” God can make all things new. Even our mess-ups, even our sins, even our

broken relationships, everything single thing can be redeemed. God desires

all to come to God, and is breaking down the barriers and walls we build to

keep that from happening. If God’s intent is for us to live in Graciousness,

Love, and Forgiveness, how can we get in anyone’s way to the path? In Jesus' parable, the ungracious servant is the one condemned. Let that

stay with you. When we withhold forgiveness, when we keep up barriers and parameters

that are about our comfort not someone else’s safety, when we are not like

Christ who forgave sinners and welcomed them into paradise, are we like

Christ or the ungracious servant in the parable?
Think on it this way: if we err on being too gracious, God has to forgive

us, because we are only trying to be like God. Amen

Year A Proper 18 2023 When Things Fall Apart

 Year A Proper 18, 10 September 2023

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“When Things Fall Apart”

Collect: Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Good morning, friends. We begin another program year today, and today begins my 7th year as your priest. Six years have come and gone so quickly! Unless you count COVID. That was a decade in exhaustion no matter how “long” it took. But we made it, and we are thriving. Thanks be to God!

We have replaced air handlers, and the organ. We have added stations of the Cross, replaced slippery steps, put in a labyrinth for contemplation, and built the pavilion for 101 different things. 4th Quarter ministries started and are restarting more fully. There is a lot of water under the bridge. We have had several staff changes, but every one of them has been a valued part of the team no matter how long they were here. Thanks be to God!

And so we begin, again. Thankfully God is a God of the Retake. And through that God makes ALL THINGS NEW! This is our new theme for the year, and we will be exploring that. You will hear me say in a 100 ways this year that you need to be in a discipling something: spiritual director, Sunday School, a group or situation where you can grow and be held accountable for your growth. We will be exploring that in the days and weeks to come, especially at the Shrine Mont retreat.

Know this, I am thankful that God brought me here, first as Priest-in-Charge then as your Rector, and I look forward to where God will take us together in the years to come. We have been graced with a Sabbatical Grant that will enable me to refresh and be more equipped to serve here in the future.

My first sermon here was on today’s readings, and what I said then still holds true. I use it in any group session I do. Last week’s sermon on how to have things go well. This week is where Jesus addresses when things fall apart. Jesus knows the importance of relationship, and that there is no way we can be at peace with God when we are in opposition to each other. If we cannot be at peace with those who we see, then the unseen is even more impossible.

So let’s be clear about what Jesus instructs us to do.

If you and a member of the Church have a conflict, you go to them. Directly. Quietly. Respectfully. One to One. This is so important. 

In our conflicts, especially in Southern Culture, we have a tendency to use shame to leverage someone’s behavior. It can be direct or passive-aggressive. Jesus’s way takes all that away. He is very clear, take someone with you ONLY if you cannot work it out alone. Now I would say that Jesus does not want you hurt or abused. If it is damaging to go directly or to attempt it, then ask for help.

What Jesus also is very clear about is not going behind the scenes and talking about the situation with one or twenty people to “get advice.” That is disrespectful to the person. They may have committed a faux pas more than a sin. You can figure it out together. If you scatter what they did around, then you are the one sinning.

But what if the one-on-one does not work, or they keep on doing the thing, or maybe even think that you are wrong and they are right? Then, bring in one or two to confer with you both. In Jesus’ day, you had to have that “more than one witness” to a crime or sin. If you remember the woman caught in adultery who was about to be stoned. For them to get to that point, several had to be in on the situation and had to have witnessed it.

These one or two are there to hold confidence, and maintain respect for both parties. We do not stack the deck with people from “our side.” But we seek those who help us seek truth, then accountability, and then reconciliation. I have been one of those parties in many a situation, couples, leaders here at church, but finding a way, often a middle way, has been so important. 

Remember, reconciliation is more than saying sorry. It is more than making amends. It is to again be within eyelash distance of one another. Re- again. -con- with. -cilia- eyelash or small hair. That is pretty close. That is what we are aiming for, an intimacy again that we have lost.

But what if the one on one, and trusted one or two does not work? Then we bring it to the church. Only then do we appeal to the body. And this is not through gossip or chit-chat.

This would have been formal, prayerful, and solemn. Friends, it is so important for us to be in good relationships with one another. At the end of the day, we are all we’ve got. This summer we have been inundated with pictures of disasters across the whole world, many in places that normally do not have them. And over and over again, as people have lost everything, they repeatedly say, “At least we have each other.”

And if the person in conflict with you does not listen to you, the trusted friends, or the church, then we are to treat them as someone not in the church. Jesus says, “...as a Gentile or a Tax Collector.”

So often this has been heard as exile or exclusion. But how did Jesus treat people, Gentiles and Tax Collectors? He was respectful. He showed mercy. He extended Grace. If we treat those who have wronged us the way Jesus treated Gentiles and Tax Collectors, then we are to love them. I used a phrase a few weeks ago, and I repeat it here. Instead of exclusion, some people are E.G.R.  Extra Grace Required. Instead of shaming or shunning, we find a way, if possible, to stay in relationship with them. This may or may not be possible. As I preached last week, St. Paul taught, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18 Sometimes, God help us, it is not possible. But we cannot declare that before we try.

I have been dealing with a situation, apart from anything or anyone in the church, for the last several months. It is one of those never-ending, absurd situations of modern life. It would be easy to point fingers, cast blame, or just raise up a cloud of curses that would never dissipate. Or I could recognize that Steph and I have done everything in our power to do, all our helpers and supportive agents have done everything in their power, and we will just have to wait for things to take their course. It is not easy, enjoyable, or sane even. But it is. And that is when I have to lean on Grace, for myself, the situation, and everyone involved. And were it in my power, to use it as an example so that it never happens to anyone else. Thankfully, I can say, that in God’s grace it wrapped up yesterday. Thanks be to God!

Then Jesus shows us how important we truly are. What we do now echoes through eternity…

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

So often when we hear this, we affix it to Peter, and the “keys to the Kingdom.” That is why keys are the symbol of the Pope to this day. It was true for Peter, but it is also true for us. When we ask forgiveness for our sins, and when we forgive others from their sins, we can be set free from the hard implications of them. Do they go away? No. Are there no ramifications? No. But we can find ways to ease the ripples across our common lake that sin causes.

Sin is like a big rock that somebody throws in a lake. We have no way of knowing where the ripples will go. And once they start, we are powerless to stop them. But then Jesus steps in, with his “Peace, be still.” And somehow, someway, while the rock is still at the bottom of the lake, the ripples are lessened and we all do better.

When we come to the prayer of confession, remember that. Loose here on earth, so it can be loosed in heaven. Confess and receive pardon. What a gift, especially in conflict with fellow believers.

 

Lastly, Jesus reminds us: 

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

When we gather, we gather in Jesus’ name. In good times, but also in bad. Next time you have to have a hard situation, invite Jesus in. Invoke Jesus to be present. Wow! Think of what a difference that would make, especially when our blood is boiling and our ire is up. We could say something like this:

 Jesus, be in our midst, and as we struggle, calm us, reconcile us, and make us whole.

I bet the fight or “discussion” would go VERY differently.

Friends, not a one of us wants to be in conflict, if we are healthy, that is. There is often an unhealthy person who likes the drama, they strike a match to see how big the fire can get. God forgive them, and help them. We are promised that conflict will happen. We are promised that we can be loosed from these bad situations. We are promised that Jesus is in our midst, even then.

When things fall apart, know that they can be put back together, and Jesus is there to help us do it. In our conflicts, yes, even in our conflicts, he can make All Things New! Amen

Year A Proper 17 WED 2023 Not Picking Jesus

 Year A Proper 17 WEDNESDAY, 6 September 2023

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Not Picking Jesus”

Collect: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Mark 15:1-11 

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed. 

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 

We all get to times and places where we think about how we will be remembered. I love seeing lists of movie critics who panned now famous or classic films. They focus on such minor things, missing the bigger picture far too often. Or sometimes they are just plain wrong. It happens more than we might want to admit.

Michael Jordan did not make his high school basketball team. Think how that coach feels! The Greatest of All Time, the GOAT. And he was not even allowed on the bench.

Hindsight is 20/20, they say. I often think back on hard situations, and think of what I could have said or done differently. Maybe you do, too. But think on this, how would you like to be the ones who were remembered for not picking Jesus.

Now the religious leaders were doing the politically appropriate thing. They were making sure that the status quo, which was precarious, was maintained. They had brokered a deal with the Roman Empire, where they did not have to swear allegiance to the Emperor yearly by paying their tax and stating, “Caesar is Lord.” If they just would ante up their share of the taxes, this “Caesar is Lord.” stuff could be forgotten. But then Jesus comes along.  They needed to have the upstart that people were paying attention to to go away. Now, Barabbas was not good. An insurrectionist and rebel, Barabbas was not a good choice. No one thought he was. But he was known, and could make a great foil to Jesus. So they called for him to be released, not Jesus.

No one thought that Jesus was guilty of anything, except maybe upsetting the religious leaders. And that was not guilt producing, really, and said more about them than it did about him.

Looking back, we see them in horror. How could they?

But then I think about the times when I did not choose Jesus, either.

It comes when I do not take up my cross.

It comes when I choose my way instead of his way.

It comes when I worry more about what people think than what God would have me do.

It comes when I stay silent when I should speak up.

It comes when I go with the crowd, even though the road the crowd is on is paved with good intentions instead of goodness.

I choose something other than Jesus all the time. You may, too.

When do I cry, “Barabbas! Barabbas! Barabbas!”?

Lord, help us choose Jesus more and more every day. Amen

Year A Proper 17 2023 Living an Authentic Life

 Year A Proper 17, 3 September 2023

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Living an Authentic Life”

Collect: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Romans 12:9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 16:21-28

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

As a priest, I am invited into the most precious and often most precarious of the moments of life. Births, deaths, and so much in between. Look at our Sacraments and our Sacramental Rites, and you will see so much of our lives woven into the Church’s most holy moments.

Baptism is welcoming the newly born into the Church, or those older who commit the rest of their lives to being in the Church. So it is birth in one form or another.

Eucharist is a ritual meal. We eat to live; we take communion to live in, and with, and for Christ.

And all the other sacramental rites:

• Confirmation: the adult affirmation of our baptismal vows, the transition from having others make commitments for us to us making those commitments our own. This is recognition of our adulthood and autonomy.

• Reconciliation of a Penitent: private confession recognizes that we have strayed, as we all will do, and God affirms that we are forgiven and welcomed back into the fold.

• Matrimony: Christian marriage, is the combining of two lives, brought together in God and blessed by Christ’s Church. This is the foundational relationship in most of our lives, and the Church has a part to play if we are in Christ.

• Orders: ordination to the diaconate, priesthood, or episcopacy, is the setting apart for those called to serve Christ in their vocational lives as deacons, priests, or bishops. It is a recognition for all of us that God is with us day in and day out, whether ordained or not.

• Unction: anointing those who are sick or dying with holy oil, and unction is when we are at our weakest, whether in sickness or awaiting death. Even here, especially here, the Church is with us.

While all of these moments are so important, what about all the in-between times, those times that are not set apart? The other 99%+? The mundane? The ordinary? Today’s readings are speaking exactly to that. For the living of these days, today’s readings from Romans and Matthew speak to the ordinary more than the extraordinary. (But Exodus with the Burning Bush could not be more extraordinary, and the sacramental calling of Moses, admittedly!)

In Romans, St. Paul gives us a list of commands. He does so lovingly, and clearly, but they are a great summation of how to live a good and godly life.

• Let love be genuine; we cannot fake our sincere devotion to one another.

• hate what is evil, hate the evil. Actively oppose it. It is not enough to not join in, but we must name it, expose it, and take steps to eliminate it.

• hold fast to what is good; We need to embrace what is good, and celebrate it. It is often not flashy or the first thing recognized, but it is what holds this hurting world together. The simple things, holding a door for a stranger. Smiling. Please and Thank You. Hold fast to what is good.

• love one another with mutual affection; Shake hands. Hug back. Take a moment for love, for those moments are so fleeting.

• outdo one another in showing honor. I love this. Make a competition of celebrating the good. What fun that is, and it helps push back the negative voices that we too often hear first and loudest.

• Do not lag in zeal, Give it all.

• be ardent in spirit, Ardent means enthusiastic or passionate. Let your spirit be just that.

• serve the Lord. Have a bad attitude about something? Do it for God then. Forget the thing that is holding up your attitude, do it for the Lord and with love and care.

• Rejoice in hope, In hard and dark times, our hope is one of the first things to let slip and shift into cynicism or despair. Hold onto hope. Share hope. Rejoice in hope.

• be patient in suffering, When we are hurting, time slows down. It is easy for us to lose our hope. But this is when we need patience and not despair. And how can we do this? Luckily, the next command helps.

• persevere in prayer. In another place, St. Paul says to “Pray without ceasing.” Have a running dialogue with God. Never let it down. Pray, and keep praying.

• Contribute to the needs of the saints; Collectively, God has given us all that we need. We need to see things from a prosperous perspective, not a deficit. As we care for our Church family, they will for us when we are in need.

• extend hospitality to strangers. We never know how our graciousness will change someone, how it can or rather will change the world.

• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. When someone is doing something harsh, bless them. Pray for them. Think of Jesus when he was being crucified. “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” If Jesus can do that then, think of what we can forgive when someone is just being petty.

• Rejoice with those who rejoice, When things are good, huzzah!

• weep with those who weep. When things are bad, share the burden, if nothing else sit down in the pain and lend an ear. 

• Live in harmony with one another; Notice it is harmony. We are not being asked to sing a single note, but together sing the notes that are ours to sing.

• do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; Find the ones sitting alone. Sit with them.

• do not claim to be wiser than you are. Know and share what you know. Only that and nothing more.

• Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. Break the cycle. As Gandhi says, “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” In the grace we have received, we MUST be gracious. We must take the hit, turn the other cheek, and not strike back. Even more, we must forgive and even bless those who struck us. If we do that, then we actually can do the next one…

• If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Choose to be at peace. Peace is a choice. Refuse to rise to the occasion if being egged into a fight.

• Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” If someone needs something done to them, let God do the repayment. It is NOT up to us. It actually relieves us of a huge burden.

• No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” In fact, being good to those who are evil to us burns their biscuits. It shows we are bigger people, and hopefully it can be a ramp to grace. 

• Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. The only way for us to conquer evil is with good. Fighting fire with fire only escalates the blaze. We must surround and suffocate the hate with love and goodness. It will take longer, and be more substantive in the long run, but it will change and transform the relationship. Look at history. Look at how we treated our enemies after World War I and World War II. Our first response led to another war. Our second response made deeply devoted allies and friends. Germans and Japanese appreciate the United States and how we helped them revive. 

Depending on how you count them, I got at least 24 commands in there. Some active, some passive. But all of them commands on how to live a good and godly life, and to be at peace in our church and with our community. The simplicity of it makes us suspicious. Do not let it! The simplicity is easy to read about yet so hard to live out. Just try it!

One of the great gifts of being in Christ is one another. The gift of this community, and our ability to do things together and care for one another is not why we come to faith necessarily, but it is the vehicle that gets most of us there.

Tomorrow we take a day off to remember and celebrate the contribution of all those who work, who labor, for our common good. We cannot do it without them as a society. The ones left behind in our lists of the important and powerful, but if it were not for those who keep on keeping on, not a one of us could make it. All our labors put together is our Commonwealth.

The labor of our devotion is much the same. While the sacraments are for those peak moments in our lives, Paul’s simple instructions guide us in the valleys and the day to day. Jesus’s instructions are much the same.

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

The daily task of choosing to deny and even die to self, to take the choice to be bigger and more gracious people, to celebrate and weep and live life in the moment and the authentic life God intended is the harder but significantly better choice. 

“Choose you this day whom you will serve.” Then get out of bed.

Friends, it does not get more clear than that. Amen