Home Sermons KINGDOM WORDS / KINGDOM WORK

KINGDOM WORDS / KINGDOM WORK

2010-04-29   John 13:31-35 He says, “Follow me” …. and nets are dropped …. and first faith-steps are taken…. and healings and teachings begin. We say, “Lord, Teach us” …. and we are taught to pray … and we are taught to live … and we are taught to forgive. He says, “I AM” … and the hungry hear “Bread of Life” … and the thirsty hear “Living Water” … and the lost hear “Good Shepherd.” He says, “It is finished” … and love flows down from a cross … and out from an empty tomb … and we will hear, “Go and tell.” He says, “Peace be with you” … and he breathes on us the Holy Spirit … and so we are sent out, as he was sent … and we say, “My Lord and my God.” He asks, “Do you love me?” …. and waits for an answer. And he says, “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep” … and hands us his own servant’s towel. He says, “I give you a new commandment” … and “just as I have loved you” … and “love one another” … and “everyone will know you are my disciples.” And suddenly, in these very words of this new commandment to love others as he has loved us, we become a part of kingdom work on earth. He says, “By this will all people know ....” And suddenly, in these words of challenge, of affirmation, a new standard of measuring our living is set before us. This line of thinking reminds me of the great story ..... A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy street.   Suddenly, the lights turned yellow, just in front of him.  He did the right thing, stopping at the signal,  even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.   The tailgating woman hit the roof ... and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection with him.   As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window  and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.  The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.   He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed,  and placed in a cell.  After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door.   She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.   He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake.    But you see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.  I noticed the “Choose Life” license plate holder, the “What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker,  the “Follow Me To Sunday School” bumper sticker,  and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.  And so, naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car." *Silent Reflection * How would anyone know you to be a person of faith?  What speaks louder – your behavior or your bumper stickers?  How will folks know that we are Christians? Some Christians wear distinctive jewelry or neckties or carry Bibles.   Others display distinctive car tags or bumper stickers.   There's nothing wrong with all that.  But Jesus had a different idea.  How will folks know that we are Christians? Maybe we don't want them to know!    Maybe we want to blend in -- to avoid being conspicuous. Instead of being uniquely Christian perhaps we want to be comfortably Christian.  How will folks know that we are Christians? People outside the church have some interesting ideas about what Christians are like.  Many think that someone who is stuffy and overbearing may be a Christian. Someone who minds your business for you and tries to tell you how to live your life may be a Christian.  Someone who acts holy and superior to you and your ways may be a Christian. Someone who judges and finds fault with you and your ways may be a Christian.  How will folks know that we are Christians? There is a town not far from here - some would say it is a Christian town.  There is a man - let’s call him “Willie” - who lives in that town, who has a way of ruffling feathers - not for the sake of doing so, but because he feels he is not listened to and not liked.   His dog barks louder than anyone else’s dog.  Willie has tried senior’s meals, but didn’t feel welcome.   He went to New Horizons and wasn’t welcome there either.  Willie also tried going to coffee, but no one spoke to him.  Willie doesn’t fit in to the community, not for any reason other than Willie is different.   So Willie’s friends are other people in town who are ‘different.’  Willie writes letters to the Editor and that ticks people off.  Others write letters and are commended for their wisdom.   Willie builds fences.  So do others.  But Willie’s fence is different, because Willie is different.   Willie doesn’t go to church.  He knows he wouldn’t be welcome there. We know he wouldn’t be welcome there.  And so what does Willie think of the good Christian folk in town?   Maybe we should ask Willie ... that is, if we want to be seen talking to him. Will Willie know we are Christians by our love?  How will folks know that we are Christians? There is another town not far from here.  And another church.  Another congregation of disciples who heard the words “How will folks know ...” They realized that there were many Willies in their community who believed that the church didn’t care about them and that Christ was for the good, holy, and successful in town.  They decided to change the focus of outreach in their congregation, by looking at how the Henrys and Brendas and Marions saw them.   So a young mother, armed with courage and prayer, a camera and tape recorder, and encouraged by her pastor and the Deacons, went out to knock on doors and say “hello” to Henry and Brenda and Marion and ask them how they were doing.  The focus was not on inviting them to church.  Nor was the discussion about church life or discipleship or Jesus.  The focus was on Henry and Brenda and Marion.  And the discussion was about making them feel that someone cared about them and wanted to know more about them.  The focus was to bring these people before the congregation and lead them to accept these people as Children of God, accept them with love and friendship.   The only thing asked of these people was permission to share the parts of their stories they agreed to share, and to project a picture of them on the power point screen in church. On the Sundays that followed these visits, the people who came to worship were introduced to the people who had been strangers in their midst in that town.  Their pictures were shown, one each Sunday, and people heard their stories.  They came to know Brenda as a survivor of abuse who lived carefully and yet with joy on welfare. She had no friends.  She had no relationships.  But soon, people from the congregation would say, “Hi, Brenda,” when they met  her in the local store.  They came to know Henry as a normal guy whose tattoos were testimony to one big mistake after a big night on the town ... and nothing more.      They began to realize he dressed in rags because those were the only clothes he had.  They came to know Henry as a father of two little kids, and as a husband who was trying to build a life after years of rowdy rebellion.  And the people began to say, “Hi, Henry.  How goes it?”  when they saw him     sitting outside on the steps of his ramshackle house.  They came to know Marion as a very lonely person, whose husband had left her years before, and whose hurt was still an everyday burden she carried.  The only child she ever had, she lost.  Grief and depression were her companions in life.   And the people began to say, “Good morning, Marion.  Those are lovely flowers,”     as she worked in her tiny flower garden beside the rundown duplex. And the people in the congregation began to know what it was like to “love one another” as Jesus loves. They began to see their neighbours as people whom Jesus loves.   How will folks know that we are Christians? I  met a wonderful person last week.  Some of you did too.   I met Wilma Derksen at a Brunch hosted by the Arnaud Christian Fellowship Church and had the privilege of hearing her story.   26 years ago, Wilma and her husband experienced what can only be described as a horrific tragedy, when their 13-year-old daughter Candace disappeared.  It was on the 30th of November.  Her body was found in late January. And for almost 25 years they didn’t know who had murdered her ... or why.  Wilma told her story with courage and honesty.  She told us about her questions and those of her other daughter and son. She told us of the agony of the preliminary hearing which just ended, from which they learned of the horror of their daughter’s rape and death.  What she didn’t tell us, she didn’t need to tell us. She spoke of frustration and fear, understanding and acceptance.  She spoke of the reality that grief and loss of that magnitude and anger and hate only destroy the person who gives those emotions a place in their heart.  She didn’t use the word “forgiveness” ... although she knows much about forgiveness and has written books on that subject.      It is, she says, a “long, long process,” with many ups and downs.  She told us about “Child Find” (established after Candice disappeared) and the joy she finds in something good coming from something evil.  She talked freely about the tough road she has walked with her husband,  but she talked about those times ... and now ...  with joy and tenderness ... with love.     She reminded us to treasure the relationships we have, and to treat those we live with, with courtesy, kindness, and love.  What she didn’t say was, “I am a Christian.”   She didn’t need to.  There was no doubt in anyone’s mind where her strength, her laughter, her love, her trust when she can’t understand, comes from.   She knows what it is to experience the love of God.  And so she is able to “love others as she is loved.” How will people know we are Christian?  In the words of the old Christian folk song, “they'll know we are Christians by our love.”   Jesus is talking about how we love one another in our homes, our communities, and the Church.   Jesus is talking about how we get along with each other - even those who are difficult. He's talking about how we talk with and about each other - even when we have differing opinions.  He's talking about how we hold each other up in love.    To “love” is to give to life, with passion and with selflessness.  To “love” is to embrace all people as children of God.  To “love” is to take off our own shoes and walk in those of another.  To “love” is to lay aside our own thoughts and feelings and get inside the thoughts and feelings of our friends,     and our enemies,     and the Henrys and Marions and Brendas and Willies we meet in life.  It’s amazing how different things look and feel from that perspective.  Some things look bigger, some look smaller, and some things you can’t see at all.  There are dark and scary places there,     and some horrendous wounds hidden behind closed doors, and some marvellous, secret gardens as well.   We only have to look inside. When at last we begin to see within our brother’s heart, and see how the world looks when viewed through our sister’s eyes, we begin to understand their need of us.  We begin to understand what loving them calls for, here and now.  And we begin to love one another as Christ loves us ... and we don’t need to tell people we are Christian .....  Jesus still says, “Follow me” …. and healings and teachings begin. We say, “Lord, Teach us” …. and we are taught to live. He still says, “I AM” … and the hungry still hear “Bread of Life” … and the thirsty still hear “Living Water” … and the lost still hear “Good Shepherd.” He still says, “It is finished” … and love continues to flow  from a cross … He still says, “Peace be with you” … and we can say again, “My Lord and my God.” He asks, “Do you love me?” …. And he says, “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep” … He says, “I give you a new commandment” … “love one another” … So be it.      Amen!