PRAYER LICENSE

A Sermon for The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 29, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 11:1-13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' And he answers from within, `Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (NRSV)

What do you say when you pray? Do you get uncomfortable when someone asks you to pray out loud in a group setting? Do you worry that you won’t have words that sound right to the other ears? Even if you have been praying all your life, you may have doubts about your ability to pray. Your pulse might start to race if I had you stand up here and offer a prayer right now.

Even Jesus’ disciples felt this way. One of the important questions they asked Jesus was: how do we pray? Teach us, they begged him. And so he tells them. In Luke’s Gospel, he relays a shorter version of the Lord’s prayer, as a model prayer.

But in this Gospel, Jesus seems more interested in telling them how to pray and than simply telling them what to pray. Prayer, it seems, is not about having the perfect words to say. It is about having a relationship with God. It is about being intimately connected to our Creator. Jesus explains that we can call upon God anytime, anywhere, as we would call upon a loving parent in time of need. God is never far from us and is eager to help and to hear us when we pray. We do not need to fear imposing upon God—that’s exactly what God wants.

Then, Jesus launches into a funny anecdotal story that would have made the disciples chuckle. He says, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.'" Now this could certainly happen since many travelers in ancient Israel traveled by night to avoid the extreme heat of the desert sun. And without modern conveniences like telephones, it would not be unlikely to have an unexpected guest. But what an embarassment to be caught without any food to serve him! Hospitality was so important. So of course, you'd have to run to your neighbor's house in sheer desperation to find some food.

Now in order to ask a neighbor for bread at midnight, you'd have to knock on the door, which was considered an impropriety. If the door to the house was closed in ancient times, it meant that the family had gone to bed and did not want to be bothered. The typical Palestinian house consisted of just one room, with a low platform taking up about a third of the room. On the raised platform was a charcoal stove that burned all night. The whole family would gather around the stove to sleep. And oftentimes, people would bring some of their livestock into the house at night to protect them from the cold night air. So when a family settled in for the night, they would shut and lock the door and expect to remain undisturbed until morning. But in this story, Jesus suggested that you would knock anyway—that is if you REALLY wanted to get some bread to serve your guest.

Certainly the neighbor would be annoyed and would reply, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” Of course he can’t get up—if he would, it would wake everyone up and it could really become a zoo if that happened! But if you really wanted bread, you'd keep right on knocking. Eventually, the groggy man would get up, open the door (probably with bed head) and give you the bread you asked for.

So what in the world is this story supposed to teach us about prayer? Like other stories Jesus tells, this is a parable, which means that it is a story laid alongside a teaching to further illustrate a point. Jesus point with this parable is not that God is like an grumpy neighbor who doesn’t want to answer—who must be coerced into giving us what we want. The point is that if persistence can even cause a tired neighbor guy to wake up all his children, chickens and goats and go give his neighbor what he wants—then how much more will God, who is our loving Father, generously supply all our needs when we ask?

In telling this simple parable, Jesus is showing his disciples a whole new way to approach prayer. We’ve been praying this way for so long that I think we miss the revolutionary nature of this teaching.

In the Old Testament times, people did not refer to God as their father. In fact, they revered God so much that they dared not call God anything, lest they blaspheme the holy name of their Lord. And when they prayed, it was only through strictly calculated rituals. That’s why Jesus’ disciples want to know exactly how they ought to pray. First, Jesus shocks them by giving them the term Abba with which to address God. Abba was very familiar term that trusting children used to address their loving fathers. Abba was not something they would have dreamed of calling the Most High God. And names were very important—to know someone’s name was to really know that person’s character. So to call God Abba, was to know the tender character of God, who was as accessible as a loving parent. This was an intimacy they had never dreamed they could find in their relationship with Almighty God.

And then when Jesus goes on to tell them this parable of the man in search of bread, he reveals that you can not only address God as your Abba, but you can be bold in your prayer requests—as bold as you'd be if you had to beg your neighbor at midnight for bread. Jesus gives them permission to pray to God with that kind of boldness and urgency!

Jesus says to them, “Ask, and it will be given you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Lk 11:9-10)

This kind of prayer implies an intense hunger on the part of the person praying. This is no stale, droning prayer here. Someone who asks and searches and knocks is really seeking wholeheartedly. But I wonder if we seek the kingdom of God with that same urgency. Do we really want God’s kingdom to become a reality here on earth? And do we actually want our wills to be bent into the likeness of God’s will? Are we hungry to be buried with Christ in baptism so that we will be raised up with him by the power of God, as today’s reading from Colossians describes? (Col 2:12)

Remember how exciting it was to turn 16 and get your driver license? It was the ticket to freedom, even if you didn’t have a car of your own. We were warned to drive safely and sent off into the world behind the wheel all by ourselves.

Here in this scene, Jesus’ teaching is so powerful and unique that I imagine it like he is giving them a ‘prayer license”. Only this prayer license doesn’t say “pray safely”—in fact, it says just the opposite: “pray boldly!” Ask! Seek! Knock! Hunger for God with your whole self! Yes, in fact, you can even pray aggressively because God is your Father and knows what is best for you so you can’t pray wrongly. There are no heavenly patrol men who will pull you over on the highway of life and give you a ticket for reckless praying. Even if you pray for things that aren’t right to pray for, at least you’re in dialog with God and God’s not going to grant any prayer request that would be bad for you.

And guess what? We, too have been given a prayer license. But do we ever take it out on the road? Are we praying boldly? Are we hungry for God’s kingdom to come? Are we willing to do long-distance prayer trips? To keep knocking until we get our answer? Well, if we’re not, then a very valuable license is going to waste.

Jesus says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Lk 11:13) God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit—that is God’s answer to our prayers.

May we be inspired by the hearing of this Gospel to use our license to pray more vigorously, to pray with urgency and with boldness and with familiarity—for Abba, our tender Father, is not far from us. We know that if we truly ask, search, and knock, our heavenly Father will freely give us the Holy Spirit and all that we need to transform this world into God’s kingdom. Happy praying! Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© 2007 Laura E. Gentry

MODERN MARY & MARTHA IN DIALOGUE

A Sermon for The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 22, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In our gospel lesson for today, Jesus went to visit his friends Mary and Martha. We’ve heard this story many times before and some of you relate to the busy Martha while some of you relate to Mary who preferred to sit and listen at the feet of Jesus. So in order to help us consider this story anew, let’s imagine what a modern Mary and Martha would have to say to each other and to us.

Martha: I am so busy, Mary! I am so busy I can’t see straight! But I’ve got extremely important work to do—it is the Lord’s work. I’ve got Bible study at my house tomorrow. I have to prepare that Sunday school lesson for next week. I’m taking casserole to my neighbor lady who is a shut-in and can’t get out to buy her own meals. I need to think about packing for that mission trip because I’m leaving in less than a month. I’m writing an article for a Christian women’s magazine but my computer’s not working right so I have to get it to the computer guy over at the mall but he doesn’t work on Mondays and the deadline is Wednesday. Oh, and my dishwasher’s on the fritz. The other day it backed up and got water all over the kitchen. So I probably should hand wash the dishes when the Bible group comes over so it doesn’t flood again but that’s going to take more time. And of course, I have the bills to pay and they seem to be hiding under a pile of junk mail that I haven’t had time to sort yet. Oh, this house is such a mess...

Mary: Martha, Martha, you have so many distractions. I don’t think it’s healthy.

Martha: But Mary, I can’t just sit around reading the Bible and devotional books like you do.

Mary: Why not?

Martha: Because of the list I just rattled off for you. Sometimes I don’t even think you listen, sister!

Mary: I know you’ve got a lot to do Martha, and you do it so well. You are doing the Lord’s work—no one would question that. But I worry about the pace you’re trying to keep. You’ve gotten yourself hooked into so many obligations. Do you even know why you’re doing it all?

Martha: How dare you question me? I am doing it all for Jesus. He said that we must carry on his work here on earth. He put that responsibility on all his followers so I’m just doing my part. Plus, I figure I’m pretty capable and the Bible says that to those who are given much, much is expected. I know God expects a lot from me and I intend to fulfill those expectations.

Mary: I intend to fulfill God’s expectations for my life as well, but I can’t just do all that work and not refuel. If I don’t spend time reading my Bible, worshipping, praying and meditating, I feel disconnected from my source and then I have no energy for that work at all.

Martha: Hang on, the microwave timer just went off, I have to go check the cake in the oven.

Mary: See what I’m talking about? I just can’t get through to Martha. She means so well and she does such good for everybody but she doesn’t take time for prayer or devotion. I’ve given her lots of great books on faith development and whenever I come over here, they’re covered in stacks of other paper. I don’t think she’s finished a one. She might start one at bedtime but she is so worn out by then she falls asleep before she even reads a chapter.

Martha: Anyway, Mary, what were you saying?

Mary: My dear, it’s great that you do so many things for so many people but you’ve got to settle into a sustainable way of life. As a follower of Jesus, you’ve got to spend time with him, and I mean quality time. You can’t just say a quick thank you prayer before meals and call that having a relationship with him. You have to really listen to him. You have to share your heart with him—you know, like it says in that old hymn, “take it to the Lord in prayer.” Martha, when’s the last time you spend time in prayer?

Martha: Umm, well, I went to that great women’s retreat that one time and I really prayed there.

Mary: Martha, that was three years ago!

Martha: Was it really? I thought it was only two. Well, I don’t have the time to go away that often.

Mary: You don’t have to go on retreat to spend time with God. And why don’t you have time? It is because you don’t make time. Time is limited, but people always have time for what they want to have time for. So when you say you don’t have the time, you’re saying it’s just not a priority.

Martha: It is a priority—really—it’s just getting lost in a stack of other priorities.

Mary: I know, I know, and all your priorities are well-meaning. But honestly, Martha, do you even understand grace?

Martha: IWhy are you quizzing me, Mary? Of course I know what grace is! I’ve taught confirmation class for years. I tell the students that God sent Jesus to save us and because of this amazing grace, all the riches of this life and the next are ours. And it’s free. All we have to do is believe in Jesus as our Savior—and even the faith with which to believe is a gift of God, entrusted to us at our baptism.

Mary: See? You have all the right answers. You know that God’s love is yours completely. Then, why do you run around doing so many acts of service that you wear yourself out day after day? You’re trying to impress God. It’s like you’re trying to score more points with all your good deeds and you know it doesn’t work that way. God loves you so much that there’s nothing you can do to be loved by God more than you already are. Do you believe that? Do you believe it in your heart of hearts? Do you understand that God deems you worthy because of what Christ has done for you?

Martha: I wish I felt that worthy. I mean, I sometimes do.

Mary: Your busyness looks to me like a desperate attempt to gain God’s love. Don’t you realize that you don’t have to live that way? God already loves you infinitely, Martha!

Martha: I know that, Mary. I know it in my head at least. That’s what I was taught in Sunday school as a little girl. But now, as an adult in a complicated world, my issues tend to get in the way. I want to have peace in my heart like you do. I don’t want to wake up every night at 2:00 a.m. and spend three hours worrying about the things I have to get done tomorrow. I don’t want to get tension headaches that last all day. I don’t want to feel constantly worn out and frustrated. What I want most is that peace that passes all understanding, that peace Jesus promised.

Mary: And you deserve it. But you can’t get it by doing everything for everybody. You can only get it by sitting at the feet of Jesus. To know Jesus is to know peace.

Martha: So how did you get to know him so well?

Mary: I’m not any more saintly than you are, Martha. I just recognized early on that I can’t do this life on my own. I’m just to weak and selfish and short-tempered. I can’t make it through the day without prayer and meditation. I need that constant support from my Savior. And my prayer and devotion time does take time from other things in my life, including acts of service. But it is worth it. I know I don’t get as much done for others as you do, but what I am able to do, I do with a joyful heart. I do it as a natural outpouring of the love I feel in Jesus. I know it won’t impress God, but I do things because I truly want to do them. I want to shine my light!

Martha: I want to shine my light too, but mine’s feeling so dim right now. And perhaps some of these good folks gathered for worship this morning feel burned out like me too. Why don’t you lead us in prayer, Mary?

Mary: Okay, Martha. Let us pray: Dearest Lord Jesus, we thank you for your unfailing love for us. As you know, my sister here has gotten so busy doing your work that she hardly knows you. And so I pray for her and for all those who feel the light of your love has grown dim in their hearts. Fill them with your Spirit, Lord. Compel them to sit at your feet and know you as their Source and their life. Impart upon them a deeper sense of your unconditional love for them. And give them a peace that passes all understanding. In your name we pray, Amen.

© 2007 Laura E. Gentry

GO & DO LIKEWISE

A Sermon for The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 15, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 10:25-37
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus: “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this and you will live.”

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. He put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’

“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When I was living in LA, I used to shop at a very crowded grocery store. As I was standing in line one day, I suddenly realized I’d forgotten something. Quickly, I scurried back to the produce section on the other side of the store to get the vegetable I so urgently needed. At the height of my velocity, I realized my high-heeled shoes had lost their traction on the shiny white floor. My speed was too great to save myself now! With arms vibrantly paddling the air, I skidded past four aisles and went airborne, then began helplessly careening towards the floor. Everything seemed to move in slow motion and all I could see was the floor rising up towards me. But then, out of nowhere, a hand emerged before my face, grabbed my hands, and snatched me up from certain doom. An elderly Armenian gentleman had seen me falling (I guess I was pretty hard to miss with my long arms and legs whirling out of control) and had abandoned his cart and actually run over to scoop me up. Even though it was in a relatively small way, a stranger had chosen to be my neighbor. He was what our culture might call a “Good Samaritan.”

Today’s Gospel lesson is perhaps the most well-known of Jesus’ parables. It has entered our popular culture as the sentimental story of the good guy. Anybody who does anything extraordinarily nice is written up in the papers as a “Good Samaritan,” though most people don’t even know it’s a biblical reference. But time has tamed this tale and because of our familiarity with it, we miss the profound impact of this parable. So this morning, we are going to take a new look at this old story to help recover some of it’s meaning and implication for our lives.

The story begins with a conversation between Jesus and a lawyer. Now it says that the lawyer is testing Jesus with his question—that’s because he wants to make himself look better than he is. He is trying to prove his own right to eternal life by setting limits to his duty. He knows what the scripture says it takes to be saved: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” He thinks he is accomplishing this quite well, but he wants to make sure he only has to love those people that are like him, that are his friends. So he questions the very concept of neighbor, asking, “And who is my neighbor?” It is a question of inclusivity. Jesus can see the trap the lawyer is laying for him, so he surprises him by launching into this famous parable.

In the story, an Israelite man is going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. This was a notoriously dangerous road, which dropped 3,600 feet in less than 20 miles. The road was not only steep, but rocky and twisty. For those of you who are off-road enthusiasts, this would have been an excellent four-wheel drive road. But since they didn’t have four-wheel drive vehicles in those days, it was a slow journey fraught with many perils, most notably the presence of bandits who often robbed people traveling alone. This was such a common problem, that historians say it was called “The Bloody Way” and most people traveled in groups for safety. But the man in the parable is going it alone—and with his valuables, no less. Jesus’ audience would have understood that this man is a fool. He is taking an even greater risk than trying to run to the produce section in heels! So the fact that he gets robbed and beaten is no surprise.

But what is surprising is what happens next. A priest passes by, one of the highest ranking religious leaders around. We assume this guy, of all people, will help the man. But according to the religious rules, if the priest were to touch this man who looks dead (or at least mostly dead), it would make him ritually unclean for seven days. For a priest, this would post a career hazard, since he would be unable to lead worship that week. Perhaps he’s already used up his vacation days, or he doesn’t have workman’s comp., but whatever his reasoning, he is not willing to assume this risk. The temple liturgy is more important to him than helping a man in crisis.

And then a Levite comes by, a Jewish lay minister. This is also someone we assume would have compassion on the man. But he knows that many bandits use decoys—people pretending to be hurt in order to trick others into being robbed. And of course, he also faces the problem of becoming ritually unclean. The Levite is too worried about himself to deal with the risks involved with helping this other man. So he chooses personal safety over benevolence.

Finally, a Samaritan passes the hurting man. Jesus’ listeners probably gritted their teeth at this point in the parable—assuming that the villain has arrived and will violently end the poor man. The animosity between Jews and Samaritans was legendary! The Samaritans were then regarded as only “Half-Jews,” as outsiders who had compromised their race and culture through mixed marriages and temple worship outside the control of Jerusalem. Without going into much detail of Jewish-Samaritan hostilities, it is sufficient to say that the Samaritan represents the one most unlikely to succeed. Yet, he alone helps the man!

When the stereotypical “bad guy” enters the scene, a reversal of expectation occurs. It is the least likely one who shows pity and assists the stricken man. And in doing so, Jesus uncovers the true hospitality expected of a good Israelite! The mark of hospitality was to help strangers as an obligation, for when the Israelites themselves were sojourners in a strange land, it was divine hospitality that delivered them. This reversal is deliciously ironic. It is the despised non-Jew who shows a mirror of the divine love for Israel in his compassion for the one in need. It is this “good” Samaritan who carries out the essential elements of scripture and not the religious people of the day.

Then, Jesus rephrases the lawyer’s original question, asking, “Who of the three was a neighbor?” By this time, the lawyer is probably sorry he ever posed the question, because now he must admit that the hated Samaritan is the only one who acted as a neighbor. So in this conversation, Jesus has issued a new definition of neighbor, which surprisingly includes all people—even the troubled, marginalized, disadvantaged, and despised. He makes is painfully clear that if we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, we must include all people, and it must be manifested not in mere words, but in actions.

This is truly an explosive story, because instead of reinforcing the status quo, Jesus calls us to radically reimagine love in new and empowering ways—to break down the barriers which separate people from one another and become agents of transformation and new possibilities. Jesus is being subversive in that he is calling us to make our moral decisions, not on the basis of religious or cultural traditions, but on compassion.

Then, Jesus commands the lawyer to “go and do likewise.” Now that Jesus has set a higher standard of love and a more inclusive definition of neighbor, he tells the man to go get to it.

And what about us? Are we also willing to go and do likewise? Can we really love our neighbor as ourselves the way the Samaritan did in this parable? Are we willing to cross cultural barriers and take risks in order to love as Jesus calls us to? But what if people don’t deserve or appreciate our love? Jesus calls us to love anyway.

Let me give you a modern example. I heard this true story from my mother-in-law about a doctor in Alaska. He was an individual that few people could tolerate because of his arrogance. One day, he came into the hospital for work and was suddenly struck down by a heard attack. Immediately, the nurse on duty noticed him passed out on the emergency room floor and without a moment’s hesitation, began performing CPR on the doctor. She summoned the other hospital staff, many of whom he had been very rude to in the past, and together they stabilized him. Within a few minutes, he regained consciousness, stood up, and literally shoved the nurse aside, shouting, “Why didn’t you let me die?” Then he went and did his rounds and never—to this day—thanked the nurse or staff people for saving his life! It was probably very tempting to let such an incorrigible man just die, but that nurse chose to see the doctor as her neighbor and help him in this crucial moment. This is the kind of thankless love and service Jesus urges us to offer to anyone in need.

Each time we hear a reference to a “Good Samaritan” may it serve as a reminder of Jesus’ counter-cultural call to love all people and to make this our top priority. May we see all people as neighbors and obediently serve them, for we have been ordered to “go and do likewise!”

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

THE NEW YOU

A Sermon for The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 8, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Galatians 6:1-18
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

On the day of my nieces 5th birthday party a couple of weeks ago, four of the green chrysalis’ they had hanging in a peanut butter jar on the kitchen counter hatched into magnificent monarch butterflies. The first two came out so quickly, we didn’t notice them until their wings had unfurled a bit. Then, as we were releasing those two, we could see a split in one of the chrysalis’ and so I held the jar lid in my hands and we all stuck our faces right up next to it so that we could witness the metamorphosis. The shell cracked open, out popped some crunched up orange and black wings and then the body of the butterfly literally flopped out in a ball and immediately stretched out to its full length. Before our eyes, the shriveled wings spread out to their full size and within a few minutes, it was ready to fly. Amazing! I was just as mesmerized as the kids were to observe this completely new creature emerge from the chrysalis, knowing that it’s former self was a bulky caterpillar.

And as I think about the spectacular transformation a butterfly goes through, I am reminded of the writings of Saint Paul. For him, the central message was that to be a Christian means that you are to become a new creation. In his second letter to the Christians of Corinth, he writes: “If anyone is in union with Christ he is a new being; the old state of things has passed away; there is a new state of things." Christianity is all about becoming a new being, a new creation—what I like to explain to the confirmation students as “the new you!”

When we come to know Christ, when we answer his call, he brings about a new state of being within us. When you live in the reality of Christ’s love, you cannot go on living as your old self. You just can’t do it. That would be like the chrysalis opening up and out popping a fat caterpillar. It is a ridiculous notion. Once the metamorphosis begins, the end result is a new and different creature: a butterfly. And so it is with us. When you live in Christ, the Spirit goes to work on you and what keeps emerging, day after day, is the new you. Martin Luther put it this way: “Day after day a new self should arise to live with God in purity and righteousness forever.”

But just what does that entail? Paul discusses it in his letter to the Galatians, which we heard this morning. He talks about circumcision versus uncircumcision, and for us, this seems like rather graphic talk and we may just try to tune out. But what he’s getting at here is whether religious rules are important or not. Circumcision was prescribed by the law and so the Christians wondered how you could get away with not having it performed on their baby boys. But Paul explains that when you are transformed into the new you, only one thing counts: union with Christ. Religious practice by itself—just going through the motions—cannot produce the new you. Religious rites can be very helpful but they cannot save on their own. Christ alone saves and Christ alone transforms us into the Christians we need to be.

In the resurrection of Christ, a new thing has happened, a new being has appeared; and we are all beckoned to participate in it. Just as a butterfly soars freely once it has been transformed, so you and I are free from the former things that used to hold us. Sin, death, jealousy, greed, old hurts—all these things have no more hold on us. Now, we are claimed as God’s own children. Now, we are given the treasures of life in the Spirit. The new you is the most exciting you that you can imagine!

Paul Tillich, generally considered one of the century's outstanding and influential thinkers, wrote a book called The New Being. In it, he writes this very powerful, even shocking, statement:

“We should not be too worried about the Christian religion, about the state of the Churches, about membership and doctrines, about institutions and ministers, about sermons and sacraments. This is circumcision; and the lack of it, the secularization which today is spreading all over the world is uncircumcision. Both are nothing, of no importance, if the ultimate question is asked, the question of a New Reality. This question, however, is of infinite importance. We should worry more about it than about anything else between heaven and earth. The New Creation—this is our ultimate concern; this should be our infinite passion—the infinite passion of every human being. This matters; this alone matters ultimately. In comparison with it everything else, even religion or non-religion, even Christianity or non-Christianity, matters very little—and ultimately nothing.”

Let me tell you about my friend Allison. Two years ago this month, she was diagnosed with 2 rare forms of cancer that had metastasized in 7 parts of her body and were all at stage 4. She is quick to remind you that there is no stage 5. She was literally knocking on death’s door. At that point, she embarked upon treatment which included a major surgery and 8 months of chemotherapy, after which, she was told, there would be periodic chemotherapy for the rest of her life.

On December 29, 2005, a CT scan revealed there were no more sign of cancer in her body. She is now both cancer free and chemotheraphy free. A miracle? Yes. But even more miraculous, I believe, is that in those months of treatment, Allison became a new creation in Christ.

She found that, despite her fears, she had an enormous will to live. She followed the course of treatment prescribed by her physicians but that was only the beginning. She held fast to her faith and asked for prayer support from everyone she could think of and she made use of many complimentary alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture and aromatherapy. And she also participated in her healing by giving up the things that were impeding her overall health and well being: repressed and suppressed anger, unforgiveness, feelings of rejection, abandonment issues and codependency in the form of pleasing patterns, conflict avoidance, unhealthy anger and control.

The more Allison drew closer to Christ, the more it was revealed to her that she needed to let go of the attitudes and beliefs had become so extremely toxic to her health. The center piece of all of this work was that she recognized she needed to forgive her father for not being there for her when she was growing up. What he had done hurt her deeply and had thrown her into a long-term pattern of hurtful relationships. But she recognized that not forgiving him was hurting her even more. So she finally sat down and wrote him a letter telling him how much she had been hurt by his behavior, but then she went on to offer him forgiveness. And just like the beautiful butterfly emerges a new being, so Allison is a new creation. When I met her, the first thing she said to me is, “I’m a miracle!” and indeed she is. Not just because she beat her cancer, but because she allowed Christ to make of her a brand new creation.

Paul says that the new creation is everything! So what about you? You are here this morning because you long to hear a word from God. You want the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you. You want to offer your thanks and praise. But the you sitting there in the pew this morning: is it the old you or the new you? Do you feel broken and hurt by all that life has thrown you? Do you find that you are shackled by your resentments, attitudes or other issues that keep you from being whole?

Well then, you’ve come to the right place. In Christ, there is good news for the weary. Whatever state you’re in, let Christ grasp you. Let his grace hold you and heal you. Let his Spirit go to work on you. There is a new you waiting inside, desperate to get out and fly free. The new creation is everything! When you allow yourself to be transformed by God’s power, day after day, you will know true joy and true freedom. Because you, too, are a miracle! So let the new you soar!

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT GUYS

A Sermon for The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
July 1, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Galatians 5:1, 13-25
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery….For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (NIV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Remember those old 1970s commercials for Fruit of the Loom? A woman called “Granny” would be talking about how she always bought Fruit of the Loom underwear for her boys and then suddenly, the Fruit of the Loom guys from the little tag would magically appear in full size. A man in a huge apple costume, complete with an apple core hat, a man in a big green grape costume, another man in a big purple grape costume, and a little guy dressed as the leaves would all stand in a cluster behind Granny and discuss how incredible the super-band waistbands are. As a child, I always thought it would be neat to have the Fruit of the Loom guys show up at my house to have a conversation the virtues of underwear.

So when we read Paul’s letter to the Galatians from our second lesson this morning, and he gets to the part about the fruits of the Spirit, it makes me wish that there were Fruit of the Spirit guys who would suddenly appear to tell us all about these fabulous fruits. True, there are no super-band waistbands to laud but there are certainly some important things these nine fruits could tell us. So let’s suspend our disbelief for a moment and imagine they’ve come to visit us this morning. Just what would those fruits say to us?

LOVE
Hello everybody, we’re the Fruit of the Spirit guys and we’re here to tell you about the fabulous fruits of the Spirit. If you allow the Holy Spirit to increase in your heart, it will show in your life! The way you live will be different. You’ll manifest these fruits yourself. People will know you live in the Spirit because of these fruits. Now as for me, I am the fruit of love. Earlier in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he explains that the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” He goes on to say that if, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. In human communities and even families, people can say hurtful things to one another, and it is as if they are biting and devouring one another. To love is to do just the opposite: to go out of our way to care for and help the other. I am agape, God’s self-giving love that just keeps on giving. Because of God’s enormous, forgiving love for us, loving others is the least we can do. Don’t tell the other guys I said this, but I’m the most important fruit so even if you can’t remember the names of all the Fruits of the Spirit, you be sure you remember me. Well, I gotta go. Remember, I love you guys!

JOY
Hello. Yippee! I’m the fruit of joy. Woo hoo, that’s right, the fruit of joy. Sometimes people think joy is just for fun, just something extra that is pleasant if you happen to feel it. But I’m here to tell you that if you live in God’s Spirit, you gotta have joy. I mean, come on. What’s the sense in being a follower of Jesus if he doesn’t bring you joy, and I mean a lot of it? Your faith should absolutely delight you. Knowing that God loves you unconditionally, knowing that you can go to God in prayer whenever and wherever, knowing that you’re promised eternal life through the covenant God made to you in your baptism should make you want to shout it from the mountain tops! Yippee! If you’re glum about your faith, how can you expect to get anyone to join you in following Jesus? You gotta laugh and be joyful. The great theologian C.S. Lewis once said that joy is a “glimpse of the perfect happiness of heaven that leads us to desire heaven.” Joy is an extremely important fruit so turn that frown upside down and be happy happy happy! Bye!

PEACE
Hello my dear friends, I am the fruit of peace. Yes, I am the tranquil one. But don’t think I am boring or irrelevant. I know that just about everybody in society is stressed out these days. You worry about your family and your job and your health and everything else. What you need is peace of mind. You need to know that everything is really in God’s hands and despite how bad things look, it is going to be okay. You need the contentment that comes from being rooted in your faith. Nothing can take you from the love of God poured out in Jesus Christ. Have you spent time in prayer? If you do, you’ll have more of me. You’ll have that amazing amazing peace that passes all understanding. That’s priceless. And it can be yours for free if you just live in the Spirit. You know you need me. Peace, baby, peace!

PATIENCE
Hi....I’m patience. Do you have enough of me? Or do you pray, “Lord, give me patience and I want it RIGHT NOW!!!” Life is complicated, things don’t happen according to our timetables. You simply have to have patience. Think about the people who have had immense patience with you. They’re wonderful. You remember them fondly, don’t you? That’s because patience is so very important. When you trust in God, you can let things go and allow them to happen as they will. You don’t have to get uptight and short with people. I am a fruit of the Spirit that is so vital to healthy relationships so hang loose and have more patience. See ya later.

KINDNESS
Hello dear ones, I am kindness! Like the other fruits, I do not manifest in your life without the Holy Spirit’s working. Left to your own devices, you’d be angry, hostile and hurtful. But with me, you can take those energies and transform them into your pursuit of good. Imitating Christ is no easy endeavor but that’s the goal of the Christian life. I help you to find expressions of kindness for every time and place. I even help you to be kind to yourself so that you’ll be content with your own inability to change yourself as you seek to be Christ-like. I’ll help you rely more upon God and less upon your own efforts. That’s the kind of work I do (yes, the pun was intended). Bye for now.

GENEROSITY
Good morning, I am the fruit of generosity. Generosity, as you must know, comes from a place of faith. When you trust God for your needs, you can share your time and talent and financial treasures generously. You can be a joyful giver, trusting that you will not go without—that God will keep on providing for you and your family. This frees you to take the blessings you have and to share them with those in need. Look at the first community of believers, as described in the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit came upon them and they made no distinctions between people, as the gift of language allowed them all to communicate. Then, they lived together as a community and shared freely so that no one was hungry or in need. That’s the Spirit’s vision for human society. No one should be hungry, no one should be thirsty, or homeless or have outstanding need. And it is God’s intention that we all work together and generously share so that poverty becomes history. So long.

FAITHFULNESS
Hi, it is me: faithfulness. I am the amazing fruit that helps you fulfill your obligations of service to God and to others. I help you remain faithful to these tasks, even when the road is long. I spur you on to God without dwelling on what God or others are going to do for you in return. It is vital that you persevere in giving without thinking of any return. With the fruit of faithfulness in your life, your normal need for affirmation is coming from a new place: the growing conviction of being loved by God which greatly reduces the desire for human approval. This will keep you marching onward—doing God’s work throughout the years of your life. See you soon.

GENTLENESS
Greetings! I am the fruit of gentleness. Now you might think I’m a strange fruit. What does gentleness have anything to do with the Christian life? Isn’t gentleness just about the way you should hold a bunny. Remember when your mom said to you, “Now hold it gently!” But you see, my friends, I am the fruit that allows you to participate in God's way of doing things which is at once gentle and firm, sustaining all creation with its enormous diversity, yet without effort. We labor in the service of God more than ever, and yet have the sense of stepping back and watching God make things happen according to God’s will both in ourselves and in others. Gentleness is about the difference between working hard and working smart. You can toil away on your own all you want and that’s working hard, but it won’t get you nearly as far as working smart. Working in this way, you focus on the Spirit and allow it to make you fruitful. In this way, the elements of vanity, jealousy and contention that often accompany even our spiritual endeavors, are gradually evacuated leaving immense freedom just to be who we are and to serve the special needs of those around us. Bye!

SELF-CONTROL
Hello hello, I am the final fruit, the last but not the least: self-control. Now I know I’m not as popular as say, love or joy. Who really wants to sign-up for self-control? At first glance, I seem like the fruit that wants to squash your fun—and no, I’m not just needed when you’re on a diet. Self-control doesn’t mean dominating our will over our emotions. For example, I want to hit that guy for being mean to me but I will control my hand and force myself to unclench my fist so that I don’t actually do it. No, that’s a losing battle. What usually happens in our close relationships is that we simply store up our angry thoughts and they come out in a big explosion when we get upset. Self-control as a Fruit of the Spirit comes as a result of the infusion of God's steadfast love, and our awareness of God's abiding presence. The more I immerse myself in God’s love, the less I desire to act out in harmful and sinful ways. When Moses asked God who he was, the answer came, "I AM THAT I AM." In saying this, God was perhaps saying, "I am for you." When you know that God is for you, when you walk with this inward assurance of God's unwavering love, it enhances your freedom of choice and action. Out of that interior liberty, self-control arises spontaneously. We know in spite of our weakness that God will give us the strength to get through every trial and temptation. Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you." (John 15:13).

Yes, we’re the Fruit of the Spirit guys. We are here to remind you of just how amazing life can be when you allow the Holy Spirit to tranform you. You’ll bear the fruits of the Spirit and you’ll do amazing things. Whenever you feel temptation or trial, just call on us and we’ll be there to help you live God’s way. So long everybody!

Let us pray:
Pour out upon us, the Spirit of your love, Oh Lord. We long for you to transform us by your power, from our hurtful desires to a life that manifests the amazing Fruits of the Spirit. We pray for love to flow effortlessly from our hearts, and for joy, like a fountain to bubble up and bring joy to others. We pray for the gift of peace so that we may stay firmly planted in your love, no matter what storms may come. We pray for patience with ourselves and with others so that we can be content with your timing, not our own. We pray that kindness will be our first thought and generosity and faithfulness will grow in our lives. And make us so like you, that self-control is a natural and easy thing to exercise. For these and all other good gifts, we give you all our thanks and praise. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.