May 5, 2024 6th Sunday of Easter
Readings: Acts 10:44-48; 1st John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17
Uncommon Common-Sense
Everyone, take your bulletin out. Look at page 2 of the order of worship. There is the word Communion. Eating the bulletin does not constitute taking Communion and is a choking hazard. We’ve all heard, even said, that common sense is not that common, correct? Good grief we’ve got commercials on TV, and you cannot get past noticing the small print at the bottom of the TV screen with warnings and counter applications. All the new medicines come with warning labels on the backs of them and tell you to not take this medication if you’re allergic to it. Duh! Detergents have warning labels that tell you not to drink. Coffee from McDonald’s tells you this may be hot! Do not eat the blue mint. Walking through a closed door without first opening it is hazardous to your health. It makes you wonder did somebody really do this to warrant the warning labels clarifying all these hazards. Here’s your sign. However, I do repeat to myself with working with things that screw in or out, righty tighty, lefty Loosie. So, no matter how complicated or easy we may think things are or skills we have, the skills levels vary in everyone gaged upon their experience. It’s just human. On the other hand, greed is a human trait as well, every one of us loves the way to make easy money. The legal system has been used and abused so much that we can sue anyone for anything to get some easy cash.
The same holds true in the teachings of the church. Last week we focused on bearing fruit if we stay connected to the vine. Most of us know what that means. We would say that is just common sense that we need to stay in connection with the Holy Spirit and follow the teachings of Jesus the Christ. Some of us have a vague understanding of it. We read it somewhere in the Bible. But someone just walking in the door would have not a clue. Does following Christ mean I have to go and plant grape vines at my house? To bear fruit, I must be connected to the vines somehow. Some might scoff at those who don’t understand and say, you’re doing it wrong. Here’s your sign. But if we don’t teach them, if we don’t help them, they will never know. If we don’t take the time so that they gain understanding, they will never be able to bear fruit. To be quite honest our fruit will go sour. That means we must love them as Christ loves us and we love ourselves.
The thing focused on in all the scriptures for today is the love Jesus holds for us, gives to us, we must hold for others and give to them. We must love all of God’s children and creation. We hear the greatest Commandment that Jesus tells his disciples to love one another as we love ourselves. That includes all of those in which we disagree and those who are considered an enemy. The General Conference did not go the way most of us conservatives would have liked. Some feel that the UMC is or has become the Church Thyatira as foretold in Revelation 2:20. Does that make all of those who voted for the UMC to be more liberal an enemy? If is does that Jesus tells us to love our enemy. If not then we are still to love them as a child of God. But wait Pastor Ed, if we have become that church then maybe we should leave the church. Don’t forget the last part of John’s message to the Church of Thyatira, those that remain true and obey my commandments will receive a crown in heaven. Do not forget that. Those who remain true and obey my commandments. That includes loving our enemies and other children of God. That gave me another thought. How is God calling you, calling me to love one another? One way is right here in this church building every Sunday. Greeting each other in worship. We use time during worship in what we call passing the peace of Christ. We meet each other and say hello to them because we may not have had time to say so because we just got in the door before worship started. People who are new to a church long to feel like they are welcome, and they could belong in this place. It also gives me time to greet them. There is so much that needs to be done to get ready for worship that I am here between 5 and 6 am every Sunday. Passing the peace also allows those at home watching online to see who is here and makes them feel a part of this congregation. So yes, it adds time to worship but it also shares the love of Christ as we are commanded to do.
We have heard and read last week that if we abide in Christ and He abides in us, we can ask anything in the name of Jesus that it will be given unto us. One might ask, didn’t we pray for a different outcome in the General Conference. I’m pretty sure I did. Then why didn’t God answer our prayers? If we abide in Him, which means in love for him and love of our neighbor. Did we pray in Love? Well, wait, they were also praying for the voting to go their way. Did our prayers include time for reflection and meditation, did they also consist of confession and repentance? Did you listen for God’s voice calling you with guidance? Maybe we just told God how we wanted the voting to go. The same holds true with the voting that will be happening Tuesday.
Then there’s the part this morning we remember where Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay one’s life down for one’s friends”. We do not want to belittle or skim over the ultimate sacrifice that one would do for others by truly giving up their life to save another. I have dealt with life and death situations almost daily myself. We think about that kind of sacrifice more than any other. Besides Jesus laid down His life for us to gain Grace and salvation. That possibility scares us to think our faith could cost us our life. Or maybe giving our life to working in ministry is out of the question. That kind of lifestyle most people feel is not something they are not cut out for. They have not heard, or shall I say listened to the calling. They are not equipped to do that kind of thing. God does not call the equipped, he equips the called based on your talents given by the Holy Spirit. Oh, wait a minute, that means you are being equipped when you are called.
The component that I want to really discuss is one that we can all do daily. I continually talk about giving time and talent. When you give your time to help someone in need you are laying your life down for the betterment of someone else. You are thinking of someone as you would want for yourself. You are giving them time and self that you cannot reclaim for yourself. That time you gave to them is gone, there is no way you can get that time back added to your life or replenished. When you use your skills that are a gift from the Holy Spirit for the betterment of the community, you are laying down self for others. You could just as well use that gift to better your position, and there is nothing wrong with that, but we also need to give to others. Everyone who gives themselves to the Meal-Site has things they could be doing for themselves. Last week one person interrupted mowing their yard, that needed to be done, just to come in and help the already shortened staff fix the meal. Another person conducted meetings in our parking lot in between baking spaghetti. Your trustees are working more than they should, to get us insurance on the building. Our current insurance company has decided they do not want to insure this old church. That is becoming industry wide. Older churches are being dropped because the older they are the more liability they are to the companies. Our policy expires June 10th. If or when we find one, it will mean anywhere from a 20-40% increase in premiums. So that you have a place to worship, a place to meet, a place to that the community can come for a meal. They are giving of themselves, for You. Ask yourself, what are you doing for this community of worshipers. What are you giving to lay your life down, for the love of your neighbor. It could be something as simple as deciding to roll out of bed on Sunday morning, instead of more sleep for yourself, to come to church, so you can pass the peace of Christ to a newcomer.