Elkton Presbyterian Church Sermon by Rev. Laurel P. Loveless on June 25, Peter 4: 7-11, Loving Through It All

Transcription

1 Elkton Presbyterian Church Sermon by Rev. Laurel P. Loveless on June 25, Peter 4: 7-11, Loving Through It All As I think about this transition as a church, I feel like a parent whose child is about to go to college and wonders will he be ok and do the right things and be kind and good to others? Will he remember all I ve taught him? Will he have enough money and manage it well? Will he find people to love and encourage him, and take care of him when he s sick? Will he remember to clean up after himself and look nice? Will he take good care of himself and eat right and do what he needs to do to stay healthy? Will he keep the faith and keep going to church? Have I prepared him well enough so he ll be able to figure things out on his own? Or have I made him too dependent on me? I wonder about these things, even if I m the one going away. Are we ever ready for these big transitions in life? Peter must ve felt the same way. He knew he was going away, that he would most likely be executed soon. And he also firmly believed the end was coming. Of course we know it didn t come then, nor has it some 2000 years later. Yet for those early followers, indeed for all of us, we believe that in Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension, the end actually has begun, so the end is always at hand, and we live in the time of the end. This is important to realize, because endings, be they of a long pastorate, or a physical life, or this age as we know it, awakens a sense of urgency. Endings stir us out of complacency. So Peter writes to his flock in Rome and the Roman provinces surrounding Rome about how to live in the face of endings, and these are the words I d like to leave you with as well.

2 He says be sane and sober in prayer. When we face endings, our own, or the worlds, we are more eager to be right with God. So our prayers become more sincere and real. I think of Jesus story of the Pharisee and tax collector who prayed in the temple. The Pharisee prayed, God I thank you that I m not like other men I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all I get. But the tax collector prayed, God, be merciful to me, a sinner (Luke 18:9-14). Prayers at endings are repentant. But I also think of Jesus last prayer with his disciples in the Upper Room. What did he pray? He prayed for God to be glorified through him. He prayed for eternal life for his loved ones. He prayed that God would keep them all in His name so they would be one. He prayed for their protection from the evil one and that His love would be in them. Our prayer ministry is a strength in this church. I urge you to keep it going. Pray for the church in this transition. Pray for the leaders and staff. Pray for those who come to preach each week. Pray for the interim pastor search team, and for God to bring the right person for this church, and for the pastoral search team afterwards. Pray for repentance when you stray, and for the salvation of all who are lost. And pray for unity. God works powerfully through prayer! Then second Peter says to love earnestly, love, as the Message translation puts it, as if your life depended on it. Agape, or Christlike love is work. It is active, strenuous, fervent, persistent and enduring. It is NOT a feeling, but rather a choice to want and work for what s good and best. Paul describes such love in 1 Corinthians 13 as patient and kind, not envious or boastful, arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes

3 all things, endures all things. It never ends. Jesus described and then went to the cross to demonstrate such love when he said, greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). And such love, Peter goes on to say, covers a multitude of sins. What does he mean by that? Certainly not hide, or be blind to sins, ours or others. But covers as God s love covers sin God overlooks, blots out, forgets, forgives. My sister Cindy has an expression, I love the church, if it weren t for the people. Well guess what? The church IS people! Imperfect people who inevitably will at times exasperate, offend and disappoint us. Karl Barth says we are all crooked timber. So to love each other is to let go of offenses, and not nurse them. To love doesn t mean we will agree with or even like everyone, and not just on Facebook! In a recent column in Presbyterian Outlook, Pastor Heidi Armstrong remarked that anyone can be right in the wrong way. It s much harder to be right in the right, or loving, way, a way that is humble, non-hateful, non-haughty. Such love, again in the Message translation, makes up for practically everything. It strikes me how, in times of illness or death, it doesn t really matter what our differences are as we rally together and care for one another. Or in times of need in our community or world, as we work side by side together to help. Or in times of fellowship, as we eat and laugh and have fun together. And in our worship, as we all alike hunger for the power and presence of Jesus, and rejoice at those God moments. And something else I ve discovered anew about love it lets go, me letting go of you to move on with new leadership, you letting go of me to enjoy retirement, us letting go of others to be who and where they need to be.

4 And finally, Peter says to use our gifts. He s speaking of those grace-gifts that come from God, gifts that when used impart his grace and bless others. Everyone has them. Everyone has the gift of love. But each one of us have one or more special gifts too. There are various lists in the New Testament. Do you know what your gifts are? Peter mentions a few. Like hospitality. Back then, the inns were often dangerous and unpleasant, so safe and welcoming places to stay for weary Christian travelers were a huge blessing. Today we have many safe places to stay. Hospitality is not just a warm and welcoming place, but warm and welcoming hearts. I like the way author and priest Henri Nouwen put it: hospitality is the creation of free space where a stranger can enter and become a friend. It doesn t change people, but offers space where change can take place. Then Peter focuses on two gifts, speaking and serving. He says those who speak, which would be preachers, teachers and other leaders, should speak like God. Wow what if we who are called upon to speak, whatever the situation, remembered we are speaking for God, and not just ourselves. And servers, Peter says, should serve with the strength of God. Church people get very busy serving. But what a huge difference when we serve not in our own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit. Serving in the Spirit gives us more joy and fruitfulness. Peter ends by saying, so that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. As I look back over nearly 20 years of ministry, if I have done anything good or worthwhile, it s all because of Jesus. And do you know what the most thrilling part for me has always been? When hearts open to Jesus and his love. We are never ready for the big transitions in life, but if we pray sincerely, if

5 we love earnestly, if we use our God-given gifts, and give Jesus all the glory, we will see the many and wondrous ways Jesus keeps loving us through them all.