an unknown God

Acts 17:22-28; John 14:15-20, 25-27 

We live in a time when people are interested in spirituality, but not any religion in particular,

a time when people who grew up attending worship and youth group are no longer interested in ‘church’

we live in a time when fewer people than in the past know the basics of Christianity.

When I was growing up, I don’t remember having Scripture classes at school, they may have happened, but I don’t remember them.
My parents did not attend worship, or have anything to do with church.
My brother and I went to Sunday School with the lady a few doors up for maybe 2 years.
But, I wondered what it meant that Australia was a Christian country.

Did it mean we were all automatically Christians?
From the little that I knew, I decided that everyone couldn’t be Christian, because some people did the wrong thing – I obviously hadn’t heard about grace   [smiley face]

Faith is a mystery in many ways, so many people feel that there is more to life than what they can see; yet for many people the church is not a place they look to answer that need.

Paul is visiting Athens, where there are idols to many Gods, including an idol to the ‘unknown God’.

Paul didn’t tell the people of Athens off, for having so many Gods.
He didn’t tell them they were going to hell
or that they were outside God’s love.
He talked about the God he knew, not giving every detail of the story, and connecting with the people’s interest in religion and poetry.

When so many people today are not interested in ‘the church’, but are searching for something more in life,
when people don’t have years of Bible stories and Sunday school
I wonder how can we speak to people in ways that connect with their experience, that answers the questions they are asking.

Sure, we could go and stand on the beach and tell people about sin and the cross and hell – but …

•             what if instead we lived in ways that showed people love. Not because they deserve it, but because they are part of God’s creation.

•             what if we took seriously questions about shame, guilt, life, death, forgiveness, pain and grief. Not with easy answers, but willing to listen to people’s experience.

•             what if we were prepared to say we don’t know the answers to everything about God and Jesus and faith

•             what if instead of talking about punishment for sin, we showed God’s desire to heal the wounds our sin causes.

When people are looking for something that makes sense of life, how do we talk about our experience of God?

As I mentioned last week, John has this very long section of Jesus telling his disciples he will soon die, and reminding them of how to live.

Jesus is saying: don’t be afraid, I will send another advocate, another companion. Just as Jesus has been with the disciples, walking beside them, teaching them, showing them how to live; after he dies, the Holy Spirit will come and continue to guide them and be present with them.

You may have noticed that this section begins: “If you love me, you will do as I command.”

If….

Is this a threat like: if you don’t tidy your room you won’t get any dinner?
Or, if you eat your vegies you can have dessert.

There is another way to look at this, Jesus is stating a fact. This isn’t a threat, but a reality. When we love someone, we will follow their teaching and example.[i]

And what was the teaching and example of Jesus?

Love

Grace

Healing

….

“We remember ... that Jesus has also said, ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another’. (John 13:34)

The commandment is to love, to be loved.

It has to do with an abiding in and with God and with one another. It is a mutual relationship.” [ii]

Our love of Jesus is expressed in being "agents of God's love in the world."[iii] We don’t do that on our own, that is what Jesus is saying here, keep my commandments, love one another, and I am sending a companion, the Holy Spirit will guide and lead you, just as I have been with you, guiding, teaching and loving you.

Sentimental love or a cherished memory will not give us the courage and confidence to speak on behalf of the poor, to be obedient when it is uncomfortable or unpopular or illegal.

Christianity is about being a follower of Jesus, not an admirer or a fan.

When things get tough for the disciples, and the early church, they are being encouraged to remember the life Jesus showed them, and the teaching about being loved and loving.

We can remember the life of Jesus, and treat it as a good story; or we can remember the life of Jesus and allow it to change us, so that we allow Jesus to live in and through us.

Have you ever felt the prompting of the Spirit?

The other week in hospital, one night the lady next to me was in pain. My first thought was that I am a patient, and the nurses will sort it out.  But I knew I should speak to her. So, I pulled the curtain back, and asked if she was in pain? She was, but had been on painkillers for 3 weeks and didn’t want anymore because of the side effects. I suggested she ask the nurse, which she did. The nurse went to get some medication for her. The patient asked me why I bothered talking with her. Well, to be honest I was tempted to stay out of it, but something inside me connected with the humanity and pain of this woman.  To me that was a prompting of the Holy Spirit, telling me that this woman needed kindness, and I should get out of bed and let her know she is not alone.

This section from John finishes with Jesus saying: I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give.

The challenge, as always, is to hear Jesus speaking to us as well as the disciples, knowing that if Jesus was here today giving this sermon, he would use different words to 2000 years ago.

While much has changed in that time, I think much of our humanness is the same. Several people have written about the basic human needs.  

Anthony Robbins has written the 6 core needs of people:[iv]

• •     Certainty - security and predictability
• •     Variety - surprise and challenges and change
• •     Significance -  feeling needed, a sense of importance
• •     Love and connection
• •     Constant emotional, spiritual and intellectual development
• •     The need to contribute, to care for others, to give beyond ourselves.

For me, the Christian life fulfils each of these needs:

Jesus offers us peace and security
The Holy Spirit brings surprises and challenges.
God gives each of us gifts that are to be used for the good for all, and we are called to seek the coming kingdom
And each one is loved, and lives in God, and God in us – how much more connected could we be.

  

We live in a time when people are seeking life; abundant, fulfilling, meaningful life.  How do we speak of our experience of faith in ways that connect with people?

Not belittling, or putting them down, or speaking words of judgement.

How do we speak of life and love and peace with people who don’t know about Jesus or church or the Bible?

When people are looking for something that makes sense of life, how do we talk about our experience of God?

May the Spirit give you courage and confidence to speak the words of life.

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[i] Kathryn Matthews, U.C.C. SAMUEL

[ii] Spill the Beans 25 May 2014

[iii] Kathryn Matthews, U.C.C. SAMUEL

[iv] http://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/6-core-human-needs-by-anthony-robbins/

all you need

We are still in the season of Easter, and will be for another 2 Sundays. During Lent, we prepared ourselves for Easter; then it was Maundy Thursday and Good Friday with their reflective nature, followed by the celebration of resurrection on Easter Sunday. Then there are 7 weeks of the season of Easter. During this time, we read some of the resurrection appearances of Jesus, and think about how the early church was, and we are still today, witnesses to the presence of the risen Christ.[i]

Our reading from the Gospel of John this morning is part of the long section where Jesus is speaking with his disciples the night he was arrested. Chapter 13 begins with Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, Jess foretells his betrayal, Judas leaves the group, then the section we heard read this morning. This is followed by another 2 chapters, including the promise of the Holy Spirit, more on loving one another and Jesus praying for his disciples.  We will hear more from this long farewell from Jesu over the next 2 Sundays.

Jesus is talking with the disciples, knowing that he will not be with them much longer. And he was telling the disciples that he will not be with them much longer, though they did not understand.

I wonder if they did not want to understand. Sometimes it can be easier to pretend, to live in denial, than to deal with what is happening in our lives. it is easy to understand the confusion of the disciples: how can Jesus be going to leave them, he is the Messiah, the one who will free them. Their expectation has not been fulfilled,

Jesus is letting the disciples know what is to come, so that they are prepared.

In response, there are questions.

·         where are you going?

·         we don’t even know where you are going! How can we know the way?

As usual Jesus doesn’t always answer the questions he is being asked.

When we are grieving, or distressed, it is usual to ask questions.

·         why did she have to die?

·         what makes him so angry?

·         how am I ever going to manage?

The answers may be helpful, but more often, what we are looking for is understanding and relationship with someone who knows and cares and loves us. [ii]

That is what Jesus is telling the disciples. Even though I am not going to be around, I will be with you, and you will live in the way that I have lived. What from the life of Jesus would you want to pass onto someone else?

What from your life encourages and comforts someone?

What do you hope people remember about you after you die?

The two phrases that stand out to me in this passage are:

·         Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me; or is another translation: do not let your hearts be troubled.

·         I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing.

Don’t worry, sounds like the words of the angels at the empty tomb on Easter morning: in Mark and Matthew we hear: don’t be afraid, [ Mark 16: 6; Matthew 28:5] and later in John’s gospel, the words spoken to the disciples behind locked doors: Peace be with you [John 20:21]

Maybe in the midst of confusion and fear and wondering about the future of life and civilisation, we need to remember the words of Jesus: do not be afraid, don’t be worried, peace be with you. Not so that we are apathetic, but so that we can live, following in the footsteps of Jesus.

The words of Jesus are not just about his leaving, they also give encouragement and permission to the disciples to live and to love. ^[iii]

I am the way and the truth and the life, has at times been used to tell people they are doomed to eternal damnation; but here Jesus is talking with his disciples, telling them that he is all they need.  In him they have seen God.

You don’t need a road map, or a secret password, or special knowledge. Jesus is saying: All you need is me, and you already have that.

This is a word of comfort and confidence to the disciples.

Just as we don’t know why our parents or partner loves us, or why our friends like us, they do. We know by their actions and words.

Jesus is reminding the disciples that their belief in him is seen in their actions, in the way they live out their faith, even without Jesus physically by their side.

Even though Jesus told the disciples that he was leaving them, they were still not prepared for what was to come. They still went into hiding, they were not sure about resurrection sightings, until Jesus appeared to them, offering a word of peace.

And as we read in the book of Acts, the disciples went from being fearful and in hiding, to speaking publicly about Jesus, seeing lives transformed, in spite of persecution by authorities.

Relationship with Jesus doesn’t answer all our questions, doesn’t take them away, but here Jesus is saying: remember we have been together, me dying will not change that. How you live from now on has been changed by the time we have been together, by our relationship. ^[iv]

I wonder how your living has been changed by your relationship with Jesus?

I know some people who have stopped drinking alcohol, others who no longer swear.

Me, I try and think about the life of people who make my clothes and grow and package the tea and coffee I drink. I try and give people the benefit of the doubt and work on the premise that most people are doing the best they can in their situation. I am not perfect. And Jesus continually calls me to greater trust, less worry.

What about you?

Where are you being called to live differently by Jesus?

Here, towards the end of his life, Jesus is saying to the disciples, remember how we have lived, remember what you have seen in me, go and live and love.

Where might we see Jesus’ work and presence in our midst?

How might we show others the very heart of God?^[v]

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[i] http://www.crivoice.org/cyeaster.html

[ii] David Lose, in the Meantime, http://www.davidlose.net/2017/05/easter-5-a-jesus-real-presence/

[iii] Karoline Lewis, https://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4878

[iv] Karoline Lewis, https://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4878

[v] Elisabeth Johnson, https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3238

New ife, Last words

In the reading from Acts we meet Lydia.
Lydia is a business woman,
the head of a household,
someone who has moved to Philippi,
and she is a worshipper of God.
We know only a little about Lydia.
Lydia was from Thyatira, in the Asian province of Lydia. Is Lydia her name? Or a reference to where she comes from? We don’t know for sure.
We do know that she sells purple cloth. Purple is an important colour, only the wealthy and nobles could wear purple. This means Lydia would know some of the important people in the area.

Lydia was God worshipper, and with other people who worshipped the God of the Jews, she met by the river, outside the city gates, to worship, which is where Paul finds her along with others. She hears the story of Jesus, and she responds.
Lydia is baptised, offers accommodation to Paul and Silas. This isn't the end of Lydia’s story, we hear of her offering hospitality to the Paul and Silas again later in chapter 16.

Lydia is thought to be the first European convert. An unlikely choice, she is not of Jewish heritage, she is female and there is no mention of a husband.

Where do seekers gather today?
Where do we go to tell the stories of our faith?
Outside the boundaries of polite society?
There is a Baptist church in Woolloomooloo who offers assistance to marginalised women including street prostitutes. They are “about creating a safe space where women who are experiencing marginalisation or are in vulnerable situations, can access support and care.” [http://hopestreet.org.au/Women%27s+Services/p/3/]. Our own Uniting Church operates a harm minimisation program: the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre.
Both of these services are outside the mainstream of society, but offer grace and hope to people who are often in despair.

The passage we heard from John’s gospel this morning, is part of a long section of Jesus teaching and praying for his disciples. It comes after the foot washing at the last supper and before the betrayal in the garden. Chapters 14 to 17 cover many topics. Last week we heard the end of chapter 13, where Jesus tells the disciples he is going to be glorified, and that the disciples cannot go where he is going, so love one another.
In the next few chapters we hear:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” [14:1]
 “I am the way and the truth and the life.” [14:6]
“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [14:9]
“If you love me you will keep my commandments” [14:15]
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate, to be with you forever” [14: 16]
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” [14:27]
“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” [14: 27]
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. [15:1]
Abide in me as I abide in you. [15:4]
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. [15: 8]
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [15:12]
It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [16:7]

Jesus is preparing the disciples, as best he can, for his death. And that preparation includes how to keep on living the Jesus life, when Jesus isn't walking beside them.

Don’t be afraid.
Love one another.
Don’t be afraid.
Abide in me.
Love one another.
I am sending the spirit, the advocate, the helper.

If you have ever sat with someone who knows they are dying, last words can be important. Sometimes people will write a letter to a loved one, sometimes it is ‘I'm sorry’ or ‘I love you’.

Listen to some of the last words of Jesus again:

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” [14: 25-27]

These themes are repeated in these 4 chapters.

Don’t be afraid.
Love one another.
Don’t be afraid.
Abide in me.
Love one another.
I am sending the spirit, the advocate, the helper.
Peace I give to you.

Did the disciples understand? It seems not, but that isn’t unusual in the gospels. “First Peter (John 13:36), then Thomas (14:5), then Phillip (14:8), and then Judas (not Iscariot) (14:22) ask for clarification about what Jesus is telling them.” [Elizabeth Johnson working preacher]

Do we understand?

We aren’t sitting with freshly washed feet, listening to Jesus ramble on about loving each other, trusting in him, and the Holy Spirit that is to come – wondering what on earth he is talking about.
We are sitting here over 2000 years later, hearing a passage that will be familiar to many of us. And ye know that Jesus dies, and that Jesus was buried, and that three days later the tomb was empty.

We also know that the disciples didn’t know what to do, then there were sightings of Jesus, and the disciples putting the pieces together, and the growth of the early church, and questions about Jewishness and Christianity.   You know the story.

And among the first words of Jesus to the disciples after the resurrection: “Peace be with you.”  Three times in eight verses. Peace be with you. [John 20: 19, 21, 26]
Peace, Jesus’ peace, “is more than the absence of conflict. The peace that Jesus offers us is a profound and holistic sense of well-being.” [Elizabeth Johnson working preacher]


A quote I came across this week from St. John Paul II – “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”

We are Easter people and hallelujah is our song.
The spirit flows in our life,
Don’t be afraid.
Love one another.
Peace I give to you.

I wonder what that looks like for us.

I wonder how the peace that we are offered by Jesus; is evident in our lives?