Scripture appointed for today can be found here
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To God the Glory
Around this time last year, our
then five-year-old started to repeat a short phrase that we later learned was
the guiding principle of his kindergarten classroom.
Be kinder than necessary.
Four words. Four simple words
born of love and care, that have truly reshaped my own understanding of what is
sufficient.
To be kind. Yes. But, to be
kinder than I need to be…well, that has proven transformative on more than one
occasion.
To be kinder than necessary is
born of grace and generosity. It assumes that we are capable of so much more and
in this it is empowering. To be kinder than necessary offers us an opportunity
to convey grace, to shine a light, and to embody love.
In this, the phrase itself, is
a challenge and a declaration; an affirmation and a gift.
And, I learned it not in the
bowels of the seminary library or sitting listening intently to some sermon or
another, but in a kindergarten classroom.
A kindergarten classroom where
the oft repeated instruction to be “kinder than necessary” arguably sums up all
that we have heard today in the proclamation of scripture.
Leave the edges of the field
for the poor.
Provide sustenance to refugees
and immigrants.
Extend compassion upon those in
need.
Pray for those who persecute
you.
Live according to the grace of
God.
And in living, thus, be perfect
as God is perfect.
We are called to perfection.
Not because we can obtain it, God
knows, we can and will fall short and, hence, the reason that confession and
absolution are offered on such a regular basis in the church. But, because in
striving for perfect love, as God loves, we move ourselves and each other
closer to the full embodiment of God’s desire for the wholeness and restoration
of creation.
But, where to begin with this
weighty task? Perhaps, most simply,
through the recognition of our power to shape a child’s understanding of God.
Psychologist James Fowler whose
body of work has been on the spiritual development of children, writes that our
core understanding of the nature of God is formed by the time we are six years
old. And, this understanding is formed
not through the reading of weighty treatises or an understanding of the
contextual implications of life in the 1st century—but rather
through impressions gained from the important adults in a child’s life. The
kindness of a beloved adult at church, the warmth of a gentle embrace, laughter
at a silly face, arms reaching down as arms reach up. Gentle instruction as we
rise and kneel and sit and sing. Communion bread gripped in a little fist and
blessings given freely. A second cookie at hospitality hour.
But it’s not just the sweet
things, the boundaries we set and the expectation we offer also shape an
understanding of God. Don’t run, you
could knock someone over! We don’t
wrestle in church. Be still for a bit while we pray together. Done well and
offered with love, boundaries and rules serve as reassuring markers of care and
model respect for others and for self.
And, all of this together, form
a child’s understanding of the perfect love of God. A love learned and reinforced by this
community we call the Body of Christ, the Church.
Over the coming year we will be
spending a great deal of time considering how we as a faith community root our
children with an understanding of God’s love and equip them with the tools of a
community of faith to lean into throughout their lives. We will work with an interim in faith formation
for children and young people to discern how we can model the love of God as
made known through Christ to each and every child who worships in our
midst.
This seems a daunting task. But
it is one born of love and care and the desire to let each and everyone of
every age in this place know that God’s Spirit, as Paul affirms and proclaims
in the passage we heard from Corinthians today, dwells within.
As we consider this, I invite
you to consider each other. To consider that God’s Spirit dwells within young
and old, rich and poor. It dwells within people of all races, sexualities,
genders. God’s Spirit is not constrained by our bodies and it cannot be
restricted or denied by human leaders.
God’s Spirit is a gift, and it
has been given to each and every one of you.
And, in remembering this, let
us remember that we possess the power to be kinder than necessary.
And that this this kindness, this kindness is not pursued for the sake of kindness--but for the sake of God. All we do, say and are in the world is an offering to God--so too our kindness. In the passage from Leviticus, the kindness is justified by the very nature of God, "I am God"; perfection in the Gospel, "perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"...
The power and ability is a gift, and we use it to the glory of God.
And, in our kindness we ourselves reveal God's nature!
I wish to close with a book,
written for children, but we were all children once…so listen with your heart
and consider how one little girl learns about God’s grace and forgiveness…
If you are a child in this
congregation, I invite you to come to the front steps so that you can see the
pictures—if you want to bring a grown up who loves you with, please do!
Down the Road by Alice Schertle…
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Thanks to the good folk of Storypath for the lovely book recommendation!
To God be the glory!
Amen.
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