As always, the readings can be found here, we are using Track 2 for this three year cycle.
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Love. Freely Given.
I
mentioned last week that, in my senior year of high school, my Father died. Suddenly,
unexpectedly and ultimately, unresolvedly.
And, as I
stood at the literal grave, all I could do was wail “I’m sorry, I’m sorry”.
I was
sorry for so many things that had not been forgiven, so many things that had
hurt my relationship with my father, my father whom I had sought desperately
and, ultimately, unsuccessfully to please in life.
And, so,
my song at the grave was one of regret at all that was unresolved.
It has
taken me upwards of 20 years to forgive myself for being a teenager, to forgive
myself for not fitting within the confines of my parent’s expectations, to
understand that their love for me was not conditional even when I knew that I
could not meet their conditions.
20 years
to let go of the “I’m sorry” and sit in the “I love you” of who they were and
who I am.
And, so
today, as I listen to the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans, I am
struck by the unconditional and powerful statement of faith with which this
passage begins.
“There is no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.”
It makes
me want to weep.
“There is
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.
Listen,
Listen,
my
friends, my community in faith and in love,
“There is
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Just as
you are, just as you will be…you are loved by the God who loves us.
The God
who loves us, the Christ who abides in us—turning our brokenness into wholeness
beyond our understanding…
And, in
this, our regrets, our brokenness, our shame, our guilt—are all, ALL,
transformed by the love of the God who first loved us.
There is
a George Herbert poem, written in the 17th century, that speaks to
this, titled “Hazards Transformed”
On thistles that men look not grapes to gather,
I read the story rather
How soldiers platting thorns around Christ’s Head
Grapes grew and drops of wine were shed.
The wingèd fowls took part, part fell in thorn,
And never turned to corn,
Part found no root upon the flinty road—
Christ at all hazards fruit hath shewed.
Food for five thousand: on the thorns He shed
Grains from His drooping Head;
And would not have that legion of winged things
Bear Him to heaven on easeful wings.
Although
the letter said
Though
when the sower sowed,
From
wastes of rock He brings
The thorns that wound, produce the
wine that we drink. The barren land is transformed by the miracle of enough for
all.
Wine from the bier…bread from the
tomb.
The parable speaks of the seed sowed
where no seed shall grow, but the wonder of it is that the seed shall grow
wherever and however it is planted.
What we see as lifeless becomes a
place of life--because the landscape is not of our devising, but of God’s
transforming.
As the prophet prophesies,
“Instead
of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the
myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign
that shall not be cut off.”
Shall not be cut off.
As Paul
writes in his letter to the Romans, nothing can separate us from the love of
God.
And,
even at the grave, we make our song.
A song
not of regret but of alleluia. And, so let us cry out, “alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia”.
Amen.
At this
time, I’m going to offer you an opportunity to take those things which feel
broken, and turn them over to God for the freely given grace that transform our
brokenness into wholeness. In the envelopes taped to the pews you will find
paper and pencil. Please pass these amongst yourselves, sharing as needed
(tearing the paper in half if needed).
Time allowed for distribution
Now that
you have paper in hand, I will give us a few moments in silence so that you
might write down those things or that thing that burdens your soul—the “I’m
sorry” that needs to be transformed (don’t worry, no one will see what you have
written).
Pause
for writing
Now that
you have written down your burden place set it aside for a moment (in a pocket
or in your bulletin). When you come forward for communion you can bring your
burden with you and place your piece of paper in the basin of water in front of
the altar. The paper and the burden you’ve placed upon it will dissolve.
May we
all be set free so that we too can sing alleluia!
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