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"Hope, the Vessel" - Sherry Lohman Trinity Sunday - Peace with Justice Sunday - May 30, 2010 Romans 5:1-5 Today's scripture begins, "Therefore...." You know what that means, right? Everything that has been stated up to this point will now culminate in a defining statement. I'll give you an example: Steve, you've been doing a great job at work. Your peers look up to you. You set a good example; you're always cheerful, encouraging others. Therefore....we're giving you a promotion. Or, it could go the other direction. Imagine you're a teenager. Son, your grades are down, you've been breaking curfew, your room is a disaster. Therefore....you're grounded. Positive or negative, "therefore" signals a summary or outcome. So it would do us well to peek back to what the Apostle Paul as been saying to the Romans up to this point. In the previous chapter, he's been speaking of hope, in general, and specifically, Abraham's hope. You may remember, that Abraham's hope was pretty well exhausted. He was nearly 100 years old, his wife, Sarah, 90, and they had yet to conceive the child they had hoped for. Still, Abraham continued to hope in faith, refusing to distrust. He drew strength from that faith, and it sustained him. It was enough. Whether or not Sarah ever conceived is beside the point. We're blessed if we know someone like that; someone who's faith sustains them. So grounded are they, that nothing really gets in their way-nothing. Imagine the freedom in that. Paul reminds us that the life of faith is not easy, but through our faith, like Abraham, we will be sustained. "Therefore," he says, "since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand." That was Paul's message, all wrapped around justification by grace. We touched on that last week, how the law was more like a contract than covenant. It was a new concept, because folks had been living under the law of Moses./ It was Paul's mission to convince them that while they could still live by the law, they were free of it, by God's good grace, not a formal or legal transaction. It's bound in the relationship, with love on both sides of the fence; our love for God, and God's love, for us. Jesus understood this. You may remember the parable he told, of the Good Samaritan-it's a perfect example. In the parable, robbers had beaten and left a man half dead on the side of the road. Both the Priest and later, a Levite pass by him, refusing to go near him, and for good reason. Going near death or touching anything unclean was against the law. They were keeping themselves clean/righteous before God. They were, justified by law./ It was the foreigner, a Samaritan, one who was not expected to show any sympathy to Jews, who was moved with compassion to help. Paul is trying to make the same point, saying, we have access, already, to God's grace---true, it is not deserved, but we don't have to fear punishment for disobeying the law. We know this because we know Jesus, who taught us that compassion trumps law. Law is not always black and white./ We might ponder this in our current environment as we anticipate a new Supreme Court Justice. What type of person do we want in that position? One who is legalistic in their point of view; impartial? Or one who is compassionate. Jesus wasn't afraid of going against the law, when it clashed against compassion. That got him in plenty of trouble. He healed and worked on the Sabbath, hob-knobbed with sinners, ate with unclean hands-it was all against the law. But he would not be bound by the law in doing good. It was that other law, written on our hearts, that he urged us to follow. But change is slow to come, especially if it has been well engrained. And sometimes, we carry along traditions without using our hearts or heads. We do what we've done forever, without much thought. It's sort of like the way we used to consider "giving the bride away," in marriage. We don't do that anymore, at least, not as a rule. Finally, in the 21st century, we've moved beyond that way of thinking about the relationship between husband and wife, or partners. One doesn't have authority over the other. It's a partnership; relational. Our covenantal relationship with God is relational, as well. It's personal and communal, forgiving, promising and full of grace./ It takes into consideration that because we are human, we sin, we break covenant-but because God's grace is so vast, poured out for all of us as we return to God; our relationship is reconciled. The covenant is there, not as a limitation of boundaries, but for our protection. Are we convinced? Paul continues, telling us that the life of faith is not easy. He speaks of boasting in our hope, boasting in our sufferings./ What do you think about that? What's he talking about? Boasting doesn't really suit the ideals of Christians, does it. We're supposed to be filled with humbleness; humility. Did you ever hear Jesus boasting about himself-he had plenty reason to boast. Another version of this scripture uses the word, "rejoice." That's more acceptable. Boasting sounds negative, as we know it-it's like self advertising. As a child, I was taught not to boast. But in Paul's day, boasting held more significance. It had to do with grounds for confidence when facing both the present and future. With joy and confidence, people would celebrate God's accomplishments. We can probably relate to celebrating in our hope of life with God, here, and in the afterlife. But what's Paul getting at when he speaks about boasting in our suffering? Let's look at that for a minute. I don't think we can argue with his point. That suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us. I wonder, though, if we don't get confused in the idea of suffering. Does God want us to suffer? Does God need our suffering? If we believe that our God is a God of love; that everything God has done in the past, presently and will do, in the future, is out of love, then surely we cannot believe that God imposes suffering so that we might endure, grow our character, and activate our hope. That's inconsistent with our God who loves us. God doesn't provoke suffering so that we can learn a lesson. True, we may learn from our suffering, but God isn't imposing the suffering. Sometimes we have carry some funny ideas about God. I suppose it's a way to try to help us cope, but in the process, it may do more harm than good./ Last week, I was reading an obituary. "God needed Tom's help, and so God took him to heaven." What? Wasn't Tom doing his work, here? God doesn't take life. God gives life. I don't believe God wants us to suffer from illness, divorce, homelessness, assault, debt, or any tragic event that might cross your path. So what kind of suffering is Paul talking about? What does it look like? What kind of suffering might we rejoice in? What evidence, have we seen, lately, of God's love? In truth, I don't think we suffer, much. We have sufficient food, shelter and water. We are independent. We may not even think we need God, much, in our lives. Other folks really suffer. People in Haiti, they know about suffering. As a nation, we are feeling the affects of the oil leak in the south. The shrimpers on the coast of Tx are suffering. Their livelihood has been threatened by the oil leak in the south. As a nation we will all feel the effects of that leak, eventually. Already, we suffer from polluted waters, damage to wetlands and beaches, loss of sea life, waste, costs of cleaning up the mess. The suffering, down there, will eventually have an impact on us. We're all interconnected, even though sometimes we separate ourselves from the suffering. But for that same reason-our interconnectedness-we have the capacity to turn that suffering around, becoming part of the solution to help build and restore-hope for the future. It's that kind of suffering that can be turned around, when we all become involved in the solution to help build and restore. That's something worth rejoicing over. It can and does happen. Last week, an article appeared in the paper about a local Iowa City doctor, Chris Buresh, who was working in Haiti before the earthquake, and returned, afterwards, to help re-build. This is hope worth rejoicing over. You see, whenever we engage in ministry-when we are passionate about a cause/building others up, building community, building God's kingdom, one person at a time, if we have to, risks and all---we become vessels of hope. God can use us. You know what we're doing, when we allow God to use us, in such a way? We are, in a sense, giving up our lives for others. The question no longer becomes what our culture has pressed into our minds, the question, "What's in it for me? What do I get out of it?" Reflection looks inward, but ministry looks outward. "How can I help grow community; God's kingdom?" Asking that question may, at first, make you sound like a martyr, and I don't believe God wants that, either. I won't pretend that I know all about God, but like Paul, I do want to convince you that God loves you immeasurably. God has purpose for you, so that you can live into God's blessings in a full, meaningful life. And as Paul said, that may not always be easy. Sometimes we give up something so that others can benefit. It's about sharing--giving our time, our gifts, our money for others in need. It was Jesus' entire ministry-serving others. Bringing hope to others-we are the vessels. It's true, there may be times you would rather be doing something else...something you love to do. Have you seen those bumper stickers on the back of cars that read, "I'd rather be skiing, biking or dancing-whatever the case might be. Well, here's how we might thing about it. Let's say you would rather be dancing. God delights in your dance. You need not stop dancing. But dancing alone, biking, or skiing-it's really not much fun doing it by yourself. Share the dance---extend the invitation; join hands in a circle of compassion empowering others that we might all move to the rhythm of justice---not the written law, but the one written upon our hearts, stirring and moving us to peace, equality, hope. Will you pray with me? Wise and wondrous God, we come seeking your guidance and inspiration. Empower us to be vessels of hope, living in your Word, a current of faith connecting others in a bond of compassion. Forgive our misdeeds and grant us an awareness, so that we might dance this journey with our fellow travelers, free in your Spirit of grace. Encourage us always to focus in your good purpose. Amen. |