Grace Episcopal
Church, Madison NJ
April 28, 2013
Year C: The Fifth
Sunday of Easter
Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 148
(Revelation 21:1-6)
John 13:31-35
This Beautiful Place
Well,
let me just say, where I’m going you
are welcome to visit any time!
As
you might guess, getting ready to leave Grace Church (again) has stirred up in
me a real mix of emotions. I’m very excited about my soon to begin ministry at
St. Paul’s, Jersey City, but I’m also painfully aware of how much Sue and I
will miss you. And I’ve also been thinking about all of the parish events that we
will miss out on.
For
example, next week you’ll celebrate Rogation Sunday – an ancient tradition when
we give thanks to God for the gift of this beautiful planet – when we ask God’s
blessing on this beautiful place.
And
this is just about the best place ever to… rogate.
So,
these last few weeks I’ve been trying to pay extra close attention to my
surroundings – to be mindful - to really take it all in – to appreciate the opportunity
to live and work here – to give thanks for this amazing gift that I’ve been
given twice.
And
I’ve been really struck by how beautiful it is here, especially during the
springtime.
Fortunately,
this year we were spared any late-winter, early-spring storms so the trees and
flowers have held on to their buds and blooms, giving us splashes of color up
and down just about every street.
It’s
beautiful here.
And,
of course, it’s beautiful here at Grace Church.
Yes,
a lot of time, effort and money are spent keeping the grounds and the buildings
looking so good – no easy task at a place that gets so much use just about
every day.
But,
really, it’s beautiful here at Grace Church because of all of you.
In
today’s gospel lesson, we’re back at the Last Supper.
In
John’s telling of Jesus’ final meal with his closest friends, he gives them
some hard news, “Where I am going, you cannot come.”
At
the Last Supper, in what’s called Farewell Discourse, Jesus tries to get across
what’s most important. Jesus acts out how and who he wants us to be when he
gets on his hands and knees and washes the feet of his disciples.
See,
this is who we’re called to be – this is who we are meant to be – this is who
we really are: loving servants of God and of one another.
In
today’s lesson, Jesus sums up his teaching, spelling it out as plainly as
possible: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I
have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
“Love
one another.”
Grace
Church is a beautiful place because of you and the love that we share with one
another.
I
could spend the rest of the day up here going on about all the beauty I’ve seen
in you – I could probably preach until Rogation Sunday about all the love I’ve experienced
among you.
So
much beauty: Anne and Eric and all the adults and children in the choir putting
so much time and talent into their music and giving us transcendent moments on
a weekly, but never routine, basis; Mary Lea and the Sunday School teachers and
the youth group leaders engaging, inspiring and challenging our kids as they
grow in their faith. Lauren taking her ordination vows with heartfelt devotion,
giving herself in service to the church.
So
much love: the wizards who spend so many hours repairing what gets broken
around here, often thinking up inexpensive solutions to costly problems; the
diplomats who promote peace with our tenants; the office angels faithfully
stuffing bulletins and Messenger
mailings; the worship leaders offering our daily services, sometimes even alone;
and the green-thumbed “lay weeders” stopping by early in the morning or late in
the afternoon to give our flowers and trees a drink.
So
much beauty: the unsung heroes on the altar guild polishing the silver and
washing and ironing the linens; the artists on Saturday afternoons carefully
arranging the altar flowers; the intrepid flower deliverers bringing fragrant
signs of love to grieving or ailing parishioners; and our sturdy ushers giving a
warm welcome to all, especially newcomers and guests.
So
much love: gathering every Friday morning for breakfast at the Bagel Chateau, maybe
not able to solve the world’s problems but always looking after one another and
enjoying each other’s company; preparing and delivering meals to families
touched by illness or grief; exchanging the peace every Sunday in a way that
feels more like reunion than ritual; painstakingly crafting the church budget
and focusing hawk-like attention on our finances; preparing delicious dishes
for a potluck supper; rallying around parishioners facing what seem like
insurmountable obstacles; and holding tight our friends suffering unimaginable pain
and loss.
So
much beauty and so much love.
Jesus
said, “Love one another.”
Grace
Church is a beautiful place because of you and the love that we share with one
another.
In
today’s gospel Jesus says to his closest followers, and to us here today, “By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another.”
But,
actually, we’re called to do even more than that.
We’re
called to love the whole world.
And
we hear that global call to love in today’s lesson from the Acts of the
Apostles. Here we glimpse the first big controversy in the Church: what to do
about Gentiles – non-Jews – who were following Jesus.
Many
argued that since Jesus was the Jewish messiah then non-Jewish followers should
be required to obey the Jewish Law – so, for example, men should be circumcised
and everyone should follow the dietary rules.
In
today’s scene, Peter tells the story of a vision he has had – and the call from
the Holy Spirit to make no distinction between Jew and Gentile.
Peter
recognizes that the Gentiles have also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And he asks a haunting question, “Who was I that I thought I could hinder God?”
Peter
realized that God was calling him to the frightening and challenging work of
breaking down the boundaries between Jew and Gentile.
And
today we are called to the frightening and challenging work of breaking down
the boundaries in our own time and place – the boundaries between rich and
poor, between immigrant and native-born, between Republican and Democrat,
between the loved and the despised, between the old and the young, between the
successes and the failures, between urbanites and suburbanites.
We’re
called to the frightening and challenging work of loving everyone: the people right
here in our own community, people in places like Jersey City, people everywhere
and anywhere, especially the people who don’t live in physically or spiritually
beautiful places – the people who aren’t living beautiful lives filled with
love.
This
is who we’re called to be – this is who we are meant to be – this is who we
really are: loving servants of God and of one another.
God
is calling all of us, young and not so young, to be “Grace Gives Back.”
God
is calling us to keep shattering those Souper Bowl records; to challenge Kit
with figuring out how to schedule so many Recycling Ministry volunteers; to overcrowd
the soup kitchen with parishioners ready to greet each guest as Christ himself;
to give away so much (unexpired!) food that Jabez and Anne have call on their
kids to paint some more Food for Friends barrels.
God
is calling us – kids and adults - to make mission trips to places near and far
– to Main Street, to Morristown, to Jersey City, to West Virginia and beyond - mission
trips that last minutes, hours or days - not every other year but all the time
so that they become part of our very fabric as a church.
This
is who we’re called to be – this is who we are meant to be – this is who we
really are: loving servants of God and of one another.
Who
are we that we think we can hinder God?
During
his farewell with his friends, Jesus said, “Love one another.”
I
know that with God’s help we really can love one another.
I
know we really can love one another – we can love the people sitting with us
here in church and the people out there in the world.
With
God’s help, I know we really can love one another because I’ve seen it – I’ve
received it – right here in this beautiful place.
Amen.
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