Sixth Sunday of Easter – Pastor Ellen Mills
I am offering you two ways to receive this. In print, you will need to read the scriptures for yourself, and then the prayer and reflection that follow in this post. If you click on the audio link below (below), you can hear all of it, including the scriptures.
Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray,
Almighty and ever-living God, you hold together all things in heaven and on earth. In your great mercy receive the prayers of all your children, and give to all the world the Spirit of your truth and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:8-20
I Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” These are just two verses in the gospel of John. They are spoken to the disciples before Jesus is arrested and crucified. But this was not the beginning of the conversation. This is the same gospel that proclaimed many chapters earlier that God “so loved the world.” It does not start with us loving God. It started with God’s love for us, and God’s desire that we experience that love up close and in the flesh from Jesus. And it is in this same gospel that Jesus sets out the greatest commandment, that we love others just as he has loved us. So, as we are loved by God, we become able to love others just as Jesus loves us. And in this gospel, we are given many examples of just how and how much Jesus loves us. Love is a verb of action, or as Bob Goff says, “Love Does.” God’s love for us, accepted by us into our hearts, starts a process of changing our hearts. It is a process of healing and renewing that will overflow to others. If we allow it.
And in this passage, Jesus describes something far greater and deeper than simple rule keeping. Jesus says to the disciples that as they receive the Holy Spirit, they will be in God as Jesus is in God, and Jesus will be in them. As usual with John, Jesus’ words are beyond rational, as is the Spirit itself. We are being promised something that we will not be able to see or measure. It is also something we do not control. We access it by trusting, and by living into it. And it is a life long process, not a quick event. We may see the results of it and experience it in others as well as in ourselves.
Jesus mentions a number of things that the Holy Spirit does. It is our Advocate; it speaks up for us. It reveals the Truth of Jesus to us. It comforts and strengthens us. All of this is important. But I think we miss something if we see this only in terms of what it does for an individual. We have been raised in a culture that focuses on the individual. And we tend to hear so many of the “you” things in scripture as the singular “you” which applies to each one of us individually. That is not wrong, but it is incomplete. The culture then had a much better understanding of the importance of the group, whether that be family or community. If we read the New Testament in its original Greek, we can tell if “you” is singular or plural. English does not do that for us, although in speech, some of us use “you all.” I bring that up this morning because one of the big things that the Holy Spirit does is provide the glue of community. It is what binds us to each other, and works through us in community. A bit like gluten. You may know gluten only as this thing in flour that makes some people sick. I originally encountered it as this thing in flour that was important for making bread. If you wanted bread to hold together, you needed to knead the bread to activate the gluten. Otherwise, bread is just a pile of crumbs.
We are experiencing a form of physical distancing now that may cause us to feel alone and isolated. It may be a while before we can do things that we took for granted before. Since I am older, and especially since my son was sick for 5 ½ weeks, it has been several months since I have had a hug, and I find that hard. But it does not destroy our relationship. We just have to be persistent and intentional about keeping connected. How are you experiencing this time apart? Are you experiencing it as part of a whole loaf of bread, or one isolated crumb among many? The Spirit works quite well through walls and distance. We may need to get creative and learn some new ways of connecting with each other. And it is for that reason we are starting our Zoom coffee hour this Sunday. Yes, I know all too well it is not the same thing as sitting and talking together. I have numerous Zoom meetings and conversations each week. But back when my daughter moved to Germany in 2012, I learned to do Skype. I have learned numerous things to keep in touch with my kids. And so no matter where my daughter lived after that point, we could periodically see each other and keep our relationship growing.
We have members of our congregation who are in long term care facilities without visitation, and also those who are sheltering at home. Are we keeping in touch? Do we know how others are experiencing this time? God has not stopped loving us. God has not stopped loving others through us. And the Holy Spirit is still working among us to bind us together. How can we cooperate with the Spirit? God is not limited by our lack of imagination. Amen.
Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and resurrection, we join the people of God in all times and places praying for the church, the world, and all who are in need.
Abiding God, you have revealed yourself to us in the form of your Son, Jesus Christ. Embolden your church, as your followers, to reveal your love to everyone in our speaking and in our living. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
You come near to us when we are lost, and you hear our distress. We pray for those who suffer in any way. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
You remain with us always, O God, and your kingdom has no end. We remember the saints who have gone before us. Unite us forever in your final victory over death. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
With bold confidence in your love, almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine upon you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace.
Amen.