Good morning Children of God!As a prelude to Sunday’s message here is a word of comfort to us:“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shall shake in the heart of the sea;though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Psalm 46:1-2
May 17, 2020
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Prayer of the Day
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.
First Reading Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:8-20
Second Reading 1 Peter 3:13-22
Gospel John 14:15-21
Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
The universe is a mind-boggling place. Sometimes I like to think about the ride through space we are having. We are rotating at approximately 1,000 miles per hour and orbiting the sun at around 66,000 miles per hour. Then consider that our Sun is pulling our planet along within the Milky Way Galaxy at 483,000 miles per hour. And then, we are told, our Galaxy is traveling within the universe at 1.3 million miles per hour! And yet, one can sit in an easy-chair and never know that they are on the move. Certainly, God is holding everything together.
When St. Paul was speaking to the people of Athens, Greece, he told them about the God who made the world and everything in it; the Lord of heaven and earth. (Acts 17:24) Paul believed that God is revealed in part through nature: “Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.” Romans 1:20 Paul also believed that in God’s Son, “all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 Theologically speaking, that’s why you can rest comfortably in your easy chair with no fear of being ejected as you hurtle through space.
Sometimes it feels like the world or one’s life is unraveling. This is especially the case when we are confronted with circumstances which are beyond our control. Chaotic episodes in life leave us exasperated and exhausted. Rarely is this the case for the whole world at the same time but that is the reality of the COVID-19 era. In a time such as this, it is reassuring to know that we belong to the God who holds all things together in heaven and on earth and in one’s life.
Jesus experienced what it is like to have one’s life unravel. The last hours of his life were terribly chaotic as he was “handed over” to die on a cross. He had submitted to his Father’s will and relinquished control over his life. Jesus experienced the chaos of death. And just when it seemed like everything had come apart at the seams for Jesus and his disciples, he rose from the dead. Life was holding together. Order was brought forth from chaos. That is what God has done from the beginning of time. (See Genesis Ch. 1)
When you are dispirited by current events and feel as though you can’t hold everything together, let go and let God. When you are struggling with important questions that go unanswered, let go and let God. When you can’t seem to shake the fear that is stalking, let go and let God. Hand over the chaos to the one who from the beginning has shown the ability and grace to bring forth order in accordance with his good will.
Psalm 66 celebrates that “Our God has kept us among the living and has not allowed our feet to slip.” “You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.” (vss. 9,12) Fire and water in this context represent threats to life through burning or drowning. Covid-19 is taking us through a type of “fire and water;” we are being threatened and tested like never before in our lifetimes. But, through our crucified and risen Lord, God is keeping us among the living and leading us into a place of refreshment, a place of faith and love. Jesus said, “because I live, you too shall live.” John 14:19 Jesus is holding all things together for us as we pass through the troubled times of life.
It is written, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” 1Corinthians 10:13 God always provides a way out of trouble. In politics and business it’s called having an exit strategy. With God the exit strategy always involves grace.
Many stories in the Bible teach us that God is gracious in providing a way out of times of testing. Noah and his family escaped corruption and death through the waters on the ark. The Israelites escaped from Egyptian slave-masters through the waters of the Red Sea. The Israelites escaped forty years of wandering in the wilderness by passing through the waters of the Jordan River to the promised land. The early followers of Jesus escaped the power of sin, death, and the devil by passing through the waters of baptism. (We hold that experience in common with them.) All of these famous exits were a gift from God. The exit strategy always involves God, by grace, leading his people from chaos to order. In our time too, whatever the circumstance may be, God has an exit plan for us so that we may be able to endure our time of testing. By grace, God is always holding everything together.
“We went through fire and water, but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.” Psalm 66:12 Fire is a symbol for judgment. When people are tested by life and death they are experiencing judgment. The Bible teaches us repeatedly that judgment is always followed by God’s grace. (For a review of that subject read Genesis Chapters 2-12 and look for the pattern Sin-Judgment-Grace in each story. That pattern can also be found from Genesis to Revelation.) After a time of judgment or testing, God brings his people into a place of refreshment. For Noah and his family, that place was a fresh start in the old creation. For the Israelites, it was a new beginning in the promised land. For those baptized into Christ, the place of refreshment is in Jesus. In order to ensure our life with him, we have been graced with the Holy Spirit who abides with us and in us. (John 14:17)
We are living in a tumultuous time, a time of pandemic. Many people are suffering from illness and death and many more are grieving. Our plans have been upset. Graduates have been denied the traditional public ceremonies that celebrate their achievements. Summer events of all kinds are being canceled. We are denied the joy of worshiping God together. Questions remain about the future as an unseen enemy wreaks havoc in the world. But through it all, we are placing our trust in a God who has a proven record of bringing order out of chaos and holding everything together for our benefit.
We look forward to the day when the virus threat is behind us and when we reach a place of refreshment that God has prepared for us. In the meantime, we rejoice that we are not left alone. Jesus is with us and we have one another. We continue on an amazing ride through God’s mind-boggling universe with no threat of being thrown from our easy-chairs. Jesus is in charge and holding everything together. Amen.
THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD (Maltbie D. Babcock)
This is my Father’s world; and to my listening ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world; I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world; the birds their carols raise; the morning light, the lily white, declare their maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world; he shines in all that’s fair. In the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father’s world; oh, let me not forget that, though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world; why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let heaven ring; God reigns, let earth be glad!
Keep alert, stand firm in your faith be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love,
Pastor Bill