5th Sunday after Pentecost

By Audley Robinson, Lay Preacher

​Almighty God you have promised through your well-beloved Son Jesus Christ that when two or three are gathered together in his name you will be in the midst of them. Amen.

please be seated:

The  fifth week of Pentecost. 
To recap the  disciples are charged with the mission to go out and spread the good news of the risen Christ. Following Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into Heaven.

The disciples miraculously start speaking in different tongues and travel throughout the land converting new believers one person, one village, one country at a time. These early converts became the foundation of the Church today. 

Did you know that there are over 45,000 Christian denominations in 234 countries worldwide.

Today I would like us to focus on our mission of spreading the good news of Jesus through love, quiet reflection, helping our sisters and brothers in need, all the while leaning into the promise of redemption  for the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.


From today’s readings the following help to remind us of redemption, and God's never ending grace.  (From Romans 6:12-23)

“Do not let sin exercise dominion in your bodies or make you obey their passions”

And Goes on to say: “present your members to God as instruments of righteousness”
Also: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under Grace”. 

This is one of my favorite phases in the Bible to be under Grace, I can feel the love of God protecting us in all of our endeavors. As a LEM I see the grace of God’s love in people's eyes as I serve the wine. When we are alone there God is, as we sit in the stillness of the night  when we can not fall asleep for the weight of the world is oppressing us there God is. When we score the winning goal in a game or are the last one over the line in a race there God is. A grace that passes all understanding. Where no human law can deny our faith. Grace God’s presence in the world as we lend a helping hand or listening ear to those in need!

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (From Matthew 10:40-42).

How do we lean into the Grace that passes all understanding today with humility and love for our neighbours and all of creation? How would the disciples see the world today with all its social, environmental and cultural challenges? For example hunger, homelessness emotional challenges, substance addictions, loneliness, climate change, broader controls, detention and separation of families. 

Can you imagine the disciples arriving at our borders and being asked to show their ETA’s or Visas? Would they be allowed entry or would they be simply turned away.
  
In today’s computer age, would the disciples use Facebook or any of the other social media sites to spread the good news? Would they have podcasts recounting tales of the blind being made to see again, the dead being brought back to life or water being turned into wine. (This miracle would have been useful to the Scottish supporters who drank all of the Sam Adam’s beer in Boston as they arrived for their World Cup match last week).

Through Grace and humility we are given the strength to share our faith and love with our brothers and sisters who are in need.

“The Lord will provide”. (From Genesis 22:1-14)

How do we tell this to the homeless, the hungry, the Jobless person or anyone in need? Unless we walk in their shoes we can not fully understand what they are experiencing. Our purpose is the fulfillment of God’s plan for us. We are given the guidance of how to help others.

(Matthew 10:40-42)
“Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-truly I tell you none of these will lose their reward”.

Here at Sts. James and Andrew’s we are very welcoming and provide help without the blinking of an eye. Grace can be seen through our many serving ministries for example; second helpings, donations to the survival center, Whitney’s Pantry, Mistletoe Mart, The Welcoming committee, The Green Team, Alter Gild. The Sewing Guild and let us not forget Sunday Soup and sandwiches while it lasted, and many more.

These are all examples showing that we are the heart and body of Christ's love in the world. Spreading out his arms to envelope the wider community, where all are welcome. But spreading the good news of Jesus does not end there. Our purpose is the fulfillment of God’s plan for us. We are all unique and special in God’s eyes.

The passages are also of hope:
” Everything that is asked in my name will be granted,”
This does not mean that God is a mystical ATM where you can take out as many miracles as you want. But we will be given what we need! In Jesus’s name.

Prayer is our  direct line to Jesus, our “mystical smartphone”.
Take time to listen to the voice of God as you pray or as you go about your week. Find a quiet moment each day to say, “I am listening lord” and be ready for the answer! Too often we pray by reciting a shopping list of things to God, and then we move on without waiting  for an answer. I would like you to try something for me this week Insteading of asking for things, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the abundance in our lives. To name a few things we can be grateful for: 
​
Waking up each morning to the new day.
Our Loved ones, friends, and community.
Clean water, fresh air.
A sunrise, the wind and rain.
The Earth our island home.

Finally, I hope that through grace, compassion and service we can live into the one and only commandment to love. Love intentionally, love with all your heart and might and most of all love the way we want to be loved ourselves. And that everything is a gift and let us give thanks and praise unto:

”The Lord who will provide”. Amen

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