April 27th Sermon

The following sermon is based on the lectionary texts: Acts 17:22-31 and John 14:15-21

Today, ….we ……along with all Canadians are celebrating National Volunteer Week. We would like to think that we always remember to say ‘thank you’ for the selfless giving of peoples’ time and resources. But today we set aside time to thoughtfully reflect on what it means to us as Christians to volunteer … to serve. As imitators of Christ we have an awesome role model – the ultimate servant.

We serve ……….we serve as ‘idea’ people ……….. we serve as leaders ………. we serve as labourers ………. We gladly and joyfully part with our time, energy, talents, and our money. Yes! Volunteering our financial resources is a form of serving.

Our families willingly support our activities even though they know it will take away precious moments of family time …… and place a greater burden of home chores on their shoulders. …Our families volunteer to pitch-in to support our causes by sacrificing their own participation in activities …… to stay home and keep the ‘home fires burning’ while we volunteer.

Volunteerism … service…. it is not measured by who is visibly present and the hours of work recorded. Volunteerism is measured by love. We have a fine role model – Jesus …. who offers abundant and unconditional love.

This year’s National Volunteer Week motto is “Compassion into Action.” Christians do not have any absolute claim as to being the foremost volunteers. There are many people who come from no faith tradition who are exemplary models for selfless giving. They have deep compassion for those in need. They are passionate about their world and the well-being of all people. Is it not true that God has created us all? Is it not true that God can and does bless the activities of non-believers?

What then …. is the difference between Christian and non-Christian volunteers?

There is a difference ……. The uniqueness….the strength of the Christian volunteer … is in our foundation … our sure foundation – Jesus Christ.

I suggested volunteerism is measured by love. In the Gospel of John, love IS the primary focus. At the end of each day, do you ever stop to ask yourself “In what ways did I or did I not love today?”

We clearly know that non-Christians love others deeply. Good work takes place out of their profound sense of loving others ……… and the volunteers do this without having an understanding of the work of love …of salvation …begun by Jesus Christ.

Non-Christians do not see themselves as co-workers with God. …. Yet, the gift of their service should be highly valued. Nonetheless, there is a difference between Christian and non-Christian volunteers.

How many of you have consciously thought that your willingness to volunteer, ….. that maturing of your character when you are willing to give freely and passionately for a cause …. for someone you know ….for someone you don’t know ….. that your willingness to volunteer has grown out of your own repentance ……..knowing that God has called you to submit your life to Jesus’ love and turn your life around?

In Acts 17, we read: “While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness…” The primary example of human ignorance throughout the Old Testament and all of salvation history is our tendency to behave as though we have no need of God ….. and to have no need of our neighbour.

Our own volunteer service begins with acknowledging our helplessness and our need to ask God for help. We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. All too often our actions demonstrate the pride we have in our own abilities ……. or the degree to which we will hide the shame we feel when we think others will criticize our mistakes.

It’s been said that people rarely want to be helped. It has to do with pride ……. and with trusting another person. Pride and trust.

Does that describe you? Are you willing to let others know your vulnerability ….. are you willing to NEED others? Really, really … do you NEED anybody? …. Who is it that you need? Do you let others help you out – or are you always the one serving others?

God had a tough lesson for me to learn, but God was gentle to me. Ten months ago when I was doing my student chaplaincy training – my supervisor, in our one-on-one session asked me a pointed question. He asked, “Kristin, in our small group of six students and myself as the supervisor, who do you need?” I answered quickly and directly, “No one.” Oh, I knew that was the “wrong” answer – but it was my honest answer. I knew it was better to be honest, even though I knew it was arrogant … I was arrogant in my pride of independence. He said tenderly, “I think this is your growing edge to reflect upon.”

And reflect I did. It was painful to discover that my mask of being capable and competent actually made me unapproachable to many people. I learned that people were intimidated when they thought I would judge them for not measuring up to the standards I displayed for myself.

I learned that people like me better when I was vulnerable and shared the things that scared me. I learned that I could actually help more, serve Jesus more fully, when I was just myself. That surprised me. And I thought I was so smart!

So when God decided to send me to Ontario for internship … I knew I would grow in my dependency upon God and my dependency upon strangers … you – you who are now friends …. and the many unknown ‘others’ who have given me a helping hand during my eight months down here.

God sent the Holy Spirit to surround me in powerful ways …. The Comforter … The Advocate ….. it is you, dear members, who have served the Lord well in serving me. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me ……. When I was lonely … you invited me to your home ….. when I was hungry … you fed me…. When I was unsure … you guided me with kind words.
Love. We need to ask for help before we can help others!

I have felt truly alive in ministry here … because I have been the REAL me ….. not some imitation of what I thought a Lutheran intern should look like. And you accepted me. You’ve loved me.

If you cannot acknowledge your own helplessness and ask for help … how will you ever be able to help someone else? ……Unless you have received, you cannot know how to give. …..When you have experienced acceptance, God’s grace ……. you will be able to convey acceptance to the person who feels rejected ….… forgotten …….and alone. These folks are part of God’s beloved creation.

We have so many opportunities to let that pride go …. let go of that shame. Every time we say the Lord’s Prayer, every time we enter into prayer with Jesus, every time we come forward for Communion … we acknowledge that we are helpless. We are helpless and in need of God’s forgiving and merciful love. And God takes us and makes us new…. And we go out and serve.

“In what ways did I or did I not love today?” As we acknowledge our helplessness….. As we grow in being a repentant sinner, ……we can see how freely we did love others today…. “Love our neighbours as ourselves.”…..the neighbours known and unknown.

As Christians, God is remoulding us daily as we enter into confession, repentance and trust. We are able to offer a strong and welcoming offer of help, ……..not only because we have an understanding and empathy for being ‘people in need’ …… but because we KNOW that the One who holding and lifting BOTH of us up is Jesus.

Is volunteering hard work? Is it exhausting? Yes, but it is exhilarating as well! When we are guided in our serving through our Lord we are reminded by Isaiah (40:31) “those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” …….We are loved by the Lord – from whom our source of strength comes.

When you serve on boards or committees, …. When you participate in fund-raising projects and community building activities ….. when you coach a hockey or soccer team ….. when you volunteer at the hospital or school …… remember that you …. dear Christian …. are a repentant person. The Holy Spirit is working powerfully inside of us when we drop to our knees and tell God of our deep need for forgiveness. This same Holy Spirit works powerfully within us building us in godly righteousness …. the Holy Spirit is building the Kingdom of God within us.

This is what the Gospel is telling us today! Jesus is leaving, but that’s OK…….. because Jesus is sending us the Spirit – the Comforter, the Advocate … when we are at our weakest the Comforter … is there to support and guide. Jesus says, “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees the Spirit or knows the Spirit. You know the Spirit, because the Spirit abides with you, and the Spirit will be in you. … In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” …… In the Gospel of John, Jesus insists that the intimate relationship that exists between him, God the Father, and the Spirit also includes believers. We live in community! We serve in community. Wherever we go, the Trinity goes with us.

When we believe that the Kingdom of God is within us, we have this amazing opportunity to witness through the goodness that shows in who we are and how we live our lives. When we know that we, ourselves, have been absolutely helpless,…… when we have been absolutely undeserving of the generosity of others ….. and when we humble ourselves to accept a gift we know we do not merit …………. it is then that others catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God through our example.

Oh…. it is not the Kingdom in it’s fully realized experience as it shall be when Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead ….that will be the fullness of Kingdom. But still we carry within us something of the greatness and seriousness of eternal life which begins in us now … in our everyday habits …. Our everyday volunteering. We are working with the Spirit … contributing to Kingdom building.

In 2Cor 3:2-6, Paul writes to the Corinthians saying, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; 3 and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” ……………….Come Holy Spirit, come.

I want you to know … to believe … that every sandwich you make, every coffee cup you wash, every meeting you attend, every cheque you write, every hand you hold, every tear you wipe away, every service club you belong to, every child you guide, …..… you are building the Kingdom of God. You! You! It has to be you and me! For the Trinity is within us.

And on those days when it is hard to love …. even with the promise of Christ in our hearts … we all have tough days when we haven’t loved enough …. We repent …. We admit that we are helpless …. We admit that we NEED others ….. we admit that we can’t do it all ourselves ….. and each time we repent … we become more fully human …. we become the fullness of what God desires for us.

Our foundation is the faithful imitation of Christ, when Christ says “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” (Mt 20:28) The starting point of Christian service is not the urgency of the situation ……. but repentance. Amen.