This is my first non-Reconciling in Christ sermon given on April 25, 2021.
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Welcome and well come to Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. In some churches, today is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”. Take a look at the Gospel, and it is pretty easy to see why. Jesus describes Himself as “[t]he good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.” To add to that, we have Psalm 23 which starts with “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” The primary job of the shepherd is to protect the flock under their watch, to make sure that the flock gets to where it needs to go, to feed them, and to keep them safe.
In the second reading today, we hear the author of 1 John say: “My children, our love must not be simply words or mere talk-it must be true love, which shows itself in action and truth.” Our love, our faith is not something we are meant to have to put on a shelf and dust off every Sunday. It is a living force meant to animate our lives, to breathe life into our actions, and to drive us to go out and help others. If we want to truly follow Christ, we need to act on our faith, not just say that we believe in it.
If we want to follow Jesus, we need to derive inspiration from His actions and we need to do what we can to protect “the flock”. But who is the flock? Is it just the people who believe in Jesus? For much of the church’s history, the “flock” referred to Christians, to people who followed Christ. But that reading of the word “flock” runs counter to some of Jesus’ other teachings. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus tells the questioner that their neighbor is anyone. And if our neighbor is everyone, would Jesus expect any less of Himself than to regard everyone as His neighbor? In Matthew 25 (also known as the Sheep and the Goats), Jesus talks about how the nations will be divided based on how they have cared for the least among them. Those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit those ill or in prison, will go to eternal life. Again, notice that this is not limited to any particular group; whether ethnic, religious, racial, etc.; it is anyone who is in need of help.
In James 2:14-20, 26, it says:
"My [siblings], what good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save. If any are in need of clothes and have no food to live on, and one of you says to them, "Goodbye and good luck. Stay warm and well-fed," without giving them the bare necessities of life, then what good is this? So it is with Faith. If good deeds don't go with it, faith is dead.
Some of you will say that you have faith, while I have deeds. Fine: I'll prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds. Now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show. You believe in One God. Fine. But even the demons have the same belief, and they tremble with fear. Don't you realize, you idiots, that faith without good deeds is useless?...
Be assured then, that faith without works is as dead as a body without a spirit."
In all of these, we see that having faith on its own is not enough. Faith should drive us into action. Faith should lead us to care for others; to protect the poor, the young, the widowed, and the marginalized. If our faith doesn’t lead us to do something, then it is not faith, it is belief. And belief, on its own, is as useless as the “hope and prayers” all too frequently thrown out as a supposed balm after a tragic incident.
In the song “Hands”, Jewel sings about how we are all to help take care of each other. She says:
I won't be made useless
Won't be idle with despair
I'll gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
As followers of Christ, our calling is to be shepherds for each other. We are to look out for each other, care for each other, and protect each other. If we see injustices taking place, if we see people in need, if we see people under attack, we are called to respond. This is more than a request or an optional good deed. Faith requires action. We must help those who we can help. In order to be a living faith, it *MUST* be put into action.
And there are so many things in the world that need our attention. There is the devaluation of the lives of Black, indigenous, and people of color; there are attacks on trans people (particularly trans youth); there are people who go hungry every day; people who do not have homes; people who do not have clean water to drink; there are assaults on our right to vote freely and fairly; there are too many people imprisoned for acts which were incredibly minor or even for crimes they never committed; there are attacks on our environment in the name of progress; and so much more. I must admit, it can be overwhelming. It is all too easy to just throw up your hands and say “I can’t fix it! I’m just one person!”
But, we are the Body of Christ, not just one individual person. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about how we are one body made up of many parts. Not every part of the body can (or should) do the same thing. He then extends that to talk about how there are many roles in the church:
there are apostles,
there are prophets,
then there are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
Likewise, when we are looking to put our faith into action, there are many ways we can do it. We can take direct action and take part in protests, parades, or marches. But not everyone can do that. I know that I, for example, have trouble with them because I get anxious when I am around large groups of people. So, for people like me, we can (for example) write letters; make calls; educate and inform others; help organize events; donate food, drink, clothing, or money; or volunteer at a shelter.
Now, I know a lot of us already do at least one or two of these things. I want to challenge you to try and do more if you can. If you already volunteer at a shelter or help center, try finding out about an issue and contact the appropriate legislator/regulator to do something to help address that issue. If you give money, see if there is a way you can get more directly involved, maybe by joining a phone bank or letter writing campaign. And so on and so forth. We are not going to be able to solve the issues overnight, but we still must do what we can to help others and to drive our nation to be a more perfect union that truly addresses the needs of its people. For they are our siblings, and we are their shepherds. We must be love for the world. There is a saying attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Go out and preach unto all the world. If necessary, use words.” May our actions show our faith in action. May we protect and help those who are overlooked or ignored by society.
To close today, I want to pray a prayer from “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday:
The God of compassion, hope and joy,
Our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
Bless your feet to carry you into places of need.
Bless your lips to proclaim love and mercy.
Bless your heart to love and listen to those you encounter.
Bless your hands to care for the needs of your neighbors.
Bless you to be a blessing to others.
Now and always.
Amen.
May God bless you and keep you. Know that you are a child of God and God love you for exactly who you are.
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