Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 Psalm 78:23-29 Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is one that might have been written to our church today. In today’s reading he stressed the need for the church to unite in Christ.
Paul says that our talents and abilities are gifts from God and that these gifts are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” If the church is the body of Christ, we are therefore called to support the church, that we might experience unity – in faith and knowledge. What is good for the church is that which strengthens its unity.
Some might argue that the issues our church faced at General Convention were just the opposite. What has been publicized is our response to the struggles within our nation and in our states to changing views on adult relationships and what constitutes a family. That is, however, only a small portion of the work of this convention.
At convention, the Episcopal Church did two things that demonstrate its commitment to unity. It took steps to re-united parts of the church that split as a result of the Protestant Reformation. Just as we entered into full communion with the Lutherans (ELCA) in 1999, this General Convention voted to enter into full communion with the
The Episcopal Church IS focused on “building up the body of Christ.” The issues of ordination and blessings of unions are issues of our times and our church is responding to changes in society and state laws. This is what churches must do – respond to the current times. And, as with other responses, our response is and will continue to evolve.
In the fifth chapter of Acts, we read the story of the apostles being brought before the Sandhedrin, or a type of Jewish Supreme Court. What the apostles were teaching, the good news of Christ, offended the Jewish authorities and many wanted them punished. One Rabbi, Gamaliel, stood up and warned them, saying, “I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them-- in that case you may even be found fighting against God (Act 5:38-39)!"
Paul says, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up into him who is the head, into Christ.” We must, he says, “promote the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
We would do well to remember these teachings and focus our energy on the mission of the church. This requires us to focus on the future, not the past – on where we agree and not on where we disagree. We have all been disappointed and rejected by other people. Among our offenders are members of our own families and members of our own church. Our hurt is often deep – but Paul says we need to put that hurt aside and work toward building up the body of Christ.
The work of reconciliation is among the most challenging work we face in life. It is the mission of our church – which our Catechesis says is “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ (
Mission is perhaps the best way to unite our church, and re-unite it when needed. I am proud to say that St. Andrew’s is a church that values mission. This is evident by the generous response I have received in gifts to my discretionary fund. It is evident in your support of Angel Food Ministry, and in the countless organizations that you work to support in is community.
Mission is not, however, all about caring for others. It is also about caring for ourselves. Just as it is important to care for our own bodies, it is necessary to care for Body of Christ by supporting the church. In the Methodist Church I grew up in, we spoke of supporting the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. These four things are essential for the self-care of the church. Our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service are the foundation for building up the Body. These are more important than doctrine and resolutions.
We pray for strength and guidance from the Holy Spirit that we experience the uniting power of God’s love in the midst of our struggles and our differences. We must commit to be present, in worship and in spirit that we might be present to each other, present in love and support. Christianity is, after all, a journey which is filled with challenges too great for any one of us to overcome alone.
Paul says that God has given the church the gifts of apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers. These are not titles, but gifts of the spirit which we share with one another. None of these gifts require formal training or ordination – leadership takes many forms. In any organization, the church included, there are people we turn to for answers. More often than not, these are people known for their expertise or wisdom, and not the person with the title. Respect that is earned is far more valuable than respect that comes from a title. Whether or not we respect a person in leadership has more to that person’s ability to live up to our expectations than their position in the organization. Relying on a title to “get things done” is a sign of poor leadership more often than not. Yes, we all have a role to play in the running of a church. A healthy church is one in which we all share our gifts of Christian discipleship and love. Service naturally follows when we share our gifts – service to our brothers and sisters in Christ and service to others.
Our OT and Gospel reading today both speak to being feed by God. The tribe of Israel was in the wilderness, frightened and hungry. They left behind the life they knew. They had been slaves, but at least they had homes and food. They were nomads now, living in tents and eating what they could find. They had left Egypt believing they were being delivered by God from Pharaoh’s oppression, but now they were hungry. God heard their cries and provided them bread from heaven.
Jesus feed the five thousand. The crowd followed him and Jesus began to teach, in a conversational style. They asked Jesus for a sign – more proof that he was the messiah. They spoke of the manna, or bread from heaven, that their ancestors had received and Jesus tells them not to seek food that perishes, but “the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” They ask to receive it and Jesus tells them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry.”
When we gather before the altar and receive the bread and wine – that is what we receive. We receive the body and blood of Christ which feeds our souls. John’s Gospel challenges us over and over again, as Jesus challenged the people, to understand that we are more than flesh and blood. The paradox of life is made clear in Christ who was and is both human and divine – both God and man. Our life in the flesh is temporal – it will end. But, through our life in Christ we will have life eternal. After we confess our sins, we will pray for the church, those in need, and the departed. Then we will exchange the peace before coming to the altar. In our liturgy, exchanging the peace is not a greeting – it is a symbolic act of putting aside our differences so that when we receive the body and blood of Christ, we are indeed made one with him and all members of Christ’s Body the Church. We who are many are one because we all share one body, one cup.
Lord Christ, enter into our hearts and minds and so direct our will that we might truly support your Body, the Church, with our prayers, our presences, our gifts, and our service. Amen.
