Repository of
Sermons
/ Calendar of Events /
Activities
Sixth Sunday of
Easter
May 21, 2006 Sermon
by The Rev. Bill Van Oss, Rector
Readings
Many of you know that this is my first
week serving as Rector of St. Paul’s.
It is a great honor, indeed, a privilege to have been chosen to serve
this parish community.
We speak of this as a call. When an ordained person accepts a position
at a parish or institution, we say that the person has been called to
that new ministry, and I believe that’s true—.
Having prayed that God would guide me here, if St. Paul’s would be a
good church for me, and also being confident that the search committee
embedded all of their conversations and considerations and discussions
in prayer—I am confident God has issued this call & will bless it—.
But today’s special celebration for which we have all gathered—this
service of confirmation and reception—reminds us that we are all called,
we are all chosen. The Gospel tells us this today—not just the
ordained—deacons, priests, bishops—but all of us—baptized “Christians”
are called and chosen by God, for what?
Well—that’s pretty clear—it’s abundantly clear to say but not always so
clear to do.
It’s clearly stated in what we call the “Baptismal Covenant,” which we
will all profess in just a few minutes—.
We’ll profess one belief in God in three persons, Father, Son & Holy
Spirit—and then we’ll make some promises, some commitments—
-we’ll promise to gather regularly for fellowship, the breaking of
break, and the prayers.
-we’ll promise to resist evil and repent, saying “I’m sorry” when we
sin.
-we’ll promise to proclaim by word and example the Good News.
-we’ll promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our
neighbor as ourself.
-and we’ll promise to strive for justice and peace among all people, and
to respect the dignity of every human being.
Called and chosen to all of that, by our baptism—for confirmation is
about taking on the baptismal promises for oneself—promises made,
sometimes long ago by parents & godparents are now taken on by the one
being confirmed, or received—and they are renewed for the rest of us.
And ordination, sometimes spoken of as a
“higher” calling, is ultimately about living out those baptismal
promises on a particular form of service.
For when we live out our baptismal promises, when we live into the
baptismal covenant, we do what Jesus commanded us to do in today’s
Gospel.
We Love one another—and that’s what it’s all about, whether you’re a
priest, bishop, deacon or layperson—it’s all about love.
When I was a young boy, I went to church every Sunday and I didn’t
understand it all. Words like “incarnation” and “resurrection” I did not
understand. But I did understand one very important word, and it was
used a lot—that word is “love.” “Love your neighbor,” I can remember
hearing over and over again.
“Love your neighbor…”
Now there were two men who lived on my street. Both were fathers of
little friends of mine, and both attended my church. They came to the
same service, sitting across the aisle from each other, and I knew
something about them. I knew they despised each other—across the fence
they yelled at each other, using foul language. Their children were not
allowed to play together or even go near the others.
If anything, like a ball, ever landed on the other’s lawn, it was not
returned. They despised each other.
And yet—they came each Sunday, all dressed up, and they sat in the same
church as me, hearing the same words as me; one word over and over and
over again—the work Jesus uses over and over in today’s gospel:
“Love”
“Love your neighbor” - for a little boy the neighbor was the person who
lived next door.
“Love your neighbor,” those two men hear, over and over in church—and
then they went home, and they went on with their lives as if they had
heard nothing at all.
The point is this ladies and gentlemen to be confirmed and received this
day, and fellow Christians—we hear and say a lot of words when we come
to church.
Some of those words we’ll hear today, especially in the baptismal
covenant—words like repent, proclaim, seek, serve, respect, and, of
course, love.
And if we get all dressed up and come
here and say these words, and then go home and live something
else—people will know, children, especially, will know that we’re
hypocrites.
Bit if we hear and say a word like “love” here in church, and then go
out and do it, live it, we will taste the life, and the joy, and the
peace of God, and people will see the Reign of God.
Let’s say it, and then, go out and do it—LOVE. Amen.