Year A
\nPsalm 63:1-8
\n1 Corinthians 11:17-26
\nJohn 17:11-26<\/p>\n
Love one another\u2026 these are powerful words\u2026 Jesus has finished his work on earth\u2026 and is spending his last hours with his disciples\u2026 his inner circle\u2026 they have gathered to share one last meal\u2026 and spend their precious remaining time together\u2026 Jesus uses this time however\u2026 to impart one more teaching\u2026 Jesus wants his disciples to carry on his ministry after his death\u2026 this includes loving and serving one another\u2026 and Jesus demonstrates this\u2026 by washing their feet\u2026<\/p>\n
I know that growing up my brother and I were fortunate to have parents who often taught by example \u2013\u2013\u00a0not that we were stellar students or anything \u2013\u2013 but as in many households\u2026 actions speak louder than words and children do “take notes.” Perhaps Jesus was hoping his disciples would do the same\u2026<\/p>\n
Jesus\u2026 the Son of God\u2026 emptied himself to become a servant\u2026 demonstrating God\u2019s love\u2026 which is for all people. Jesus says\u2026 everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another\u2026 and the neat thing about this\u2026 is that anyone who chooses to be Christ\u2019s disciple or follower today\u2026 can still do so\u2026 it doesn’t take any special training or any college degree\u2026 and we can be creative\u2026 the ministry of serving and loving others can take many forms\u2026 this ministry does NOT depend on circumstances being “just right.” And we don’t have to be perfect people to do it\u2026 and the really good news\u2026 is that the light of love\u2026 and caring cannot easily be extinguished\u2026 not even by the darkness of COVID-19\u2026<\/p>\n
For John\u2026 the important part of the last meal and time together was the foot washing\u2026 other Gospel writers focused more on the Last Supper or the Institution of the Eucharist\u2026 and how Jesus used the bread and wine to demonstrate his love and sacrifice for mankind\u2026 his actions and instructions are described in our Epistle reading this evening\u2026<\/p>\n
Jesus broke bread\u2026 as his body would be broken\u2026 and he took and blessed wine representing his blood that would be shed for the sins of the world\u2026 this would now represent God\u2019s new covenant with people through Christ\u2026 Jesus wanted the taking and consuming of the bread and wine to be repeated by believers “in remembrance of me.”<\/p>\n
One commentator asked: “What should we actually be remembering? Of course\u2026 Jesus’\u00a0 <\/span>life, death, resurrection, and ascension\u2026 but anything else?”<\/p>\n Very importantly\u2026 the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for mankind \u2013\u2013 past, present and future \u2013\u2013 demonstrating God’s immeasurable forgiveness and love for all of us\u2026 along with that\u2026 perhaps\u2026 Christ\u2019s life and teachings\u2026 examples that he gave of love and service to others\u2026 his healing of the sick\u2026 the blind and the deaf\u2026 and his concern and love for the outcasts\u2026 widows\u2026 and orphans\u2026<\/p>\n So how might the Eucharist and foot washing fit together? Other than that they both took place in the last few hours of Christ\u2019s life\u2026 in a secluded room with his disciples? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One commentator put it this way:\u00a0 <\/span>“the spiritual force that brings us together at God’s Table\u2026 where we are forgiven, fed, and energized\u00a0 <\/span>\u2013\u2013 is the same spiritual force which then propels us out into the world to serve\u2026 and to follow Jesus\u2019 command to love one another by word and example: proclaiming Christ\u2019s life\u2026 death\u2026 and resurrection until he returns\u2026 it\u2019s a call to obedience\u2026 discipleship\u2026 and service.”<\/p>\n In vv. 17-23 of tonight\u2019s Epistle\u2026 the verses preceding what\u2019s designated for tonight\u2026 we hear that Paul had received word that the practice of the Eucharist\u2026 which he has handed on to the Corinthians\u2026 was not being done correctly\u2026 and was causing division\u2026 rather than bringing people together\u2026<\/p>\n The Corinthians lived in a society that was dictated by social status\u2026 the wealthy citizens opened their homes to the community for a common meal and the Eucharist\u2026 but the wealthy would come early\u2026 bring food\u2026 eat\u2026 and get drunk\u2026 when the working class folk arrived\u2026 there was little if any food left\u2026 and the result was that the poorer citizens were marginalized\u2026 humiliated\u2026 and excluded\u2026 in many of the communities\u2026 there was little unity at these meals\u2026 and Paul was very upset\u2026 the idea of being unified\u00a0 <\/span>as God\u2019s people\u2026 through Christ\u2019s sacrifice\u2026 seemed to be null and void\u2026 there was more division than ever\u2026 and these social divisions were as inappropriate then\u2026 as they are today\u2026<\/p>\n We are all God’s people\u2026 all Gods children.. And everyone who wants to be\u2026 ought to be welcomed at God\u2019s Table\u2026 I really like it on Sundays when Fr. Mike says to the congregation before the administration of bread and wine: This is not an Episcopal table or a Lutheran table, this is God’s table, and no matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey you are welcome at this table\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n Unfortunately\u2026 we will not be washing feet\u2026 sharing a meal at Table\u2026 or enjoying an agape meal together tonight\u2026 but remember\u2026 although COVID-19 may be limiting where we can meet\u2026 and may limit some of our church activities\u2026 it CANNOT limit our love and caring for one another\u2026 I believe that we are the Body of Christ whether we are under one roof\u2026 or like tonight\u2026 in our own homes\u2026 and that the spirit that draws us together at the Eucharist\u2026 also directs and guides us when we are apart\u2026 Jesus did not say\u2026 Love and care for one another only in church on Sundays\u2026 or only on Holy Days\u2026 he said: Love one another. \u2026 period.<\/p>\n We are certainly experiencing difficult times\u2026 and we are all in this pandemic together\u2026 we will get through this\u2026 but as we go about our lives at home please\u2026 if you can\u2026 reach out to those who may be alone or experiencing anxiety and fear\u2026 Something as easy as making a phone call and inquiring how someone is doing or feeling\u2026 and really listening to them can be helpful\u2026 many of us can send emails\u2026 we can support agencies that are providing food and other necessities\u2026 we can send messages of encouragement and hope.<\/p>\n We can pray for all those who are working on the front lines\u2026 and those who are directly affected by the virus and their families\u2026 we need to find different and creative ways to love and care for others \u2013\u2013\u00a0and it is challenging\u2026 but many of you are already doing these things\u2026 and that is so wonderful! Thank you\u2026 may we all experience God\u2019s love and peace in the days to come\u2026 and creatively share that love and peace with others\u2026 Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year A Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 11:17-26 John 17:11-26 Love one another\u2026 these are powerful words\u2026 Jesus has finished his work on earth\u2026 and is spending his last hours with his disciples\u2026 his inner circle\u2026 they have gathered to share one last meal\u2026 and spend their precious remaining time together\u2026 Jesus uses this time however\u2026 to impart one more teaching\u2026 Jesus wants his disciples to carry on his ministry after his death\u2026 this includes loving and serving one another\u2026 and Jesus demonstrates this\u2026 by washing their feet\u2026 I know that growing up my brother and I were fortunate to have parents who often taught by example \u2013\u2013\u00a0not that we were stellar students or anything \u2013\u2013 but as in many households\u2026 actions speak louder than words and children do “take notes.” Perhaps Jesus was hoping his disciples would do the same\u2026 Jesus\u2026 the Son of God\u2026 emptied himself to become a servant\u2026 demonstrating God\u2019s love\u2026 which is for all people. Jesus says\u2026 everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another\u2026 and the neat thing about this\u2026 is that anyone who chooses to be Christ\u2019s disciple or follower today\u2026 can still do so\u2026 it doesn’t take any special training or any college degree\u2026 and we can be creative\u2026 the ministry of serving and loving others can take many forms\u2026 this ministry does NOT depend on circumstances being “just right.” And we don’t have to be perfect people to do it\u2026 and the really good news\u2026 is that the light of love\u2026 and caring cannot easily be extinguished\u2026 not even by the darkness of COVID-19\u2026 For John\u2026 the important part of the last meal and time together was the foot washing\u2026 other Gospel writers focused more on the Last Supper or the Institution of the Eucharist\u2026 and how Jesus used the bread and wine to demonstrate his love and sacrifice for mankind\u2026 his actions and instructions are described in our Epistle reading this evening\u2026 Jesus broke bread\u2026 as his body would be broken\u2026 and he took and blessed wine representing his blood that would be shed for the sins of the world\u2026 this would now represent God\u2019s new covenant with people through Christ\u2026 Jesus wanted the taking and consuming of the bread and wine to be repeated by believers “in remembrance of me.” One commentator asked: “What should we actually be remembering? Of course\u2026 Jesus’\u00a0 life, death, resurrection, and ascension\u2026 but anything else?” Very importantly\u2026 the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for mankind \u2013\u2013 past, present and future \u2013\u2013 demonstrating God’s immeasurable forgiveness and love for all of us\u2026 along with that\u2026 perhaps\u2026 Christ\u2019s life and teachings\u2026 examples that he gave of love and service to others\u2026 his healing of the sick\u2026 the blind and the deaf\u2026 and his concern and love for the outcasts\u2026 widows\u2026 and orphans\u2026 So how might the Eucharist and foot washing fit together? Other than that they both took place in the last few hours of Christ\u2019s life\u2026 in a secluded room with his disciples? \u00a0 One commentator put it this way:\u00a0 “the spiritual force that brings us together at God’s Table\u2026 where we are forgiven, fed, and energized\u00a0 \u2013\u2013 is the same spiritual force which then propels us out into the world to serve\u2026 and to follow Jesus\u2019 command to love one another by word and example: proclaiming Christ\u2019s life\u2026 death\u2026 and resurrection until he returns\u2026 it\u2019s a call to obedience\u2026 discipleship\u2026 and service.” In vv. 17-23 of tonight\u2019s Epistle\u2026 the verses preceding what\u2019s designated for tonight\u2026 we hear that Paul had received word that the practice of the Eucharist\u2026 which he has handed on to the Corinthians\u2026 was not being done correctly\u2026 and was causing division\u2026 rather than bringing people together\u2026 The Corinthians lived in a society that was dictated by social status\u2026 the wealthy citizens opened their homes to the community for a common meal and the Eucharist\u2026 but the wealthy would come early\u2026 bring food\u2026 eat\u2026 and get drunk\u2026 when the working class folk arrived\u2026 there was little if any food left\u2026 and the result was that the poorer citizens were marginalized\u2026 humiliated\u2026 and excluded\u2026 in many of the communities\u2026 there was little unity at these meals\u2026 and Paul was very upset\u2026 the idea of being unified\u00a0 as God\u2019s people\u2026 through Christ\u2019s sacrifice\u2026 seemed to be null and void\u2026 there was more division than ever\u2026 and these social divisions were as inappropriate then\u2026 as they are today\u2026 We are all God’s people\u2026 all Gods children.. And everyone who wants to be\u2026 ought to be welcomed at God\u2019s Table\u2026 I really like it on Sundays when Fr. Mike says to the congregation before the administration of bread and wine: This is not an Episcopal table or a Lutheran table, this is God’s table, and no matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey you are welcome at this table\u2026 Unfortunately\u2026 we will not be washing feet\u2026 sharing a meal at Table\u2026 or enjoying an agape meal together tonight\u2026 but remember\u2026 although COVID-19 may be limiting where we can meet\u2026 and may limit some of our church activities\u2026 it CANNOT limit our love and caring for one another\u2026 I believe that we are the Body of Christ whether we are under one roof\u2026 or like tonight\u2026 in our own homes\u2026 and that the spirit that draws us together at the Eucharist\u2026 also directs and guides us when we are apart\u2026 Jesus did not say\u2026 Love and care for one another only in church on Sundays\u2026 or only on Holy Days\u2026 he said: Love one another. \u2026 period. We are certainly experiencing difficult times\u2026 and we are all in this pandemic together\u2026 we will get through this\u2026 but as we go about our lives at home please\u2026 if you can\u2026 reach out to those who may be alone or experiencing anxiety and fear\u2026 Something as easy as making a phone call and inquiring how someone is doing or feeling\u2026 and really listening to them can be helpful\u2026 many of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=731"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":733,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/731\/revisions\/733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}