Fruits of the Spirit

6 Pentecost C proper 8 June 26, 2016
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14  Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 b

Galatians 5:1,13-25  Luke 9:51-62

Lectionary Link
  Mom made some bread dough for her children one day.  She left it in the kitchen before she went to work and told her husband, who was working from home, "Please tell the children that I have surprise in the kitchen for them to use today."  So, mom went to work and when the children woke up, dad told them that mom had left a surprise for them in the kitchen.  The three children went into the kitchen and saw three zip lock bags with their names on them: Dora, Matthew and Jeremy.  Dora said, "Mom left us a summer activity.  I know what to do with this piece of dough.  Do you want me to show you?"  Matthew said, "No way!  I am going to use my dough in a better way than you."  Dora said to Jeremy, "Jeremy, do you want me to help you with your dough?"  Jeremy said, "I can do my own thing with my dough."  So each of the children took their dough to use for the day.
  When mom came home, she gathered the children and asked, "What did you do with your dough today?  When she saw Jeremy, she asked, "What is that red bruise on your cheek?"  Jeremy said, "Well Michael used the dough as a baseball and he threw it to me and I missed and it hit me on the cheek."  Mom asked Michael, "Did you use your dough as a baseball?"  Michael answer, "I did and I also tried to use it as play dough but it was too sticky, so I just threw it in the trash."  Mom asked Jeremy, "What did you do with your dough?"  Jeremy went to his room and brought back his dough and it was a big, dirty, ball full of dead ants, rolly polly bugs, sand, leaves, small sticks, stones, candy, gum and a marble.  Mom said, "That's interesting Jeremy.  You collected lots of things in your dough ball but we're going have to throw it away soon because it is getting really yucky."  And now Dora, what did you do with your dough?"  Dora said,  "Mom, you can smell my dough.  I let my dough rise and I made a loaf of French bread and I put it into the oven, and it is now ready to take out of the oven."  Dora took the bread out of the oven and showed her mom.  And mom said, "Wow, this is perfect for our supper tonight.  Dora, you sure found the very best way to use the dough."
  Our lives are like the piece of dough in the story.  There are many things that we can do with our lives.  Dora found the best thing to do with her piece of dough.  And we have to find the best thing to do with our lives.
  St. Paul wrote about finding the best thing to do with our lives.  Our life is made up of our bodies, and things inside of us called desire, feeling, thought and the power to choose.  And we have to decide how we are going to use our bodies with its desires, feelings, thoughts and choices.  St. Paul warned us that we can make some very bad choices and do some thing which harm us and other people.  But just as Dora found the best use for the bread dough, St. Paul said that we can find the very best things to do with our lives.  Just as bread dough has hidden yeast within it which makes the bread puff up and become tasty bread to eat, St. Paul said that we have the Invisible and Hidden Holy Spirit within us who will help our lives become like trees which produce wonderful fruit.  St. Paul wrote that the fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
  St. Paul and Jesus remind us that we have to find and choose the right things to do with our lives.  What are the right things to do with our lives?  To love each other.  To find and express joy.  To practice peace with one another.  To be patience and forgiving.  To be kind to one another.  To be generous and share with those in need.  To have faith and act with hopefulness.  To be gentle and not cause harm.  To be our own heroes by being strong enough to practice self control.
  The fruits of the Spirit are available to everyone, you don't have to be a bishop or priest or pastor or monk or teacher or prophet to express the fruits of the Spirit.  They are given to us by God as we allow the energy of the Spirit of God to live through us.
  So, if mom leaves you piece of dough for your activity of the day, what are going to do?  Let it rise and bake some bread, right?
  If God has given you a body, full of desires, feelings, thoughts and choices, what are you going to do?  We are going to let God's Spirit grow the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.   Amen.

Sunday School, June 26, 2016 6 Pentecost C proper 8

Sunday School, June 26, 2016    6 Pentecost C proper 8

Themes

Can a student ever become as wise as a teacher?

Elisha was the student of Elijah and when it came time for Elijah to die, Elisha was fearful about losing his teacher.  He was worried that God would not be the same for him as God was for Elijah.  Before leaving Elisha wanted his teacher Elijah to promise that God would make him a good prophet and teacher for other students just as Elijah had been.  Elijah said that if Elisa would see him depart this earth, then it would be proof that God would make Elisha a good prophet and teacher.  Elisha had a vision of Elijah leaving this world riding on a chariot.  And so he knew that God heard his prayer and would be with him just as God was with Elijah.

Students, remember that some day you will be teachers, parents and you can have faith to know that God will be with you in the same way that God has been with the people who have been good teachers in your life.

The Epistle Lesson is about the Fruits of the Spirit

The soil of the earth can grow some really ugly thistles and weeds but if the soil is taken care of properly, soil can grow vegetable and fruit.

St. Paul shows us that our life is like “soil” which needs to be taken care of.  Out of our lives we can grow the weeds of bad behaviors OR we can grow the fruits of God’s Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We need to learn how to tend the “soil” of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to help us grow the fruits of the Spirit.

The Gospel Lesson

Jesus taught his followers not to be angry if people did not follow or agree with them.  People have to be ready to hear the good news of the Gospel and we need to be ready to share the good news of God’s love when people are ready to receive it.

Some people think it would be very easy to follow Jesus and other people make excuses about why they can’t follow Jesus.

Jesus used his riddles to help people understand that following Christ can be adjusted to every situation in our lives.  Jesus used his riddles to prove that most of the time when people say, “I can’t follow Christ” it really means “I won’t follow Christ.”

Today, Jesus is trying to convert our “I won’t” into “I can and I will.”  Remember at our baptism we make promises and we say, “I will with God’s help.”

A Children’s sermon on “I can’t,”  “I won’t,” and “I, will!”

How many of you have ever told your Mom or Dad, “I can’t?”

  Please eat your carrot…No I just can’t do it.

  Please pick up your toys.  No I just can’t do it.

  Please don’t tease your brother or sister.  No, I just can’t do it.

  Please finish your homework.  No, I just can’t do it.

  I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.

Why do we say, “I can’t?” 

  It is okay to say I can’t when we are asked to do something that is impossible or when something is not good for us.

  But do our parents ask us to do things that are impossible?  No, our parent only ask us to do things that they know that we can do.

  So most of the time when we say, “I can’t to Mom or Dad, we really mean, “I won’t or we mean I do not want to.”

  Please pick up your toys…

  Jesus had some people who were not sure that they wanted to follow him.

  They were trying to say to Jesus, I can’t.

  And Jesus was using a playful language to try to get them to see that when Jesus ask them to do something, he was only asking them to do things that were possible for them to do.  And he was promising God’s help to anyone who followed him.

  So we need to be careful when we say “I can’t” to our parents or to God.

  When God asks us to do something, even if it seems hard to do, we need to learn to say, “I will do it with God’s help.”  If we learn to say this, then we will surprise our selves about how much we can do.

  Let us not say to Jesus today, I can’t.  Let us say, “I will, with God’s help.”  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

June 26, 2016: The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs:

 I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,  I will make you Good Fisher Folk, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,  I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: I have Decided to Follow Jesus  (All the Best Songs for Kids, # 130)

1-I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

2-Though none go with me, still I will follow, though none go with me, still I will follow, though none go with me still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.

3-The cross before me, the world behind me, the cross before me, the world behind me, the cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back, no turning back.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen..

Litany of Praise: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A Reading from the Second Book of Kings

Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 77

I will remember the works of the LORD, * and call to mind your wonders of old time.

I will meditate on all your acts * and ponder your mighty deeds.

Your way, O God, is holy; * who is so great a god as our God?

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus and and his disciples entered into another village.  As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me wait until my father has passed away." But Jesus said to him, "Then you will wait too long; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first get advice from all of my family at home." Jesus said to him, "If a farmer looks only behind him while he plows he will plow a crooked row; you must look to your future for the kingdom of God."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Lesson – Fr. Cooke

                           

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be with you always.

People:                        And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Song for the Offertory: I will Make you Good Fisher Folk (Christian’s Children Songbook, # 58)

1-I will make you good fisher folk, good fisher folk, good fisher folk.  I will make you good fisher folk, if you follow me.  If you follow me, If you follow me.  I will make you good fisher folk, if you follow me.

2-Hear Christ calling come unto me, come unto me, come unto me.  Hear Christ calling come unto me, I will give you rest.  I will give you rest, I will give you rest.  Hear Christ calling come unto me, I will give you rest.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments) 

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Swing, Low Sweet Chariot

Refrain: Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home.

1-I looked over Jordan, and what did I see, Coming for to carry me home.  A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home.

2-If you get there before I do, Coming for to carry me home.  Tell all my friends I’m coming too,

Coming for to carry me home.

3-The brightest day that ever I saw Coming for to carry me home.  When Jesus wash’d my sins away,

Coming for to carry me home.

4-I’m sometimes up and sometimes down, Coming for to carry me home. But still my soul feels heavenly bound, Coming for to carry me home. 

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

1-I want to walk as a child of the light, I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to give light to the world, the star of my life is Jesus.

Refrain: In Him there is no darkness at all.  The night and the day are both alike, the Lamb is the light of the city of God.  Shine in my heart Lord Jesus.

2-I want to see the brightness of God, I want to look at Jesus.  Clear sun of righteousness shine on my path and show me the way to the Father.  Refrain.

3-I’m looking for the coming of Christ, I want to be with Jesus.  When we have run with patience the race we shall know the joy of Jesus.  Refrain

Dismissal:

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.

People: Thanks be to God! 

Youth Dialogue Sermon on Following Christ

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 Page 693, BCP

Galatians 5:1,13-25

Luke 9:51-62

Youth Sermon

June 30, 2013

Katie: In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.  Please be seated.

Our biblical readings today provide us with many things to reflect upon.  But if I were looking for a theme, I might look at the various types of personalities of people who express their faith and belief in God.

Connor: Well, what if we were all like Elisha?    

James:   What do you mean, Connor?

Connor:   What if we would only follow God by demanding the spectacular?

Katie: I see what you mean.  What if I would only remain an Episcopalian if I could see Father Phil beamed up to the U.S.S. Heavenly Enterprise before my very eyes?  Beam him up Lord Scotty, or I won’t believe!

James:  Well, I guess if you had Trekky demands then you might have to give up your faith.  I suspect Fr. Phil will leave this world in a more standard way.  There have been no Assumptions since the Virgin Mary.

Katie: I’m glad that Elisha got to see his shock and awe so that he was able to believe that God would bless his ministry just like God blessed Elijah’s ministry.

James:  Does the Bible give us heroes in order to make us feel inferior in our ordinary lives?

Connor: I don’t think so.  I think the point of the Bible is to give us examples of faithful lives in order that we might learn to accept and develop our own original relationship with God.

Katie:  Connor, I grant you that….you are an original….throw away the mold type of guy.  I think that Gospel reading shows us that Jesus is dealing with some different attitudes of some of his followers.

James:  One of the attitudes is “Agree with me or else.”

Connor:  Or else what?

James:  Or else I’ll call down fire from heaven as a way of punishing you for not agreeing with me.

Katie:  We still have many “boom boom” prophets today.  Some people are so certain of their own views that they think that every earthquake and hurricane is God’s punishment on people with whom they disagree.

James:  And you notice that Jesus rebuked them for their very destructive judgments.

Connor: Jesus was also concerned that his followers did not mistake over-confidence for faith.

Katie:  What do you mean?

Connor:  Some were certain that it was a “piece of cake” to follow Jesus.  And Jesus warned them about being too sure of them selves.   Our lives of faith do not exempt us from hardship and difficult situations.  And there are things that could happen that might challenge our faith.

James:  We can have faith in God without being too proud of the way in which we know and understand God.  There are too many people today who are so certain about their way of believing in God. 

Katie:  Sometimes the ones who are overconfident end up losing their faith when they experience some difficult situations.  I think Jesus is telling us to be realistic about what it means to have faith and follow him.

Connor:  We get no exemptions from the general conditions of what can happen to anyone in this life.

James:  There is another type of person who thinks that following Jesus is too much trouble; they think it interferes with their lives.

Connor: I know what they mean….it is difficult to be such a superstar basketball player and still follow Christ.

Katie:  Yeah, right…What Jesus might be saying is if anyone thinks that following Christ is not good for their lives, their careers, their families, then don’t do it. 

James: But this also means that they must not understand Christ if his life and teachings are not good for their lives and their career and their families.  I also think that Jesus exposes the fact that often when we say, “I can’t,” it really means “I won’t.”

Connor:  Well, Jesus does allow us the freedom to be ignorant about him and all sorts of things.

Katie:  I think that St. Paul has some important insights for us.  He is more concerned that everyone works to know the fruits of the Spirit.  They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are important virtues that we must learn to practice no matter what we do in our lives.

Connor:  The fruits of the Spirit are compatible with everything that we do in life.  We don’t need to be called to the priesthood in order to be called to the fruits of the Spirit.  We need these virtues to learn excellence in living, no matter what our occupation is.

James:  I think that what we learn from our readings today is that we need to find our original relationship with Christ.

Katie:  I think that Christ invites to follow him in very individual ways…ways that fit the gifts of our personality and the situations of our life.

Connor:  But we also follow Christ in our communities.  We have learned to follow Christ in our Episcopal community at St. John the Divine.

James: Did you ever think that we might be following Christ in the wrong way?

Katie: What do you mean?

James:  Well, the Episcopal Church is very small; St. John’s is very small.  There are lots bigger church than ours.  There are religious people who shout much louder than we do about our faith.  Should we worry about our future relevance as a church and a parish?

Connor:  Will St. John’s always be here?  Will it lose its place and relevance to enough people to keep it going?

Katie:  People who shout the loudest about their faith often get the most attention.  I think as Episcopalian that we have some important things to preserve, even though we don’t shout so loudly about our faith.

James: Yes, the Episcopal Church believes that faith and science go together.  There are so many expressions of the Christian faith which don’t accept more recent understandings about science and about people.

Connor:  I think it is important that we find our faith relevant to the world that we live in.

Katie:  Especially in how we practice justice towards all people.

James:  I think that the Episcopal Church still has a place in this world, even if we are not people who are over-confident about being the only way of understanding things.

Connor:  I think we owe it to keep our church alive.  I think we owe it to keep St. John’s alive and well with our support.

 Katie: The stewardship committee of St. John’s is having a summer appeal to help our parish.

James: I think St. John’s is a good investment; it is a place to develop leadership; public performance, musical talents and skills.

Connor: It is a place where can explore our faith with honest acceptance.

Katie:  It is okay to be a small church too.  In this small parish we have the opportunity to feel like we belong; we don’t have to be lost in the crowd.  And we know that we are needed.

James: Can you recommend the summer campaign for giving to St. John?

Connor: I can.

Katie: Easy for you to say, since you’re not writing the check….but I agree.  We have a calling to be at St. John’s here in Morgan Hill and follow Christ in the way that we can.  And we hope that we do it with an attitude of non-judgmental love and acceptance.  We hope we can know the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.

James: So now that we’ve made a shameless plug for the stewardship campaign of St. John’s, what else can we say?

Connor: Love God, Love Christ, Love your neighbor, be local in your faith and support St. John’s as a community of faith that has a mission today, tomorrow and into the future.  Amen.

"I Can't" Usually Means "I Won't"

6 Pentecost, C p 8, June 30, 2013   

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14  Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

Gal. 5:1, 13-25   Luke 9:51-62  

 Lectionary Link

  What is it that lifts the human spirit when we watch those who participate and compete in the Special Olympics?  We are really touched when persons who struggle with their impairments put forth a heroic effort and compete for the sheer joy of it and give their unqualified effort.

  And I would assert to you that the great issues are rarely about issues of ability; they mainly about issues of will and choice.

  The main duty of every parent is to convince their children that when they say, “I can’t,” it probably means, “I won’t.”

  What kind of parent would require their children to do things that they were unable to do?  Yes there are probably some compulsive and driven parents who have unrealistic expectations for their children but the vast majority of parents only ask their children to do things that fall well within their ability to do.

   Another task of a parent is to encourage their children to be realistic about their abilities and willingness.  Sometimes in youthful pride children are more confident of their abilities than they should be because they are not realistic about what is required of them in a task.    In our appointed Gospel, the writer has collected an interesting group of traditions about Jesus and his disciples.

  The disciples of Jesus seem to be clueless about his mission.  They believe him to be an end of the world apocalyptic General.  And so when a village in Samaria does not cooperate with their supply needs for the mission, they ask General Jesus, “Shall we call in the fighter jets and have them Napalm the village?”  We are told that Jesus rebuked their ignorance.

  What is the work of God and Christ about anyway?  It is not about fire bombs from heaven to convince people about God; no, it is about the inside job that God is trying to do on all of us.  It is about the call of God in Christ.  That is how God intends to change this world.  God wants to do with through the free wills of men and women.  The call of God upon our lives is the way in which God wants to persuade this world to be better.

  The call of God is offered to everyone and when Jesus came, men and women were challenged to answer  that call.  And Jesus offered some rather crisp assessment about the call to discipleship.

  For one who was so sure that he wanted to follow Christ, Jesus told him to be realistic about what is involved.  How many people have started out as wide-eyed optimistic Bible-believing with certainty about God, only to go through the maze of loss and disillusionment and end up as pessimistic atheists or agnostics?  Some of the most devout have had their faith ruined on the rocks of life.  So, Jesus encouraged a potential follower not to think that he would be exempt from the standard requirements of life if he chose to follow him.

  Then Jesus addressed the great dilemma in life when most people say, “I can’t,”  they really mean, “I won’t.”  And that is when Jesus began to speak in his exaggerated speech to challenge them about his calling.  It is like Jesus was saying to them:  “Tell me what you really think of me!  If you think that following me is going to be bad for you and your family, then you probably should not do it.  If you think that I am asking you to do something that is bad for you, then you probably should not do it?

  The standard excuse in life is not a matter of ability but a matter of will.  If we have money to buy season tickets for sports events and boats and items of luxury, do we have money to buy a couple of new wells for villages in Africa without water?  The issue is never ability, the issue is always choice.  God and Christ are never asking us to do what we cannot do, but they are always asking us about matters of our choice to challenge our will.  The call of God is mostly about our will and not about our ability. 

  The greatest hindrances to the call of God are the ordinary things in life:  Like when we let ourselves think that the call of God is in competition with the good of our own life and the lives of our family.  And what does Jesus say: “If that is what you are thinking then you do not understand God or me.”   

  What the words of Jesus confronts us about is:  If we are saying the demands of God’s call are not good for our lives or our family, then we are building false and phony reasons for saying, “Oh, God, I surely can’t do that; it would be too hard for me and my family.”  If the call of God is incompatible with our lives, then indeed it is unrealistic.  But Jesus was really saying, “Don’t go there, if you are trying to cover up your, “I can’t” with an, “I won’t.”  It is your will that is the issue, not your ability or the demands of God.

  Most things in our life come down to the issue of our will.  And often we can be so programmed into our social, family and cultural patterns; we literally do not feel very free.  Sometimes when we don’t feel very free it’s because we have accepted so many commitments.  And the call of God is a reminder for us always to re-evaluate our priority and commitments so that we can truly express our freedom.

  The reading from St. Paul gives us a clue to true freedom.  True freedom for St. Paul was the experience of the Holy Spirit in his life.  To know the Spirit is to know true freedom.  This freedom is expressed in a positive response to the call of God when we say I will and I can.

  What are the expressions of freedom of the Holy Spirit?  They are the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience., kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  The fruits of the Spirit are the powerful ways in which we say to the call of God, “I will.”  And are any of these fruits bad for our family life, our church life, our personal lives or the life of this world?

  The God that Jesus preached was not a God who bombed people into submission with fire from heaven; the God of Jesus was a God who gently called people to follow what is good.  The God of Jesus is the one who placed the Holy Spirit within us to empower us to true freedom to answer the call of Christ.  And what is that call?  It is a call to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  And that call is freedom and it is good for us, for our families, our parish and our world.  Let us give up our excuses and let us say, “I will and I can follow Christ, through the wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit.”  Amen.