Living The Word
Gate
Pa – 6th Sunday in Easter- Year
C - 2019
Readings:
Psalm - Psalm
67
First
Reading - Acts 16:9-15
Second Reading - Rev 21:10, 22-22:5
Second Reading - Rev 21:10, 22-22:5
Gospel - John 14:23-29
What I want to say:
I want to
explore what is Jesus word – to ask how we hear this word, what it says to us
and how we keep it.
For me this word
is loving unity, where the Holy Spirit works to join us to each other and
indwelling God in mutual love. This word invites us into the deep love between God
the Father and Jesus out of which Jesus lives and continues to teach through
the Holy Spirit
What I want to happen:
What I want to happen:
live lives of
peace
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my
word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:
23)
wow
passage part
of Jesus last speech
-
really important words
-
define who Jesus is
-
legacy
raises questions for me ->
What is Jesus word?
How do we hear
this word?
What does it
say to us?
and how do we
keep it?
-
neighbours
2. Context
-
end of what many think are first “last words”
-
Next 3 chapters added later
operates at
several levels
level of those
in story
-
trapped between hopeless grief
-
disbelief at forces evil that gathering around them
-
fear what all this means for them
-
these strange words of hope
also written
in context of and for a community nearly all of whom had had no face to face
encounter with Christ
-
under so much pressure
-
still experience risen Christ as alive among them
-
these words are promise of what they are experiencing
-
written through Holy Spirit so that they are reminded of all that Jesus
said
speak to us
what do we
hear when we hear these words
Ü discussion/ plenary
3. Words of Loving Unity
This word invites us into the deep
love that exists between God the Father and Jesus out of which Jesus lives and
continues to teach through the Holy Spirit
-
immersed in it
-
shaped by it
For me this word is loving unity,
tragically too often used divide
where the Holy Spirit works to join us
to each other in mutual love.
-
humility
-
respect,
-
generosity,
-
compassion,
-
hospitality,
-
grace,
-
hope,
-
justice
-
life
Ü summarise in word Jesus used
– peace
- shalom
- shalom
-
wholeness and completion
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you
as the world gives.”
4. Communal Thing
really important aspect this word is
that it invites to be in community with each other
in community we experience this word
hear this word
live this word
our deep need companionship with
people is met
as community centred on this loving
unity
join in ongoing story of incarnation
Love becoming flesh and living among
us
“we will come to them and make our
home with them.”
one people read quoted African proverb
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go
together”
live the word when we put energy into building this community
5. Hope
Lastly this is a word of hope
“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
so much that could cause us to lose hope in world today
ageing churches
-
all issues that come with that
climate change – young people reminded us again on Friday
For me this word invites me to live in hope despite the evidence
-
we are not abandoned
-
Spirit of God dwells in us
-
works through us
rather than despair
- self preservation
- self preservation
-
animosity
invited to live instead in hope
-
companionship
-
generosity
will not always be easy
the story of Jesus went from incarnation to crucifixion, to resurrection,
to ascension, to Spirit of God dwelling in us
invited into the same story.
what do you think
how do you respond to any of this
what next?
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