Holy Spirit Fruit (Open to the Holy Spirit)
Following the Historic General Conference
Scripture: John 15:8-17 & Acts 10:44-48
Watch the sermon on YouTube / View the Bulletin
The lectionary readings this morning—are incredible when we think about the important 2 weeks we just had for our denomination!
We could have just focused on our gospel reading today and that would have been great on its own but when we look at both Jesus’ teachings on loving our neighbor—and Peter in Acts (back to Peter!) needing a lesson on who our neighbor is—and that loving our neighbor has no boundary it is even better!
Let’s start with our Gospel reading this morning. We have more vines—and abiding just as we did last week. Last Sunday we read about how Jesus was preparing the disciples for a time when he would no longer be with them and instruct them in a very pastoral and compassionate way (using a vine metaphor) that he is the vine and they are the branches and that they must stay close to the vine. They are to abide in him—as he abides in them. And in our reading today Jesus continues encouraging the disciples saying that just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, they can neither love one another nor bring other to faith apart from “abiding in the love of Christ.” The vine is the source of life and everything that flows from it!
Love one another as I have loved you. These are some of Jesus’ last words and teachings before he dies. Again, preparing them for a time when he would no longer be with them. Love one another as I have loved you. Love, Love, Love. Sounds simple enough. But oh how we have gotten is so wrong so many times. As individuals and a church. Right?
All that has happened in the last two weeks (General Conference) leaves many people—me included—with many complicated feelings. Maybe you too?
I am utterly thrilled, of course. We have so much to be thankful for this week after an historic General Conference!
The Ban Gay Clergy and Gay marriage—lifted.
Harmful language removed from the discipline.
I also find that I am still furious at the harm we have caused to so many. As a straight, white, female, I have not been targeted the way the LGBTQIA+ members of our UM family have been. Of course. But the scars and hurt of our exclusiveness—discrimination—are still there and it will take time to heal.
I read this statement on FB this week from Dorothee Benz entitled: Bring on the Services of Repentance
Yesterday, after a half century of spiritual violence, systemic discrimination, and institutional gaslighting, the United Methodist Church finally voted to lift the anti-queer language in its Book of Discipline. It’s a day I despaired of ever seeing. I was driving home when the news hit me and I started to cry uncontrollably. My tears confused me. Wasn’t I happy? Wasn’t this the thing I sacrificed so many years of my life to bring about? Yes, it was. But it turns out it’s not that simple. I don’t know why this had never occurred to me before, in the many years that I dreamed this day would come – the end of this particular era of codified discrimination does not undo the immense harm the church has done to countless thousands of people. My tears were tears of joy, sort of, but mainly tears of grief and anger at the pointless brutalization of *generations* of young Methodists who tortured themselves because they were taught by their church their God-given nature was sinful; clergy who sacrificed wholeness to follow their call or risked their careers or were drummed out of the church; untold thousands of queer people that fled the church. And those who did not live to see this day.
Look around you. Who is not there? For many of us, it is too late...
And then she urged us to continue the work. For it’s one thing for our denomination to have changed its stance but there will still be many local congregations that will not embrace this change. This church was and will continue to be an important part of the fight as we move forward—to bring about healing and love to our world. There is still more work to be done…more living and loving. And we do this with the Holy Spirit guiding us—leading us forward each day. And our Acts text this morning has a thing or two to say about the Holy Spirit!
When we drop in on the story this morning—it is clear that obviously something has happened before started—and it is like we’re just walking in on the end of the movie and only those who have seen it before will know what is going on. So, I’ll get you up to speed:
First Peter meets Cornelius (a Gentile) in Caesarea by the Sea, then moving on to Joppa, Peter goes up on the roof to pray— Peter is famished and God gives him a vision of animals of every kind—unclean animals. And then he hears … “Get up Peter, kill and eat” Peter answers God, “Never!” This happens 3 times. Then in a puzzled state he goes to the door where there were three men—sent by Cornelius to fetch him. Peter goes with them still trying to figure out all of this. When they reach Cornelius’s house, Peter is trying to understand what God is up to—the unclean animals in the vision—a gentile house hold. On one hand Peter thinks that he should not be associating or visiting a Gentile…but as he’s putting the pieces together—he realized that God is trying to tell him something. God has shown him that he should not call anyone profane or unclean….
Peter then preaches a short sermon about Jesus. That’s when our text began today. While Peter is still speaking—before any baptism, confession of faith, new member class—the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. Peter says “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Peter echoes the question of the Ethiopian Eunuch that we heard about last week when he asks Philip: “What is to prevent me from being baptized?”
The Holy Spirit surprised Philip on a desert road (last week) and they Holy Spirit surprised Peter in Cornelius’s house in our reading today. The Holy Spirit can be unpredictable and disruptive.
Church Historian-Rosemary Radford Ruether says that the church must be organized to do 2 things:
TO pass on the tradition from one generation to another
TO be open to the winds of the Holy Spirit by which the tradition comes alive in each generation.
Jesus modeled this in his ministry—over and over again.
He opened their minds to scripture and told them the Holy Spirit would come.
I truly believe that what we saw happen at General Conference this past week was the work of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes tradition becomes so rigid that the Holy Spirit can hardly find a crack to bring any new word. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has a hard time getting through our stubborn desire to stay the way we are. Sometimes the Holy Spirit gets in and can change a church—a denomination—and shows us that once again, LOVE WINS. Every single time.
Dear ones, may be continue to be open to the winds of the Holy Spirit- Lets be like Phillip—Peter—Like…well, Jesus. And love one another as Jesus loves us. Amen.