Living a life of Love Part II

Romans 13:8-14 Living a Life of Love (Part II) September 6, 2020 14th Sunday After Pentecost Year A Prelude Welcome Opening Prayer Gracious God, we come this day seeking courage and hope for the future. Our world is in such peril. Heal these wounds and quiet the words of war. Help us to be those who bring peace in our families and communities. Banish the darkness of doubt and fear; anoint us with your light and love that we may spread the good news of your mercy to everyone. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN. Stewardship Moment We all know that Mr. Rogers was a minister. He realized that he could better do the work of God on television, than in the pulpit. So it is no surprise that the name of his show would be Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Jesus golden rule was to love your neighbor as we love ourselves. Our neighbors are not just people who live near us, but all of God’s children. When we give to our neighbor, we are giving to God. When we withhold our offerings, we withhold from God. Let us be willing to help our neighbors in our offering. Prayer of Dedication/Offering May the gifts we offer, Loving God, feed those who are hungry, as you have fed us with your Word. May these gifts give those who thirst for hope a cup which is overflowing. May our gifts be used to welcome all those who are your children, our sisters and brothers in this life. Amen. Scripture Love Fulfills the Law 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. The Day Is Near 11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[c] Sermon I was listening to shine fm yesterday. Sometimes I really enjoy the lessons that the dj’s talk about in between the songs. Yesterday one of them talked about the law of opposites. I think it was Karl Marx who talked about this concept. That whatever we seek in life, it is usually the opposite thing that shows up. For instance, if we are people who always seek pleasure, eventually the things that make us happy will make us sad. If we are always seeking security, the more insecure we feel, the more we seek money – the more bills we have to pay. The dj said that perhaps that is why in Matthew 16 – Jesus says that whoever tries to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life on behalf of God will gain it. The law of opposites. Well our lesson today is about the law of love. In Romans 13 we are commanded to love. We are to chose love in all situations. We are to respond to all situations with love, even when we encounter hate or something else. Storyteller Bill Harley tells a simple story about a children's T-ball game he witnessed a few years ago. On one of the T-ball teams was a young girl named Tracy. Tracy ran with a limp. She couldn't hit the ball to save her life. But everyone cheered for her anyway. Finally, in her team's last game, Tracy did the unthinkable. She hit the ball. Tracy's coach began hollering for her to run the bases. She landed on first base, only to be told to keep on running. She rounded second base, and the fans stood to their feet and cheered. With one voice, they were all urging Tracy to head home. But as she neared third base, Tracy noticed an old dog that had loped onto the field. It was sitting near the baseline between third plate and home. Moments away from her first home run, Tracy made a momentous decision. She knelt in the dirt and hugged the dog. Tracy never made it to home plate. But the fans cheered for her anyway. She had made her priorities clear. Love was more important than winning. (4) Love is more important than winning. Love is even more important than keeping all the rules. In I Corinthians 13, St. Paul says, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." Do you get the point? Love is everything. Some may think that perhaps she made the wrong choice, she didn’t stay focused on the game. She didn’t complete what she was doing. But she felt there was something more important going on in that situation, an opportunity to show love to a creature of God in need. Romans 12 and 13 talk about our relationship with life. In the beginning of chapter 13, Paul encourages us to be actively involved in life, to support our leaders, to obey the laws of the land. Verse 8 starts out by telling us to make sure we pay our debts. We should handle our bills the old fashioned way – pay them. Paul says that the only debt that we should have is love. The only thing that we should owe people is love. Now when Paul tells us about the law of love, he is not telling us to be nice all of the time, to be the person that saves the day, and faces any situation with love. Actually Paul is not worried about us being too nice – I think his intention is the exact opposite. He does not want us to ever get to the point where we feel we need to defend Christianity. He does not want us to get comfortable using hate, resentment, or any other negative emotion in the name of the church. He does want us to get to the point where we feel we have to fight fire with fire, or practice an eye for an eye. He doesn’t want the law of opposites to take over the ministry of the church. Jesus knew, and Paul came to realize that the biggest threat to the church was not out there somewhere. It continues to be right here in this room. It is ourselves, and the ways in which we treat one another. And the ways that we explain away the behavior of others, and we allow others to be treated. It is inevitable – whether we are a family, a church or just a gathering. Wherever 2or 3 are gathered, there is going to be some form of woundedness, someone is going to feel hurt, someone is going to feel offended, someone is going to feel victimized. Whereever 2or 3 are gathered there is going to be sin – jealousy, resentment, nosiness. Sin is something in your life that at the moment is more important to you than God and God’s commandment to love one another. Romans 13:8 says – Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The 10 commandments are instructions to love one another is a world that shows no love. Sermon on the mount – sermon on unconditional love. There is really no way that you can escapte the law of love. In the fall there is this new show coming on called Revenge. I am dying to watch it. It is a series about a beautiful young woman whose father was killed. The tag line of the show says this is not a show about forgiveness. I have been scratching my head all summer dying to understand what that means. Even the Hebrew bible says an eye for an eye. In other worlds once you kill the person that killed your father – its over, the debt has been paid and it is time to move on. Revenge for revenge sake is crazy thinking. And people who walk around thinking that it is their job to seek revenge become crazy soul sick people. They not only put their souls in a very dangerous place, they become dangerous people. Forgiveness and reconciliation is not about the other person, it is always about you. It cleans your soul and allows you to move on. Forgiveness and reconciliation are the major part of God’s law of love. There is no escaping it, and we all have to come to that realization in life whether we want to or not. Every story is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation eventually. Creation is God’s law, justice is God’s law, mercy is God’s law and love is God’s law. You cant escpae it no matter how hard you try. Where 2or 3 are gathered there is sin – but in the midst of it all there is also love. Because there is Jesus Christ in the midst. The only weapon that we are given to deal with life is love. Either we are living under the law of opposites, or the law of love. There are 3 more chapters in the book of Romans, and then we go to Phillippians. I have said if you want to know all about Christianity, the only book that you need to read is Romans. Romans explains it all. Chapters 1-12 talk about what it means to be a Christian and the relationship that we should have with love. Chapter 13 is a call to action – to not just know what love is, but to live it actively in life. Chapters 14-16 is a case study, Paul names an actual church conflict, and reminds those who are participating to act in love to resolve the issue. We who call ourselves Christian are all challenged to deal with our problems in life and in the church with one tool – love. Let us pray……. Prayer Prayer of the Day In days of uncertainty, it is to focus only on what we need to get done each day, so, call us to turn and see your compassion burning (but not reduced to ashes) for those living in loneliness. When we drag our feet, help us to remover all which we believe protects us from the heat of your justice, so that we can feel the warmth of your heart for the forgotten. YOU ARE the One we search for, God of all held captive by fear. In these days of isolation, it is easy to become stumbling blocks to your longing for the most vulnerable. So, polish our hardhearted resistance that we can become those smooth pebbles you use to pour a path to your community. When we think you only have time to listen to our disrupted lives, you open your heart to us, so we can see it’s brokenness, for the lost, the least, the little, that we can care for them as deeply as do you. YOU ARE the One who leads us to freedom, Servant of the poor. In the cacophony of angry voices and words dripping with bitterness, we wonder how we can dare to speak of you peace and hopes. So, fill us with such a harvest of words, that they will spill out of our hearts and tumble out of our mouths. When we are tempted to close our eyes because of all the cruelty and pain taking root in our neighborhoods, fill our hands with grace and love to share with all your children. YOU ARE the One who teaches us new ways, Impassioned Spirit. God in Community, Holy in One, YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE, and we lift our prayer to you, saying, Lord’s Prayer Time of Reflection Love Divine, All Love’s Excelling UMH 384 Communion Great Prayer of Thanksgiving May God be with you. May God be with you. Lift your hearts to our God. We offer them to the One who loves us. Let us join in glad songs of praise. Gathered or scattered, we sing our thanksgivings to our God. In just a moment, creation sprang forth from the emptiness of chaos, and you began to pour out all your goodness and genuine love, God of all moments. In just a moment, or so it seems, uncertainty and fear sprang forth from everything that we call normal. Yet, in these continuing times of isolation, distancing, wearing masks, the earth continues to rejoice with sunsets which take our breath away, the winds continue to whisper us to sleep as the drift through the trees, the kindness and generosity of neighbors as well as strangers, remind us that, in those moments, when all hope seemed to be lost, that is when you sent your Beloved to come, to be us, to walk with us. So, we will join our voices with those who continue to follow faithfully as well as with those who stumble, singing our praises to you: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of Wonder. In moments of confusion, you make clear your grace. In days which seem endless, you hold our times in your hands. In the midst of fears and worries, you watch over us. Hosanna in the highest! Yes, you are holy, God of all creation, yet you listen to the prayers of the forgotten, sending Jesus to come and share your love with us. knowing the cracks in our broken hearts, he came to craft stained glass windows of grace. seeing our shattered relationships, he came to make us whole. experiencing the fear of death which is especially profound these days, he came to defeat its supposed power. hearing the silent whispers of our fearful hearts, he comes to remind us of the love which was revealed in the resurrection and which remains the promise to us. in these days of wondering and wandering, we seek to remember, not just his words, his life, but the trust he had in you in every moment, even as we speak of that mystery we know as faith: In moments of grief, Jesus weeps with us. In moments of despair, Jesus hopes with us. In moments of fear, Jesus walks with us. In moments of uncertainty, Jesus comforts us. Whether gathered in a sanctuary at a safe distance from each other, or at a table in the kitchen, or a desk sitting in front of a device, we pray you would pour out your Spirit upon all your people everywhere and the gifts to be used for this feast. As we prepare to gather around your Table, God of Love, pour out your Spirit upon us, and on the gifts of the bread and cup. Though broken, the bread is the rich food of grace and mercy, strengthening us so we may go forth to continue to care for friend and stranger, to feed those we love and those we distrust. With the cup of grace and justice, we pray you would quench our thirst for power, transforming us into the rich, full wine of servanthood, so we might choose, caring over cruelty, denial over fame, humility over pride, peace over anger, love over evil. And when you gather all our sisters and brothers from every scattered time and place, we will join our hearts singing your praise, God in Community, Holy in One. Amen. Announcements The Health Team will meet today after church to talk about where we are and how we should proceed in worship in the coming months. You are welcome to join the meeting. You are welcome to offer suggestions and concerns. Next Friday is September 11th. Instead of having a special prayer this Sunday, I decided that I will have a special prayer service on that day. It will be a Facebook Live. I will also put the short prayer service on our Youtube channel. The service will be at noon. Less than 10 people are welcome to join the service in the chapel. The scripture for next week will be Romans 14:1-12. The song for reflection will be Guide Me , O thou Great Jehovah UMH 127 Benediction Whether gathered in a sanctuary or scattered wherever we live, we will take the love of God into the world. In these uncertain times, we will share the steadfast love of our God. Whether from familiar places we call home, or from sacred places we have not visited in a long time, we will take the grace of Jesus into our neighborhoods. For all the lonely, the forgotten, the scared, we will share the justice and compassion of Jesus. Whether on our own, or joining with friends, whether serving those we know, and especially those we don’t, we will be the people of the Holy Spirit. We will open our arms wide, even from a safe distance, to welcome all of sisters and brothers. Children’s Sermon Object: A telephone Good morning, boys and girls. The great storyteller, Aesop, once told a story about four bulls who were great friends. They went everywhere together, fed together, and lay down to rest together. Always they stayed close to each other so that if any danger were near they could all face it together. Now there was a lion which had been stalking them for some time, but he could never get at them singly--for they were always together. The lion knew he was a match for any one of them alone, but not for all four at once. So, the lion would watch for his opportunity, and when one lagged the least bit behind the others as they grazed, he would slink up close to the straggler and whisper that the other bulls had been saying unkind things about him. The lion did this with great persistence until at last the four friends became uneasy and suspicious. Each thought the other three were plotting against him. Finally, as there was no longer trust among them, they went off by themselves, their friendship broken. The roaring lion had his victory. One by one he killed them all, and made four good meals. It's important for people who care about one another to stick together. Sometimes we do that by phone. Sometimes we do that by a caring note. Sometimes with a warm greeting. Love is the most important characteristic of a Christian. We need to love one another, look out for one another and always stick together. Additional Illustrations The Second Advent is a far less chronologically captured moment. The Second Advent celebrates Christ’s continued presence in our lives, our churches, our homes, our communities, our world. In today’s text Paul alludes to this on-going presence when he declares how “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (v.11). The gift of the Holy Spirit, given to all, brings the power and presence of the divine into the everyday, each day. This presence is the impenetrable “armor of light” Paul counsels the Roman Christians to “put on.” When we “clothe” ourselves in “the Lord Jesus Christ” we wrap the Second Advent around ourselves. I love Paul’s image of “wrapping” ourselves in this “armor” or “garment” of light. Have you ever noticed how, when a degree is conferred on someone who is entering a “profession,” there is some sort of special garment that accompanies the new designation? The garment signifies that the person wearing it is armored to fight evil in the world. A medical doctor is garbed with a full-length white coat. It is while wearing this garment that the doctor wages war against disease and injury. The newly “robed” Ph.D. wears the colors and stripes that declare war on ignorance and challenge the scholar to a life devoted to continued learning. A police officer or fire-fighter gets to wear a uniform that battles the malevolent forces of our communities. In the same way, Christians who “clothe” themselves in Christ are “armored” for the battles of the Second Advent. Living in the overlap, the “in-between times” of the new age between “now” and “not yet,” there are real and true powers of darkness that walk among us. In this Second Advent we feel the pull of both the “now” and the “not yet:” the “now” of sales on socks and stoves, diamonds and doodads and the “not yet” where dark December nights can pulse with power and peace and purpose in our families, churches, and communities. “In the Midwest there is a version of the nativity story with an unanticipated conclusion. It is a true story about a nine-year-old named Wallace Purling. He was in the second grade that year, although he should have been in the fourth. He had difficulty keeping up, was a little slow and clumsy but was also very kind. The kids tried to exclude him from their games, but Wally hung around, ever the protector of the children at risk. Wally so hoped to be a shepherd with a wooden flute in the nativity play that December. Miss Lumbard, however, assigned him a minor speaking part, that of the innkeeper. Wally got caught up in the timeless story unfolding on the stage as he stood, mesmerized, in the wings. When the time came, Joseph tenderly guided Mary to the door of the inn. Joseph knocked hard on the plywood, and Wally the innkeeper was there waiting. Wally tired to sound brusque when Joseph asked for lodging. ‘Seek it elsewhere. The inn is filled,’ said Wally as he stared straight ahead. ‘We have asked everywhere in vain. We have traveled far and are very weary,’ Joseph tried again. Once again, a stern-looking Wally reiterated the fact: there was no room in the inn. ‘Please, good innkeeper, this is my wife, Mary. She is heavy with child and needs a place to rest. Surely you must have some small corner for her. She is so tired. Wally relaxed his stiff pose and, for the first time, really looked at Mary. He paused so long that the audience began to get nervous. The prompter from the wings whispered: ‘Be gone!’ Wally repeated the whisper: ‘Be gone.’ Joseph sadly put his arm around the pregnant Mary; she rested her head on his shoulder as the two slowly moved away. The innkeeper did not move. He stood transfixed in the doorway of the cardboard inn. His mouth opened, his brown furrowed, and his eyes filled with tears. And suddenly this Christmas pageant took an unexpected turn. ‘Don’t go, Joseph,’ Wally called after them. ‘Bring Mary back.’ Now Wally Purling’s face shone. “You can have my room.’ Was this a ruined Christmas pageant? Or was this the best Christmas pageant ever? Here is a version of the 23rd Psalm that ought to be mandatory reading each day of Advent, and a unison reading each Advent Sunday. The lord is my pace setter . . . I shall not rush He makes me stop for quiet intervals He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and his guidance is peace Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility My cup of joyous energy overflows Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the Pace of my Lord and dwell in his house for ever. --A version of Psalm 23 from Japan, as reprinted in Mother Teresa, Life in the Spirit: Reflections, Meditations, Prayers, ed. Kathryn Spink (San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1983), 76-77. We ask such questions, even if only silently and guiltily, every time we hear those questions - because loving our neighbors is where most of us fail as Christians. It sounds so noble in the Bible but doing it in the world is something else. When we try to do it, we run head on into ourselves, into our memories of rejection and misunderstanding, into bruised egos and hurt feelings. Loving one another is such a grand thing to preach about, so damnably hard to do. We’ve tried it so many times - we really have! - and have been disappointed so often. Eugene Ionesco wrote a play sometime ago entitled, The Airwalker. The chief character, Berringer, is walking one day in the countryside. Suddenly he realizes that the greatest thing that can happen to anyone is love. The more he thinks about it, the more exalted he becomes. All at once he finds himself suspended above the ground. The more he thinks about love, the higher he goes. People gather to gape up at him and exclaim. Berringer shouts "Love and you can go up one rung of the ladder after another. You can climb one branch after another. You can do anything!" He feels that by loving he can achieve anything. "Go as high as you’d like!" he cries. Then he disappears, and there is silence on the stage. In a little while, he slowly comes down again. He is depressed and dejected. Berringer concludes by saying he went up so high that he saw beyond our existence and found no hope at all. I am not sure what Eugene Ionesco was trying to say, but I am sure I understand how Berringer felt. I am sure you do, also. All of us have tried loving one another, and it does work for a while. But then something happens. We get rebuffed, or manipulated, or misunderstood. Then we come back down to earth, hurt and confused and hopeless. "Love one another!" we say. "Good for Sunday school teachers and preachers, but it won’t work in the world. Love one another! Jesus-talk and pulpit nonsense! Not for me, thank you!" Yes, it is for you and me and all of us hopelessly indebted Christians. "The problem, dear Brutus," as Shakespeare said, "is not in the stars but in ourselves, that we are underlings. Leo Tolstoy, a magnificent Christian as well as a magnificent author, was walking one day through the streets of Leningrad at the height of the great famine which swept through Russia in his day. He passed a beggar on the street corner. Stretching out his gaunt hands, with blue lips and sunken eyes, the beggar asked for money. Tolstoy felt in his pockets and could not find even a penny. He took the beggar’s hands in both of his and said, "Do not he angry with me, brother. I have no money with me." The beggar’s face lighted up, and he lifted his bloodshot eyes with a smile: "But you called me brother! Thank you for such a gift." Tolstoy hurried home for some money, but when he returned a short time later, the beggar was dead. On his cold face the smile still lingered. His body was dead, but Tolstoy’s kindness had made his heart warm. "Owe no one anything, except to love one another." Leo Tolstoy did it. He was a Christian forever in debt to love. He learned to pay on that debt by loving others for God’s sake and for their own sake. As he did, so can we. The dynamic law of love. Certainly love has been the dynamic that has kept the church of Jesus Christ alive and moving forward throughout the ages. There are no Lone Ranger Christians in the New Testament. To be a Christian was to be part of a family, part of a fellowship, part of a body. "Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name," taught Jesus, "there I am in the midst of them." Notice that--"wherever two or three are gathered." Now the baptized pagan says, "I can worship God on the golf course on Sunday mornings just as easily as I can in church." But Jesus says, "Not so." The Christian faith is a faith of relationships--a relationship with God and a relationship with one another within the body of Christ. The dynamic law of love. Let's think for a few moments about the power of love in our lives. But again, these folks were living proof of the dynamic law of love. Dr. Donald Hatch Andrews, professor emeritus of chemistry at John Hopkins University, expresses it this way: Raise one of your fingers and wiggle it. When you wiggle that finger you are tickling every atom in the universe. Professor Andrews says that researchers have found that the atomic nature of our universe is so incredibly sensitive that a person cannot move a hand or finger without changing the relationship of every atom in the universe to every other atom in the universe. He says that if someone were to open their lips to speak, and if you could see what was happening, you would realize that there is a current of energy flowing from the speaker's lips and into the universe to become a living and vital part of it. (2) There is an old story about the wife of one of Cyrus's generals who was charged with treachery against the king. She was called before Cyrus, and after the trials she was sentenced to death. Her husband didn't find out about what was happening until the trial was almost over. He rushed to the scene as quickly as possible. When he heard the sentence condemning his wife to death, he threw himself before the king and begged, "Oh, Sire, take my life instead of hers. Let me die in her place!" Cyrus was so touched that he said, "Love like that must not be spoiled by death," and he gave them back to each other and gave the wife her freedom. As they walked away, happy and relieved, the husband asked, "Did you notice how kindly the king looked upon us when he gave you the pardon?" His wife answered softly, "I had no eyes for the king. I saw only the man who was willing to die for me." On the cross of Calvary we have seen the man who was willing to die for us. And we realize that, in response to the love that was poured out on the hill of Golgotha, we can no longer live our lives in concern only for our own well-being. "Others," as William Booth once said, is the important word: "Others." And the ironic thing is that it is in losing our lives for others that we find the true joy of living. The most miserable people in the world are those who are continually looking out for themselves. We were not created to live that way. We are not islands. In the White House there is a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt painted by John Singer Sargent. A fascinating story lies behind the picture. Sargent had been patiently waiting for days to see the president so that he could arrange time to do the portrait. One morning, by chance, he met the president as he was descending the stairway in the mansion. Sargent asked anxiously when would be a convenient time for Mr. Roosevelt to pose for the picture. "Now," the president snapped back. The finished painting has Roosevelt standing at the foot of the stairs, his hand on the newel post. An outstanding picture has caught the dynamic qualities of this man of action. Was the president trying to tell the artist, "Moments come and go ... Here is the time, seize it, do your best"? Now, in the beginning of the Advent season, is the time to return to the present. Our Lord wants to break into our lives and help us as we struggle with our problems. He wants to release the gifts hidden within us. He wants to do something new in our lives. Awake, Christ is coming. Christ is coming now. CSS Publishing Company, EMPOWERED BY THE LIGHT, by Richard Hasler A tragic story came out of Columbus, Ohio sometime back. Two elderly sisters, Naomi and Ruth Schreiner, starved to death in their home. Police found absolutely no food in the house. They did find little rolls of newspaper on plates where the women, in a futile attempt at survival, had been eating a newspaper. How do such things happen in cities with thousands of followers of Christ in them? And yet they do happen. And as more elderly people live alone and as the population of those stricken with unforgiving diseases like Alzheimer's grows, we will see more such tragedies. Somebody has got to do something! Love demands it. Sanibonani – that means hello to you all in Zulu – the language of blacks in South Africa. And you would respond….. Another important zulu word is ubuntu. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu have made this word popular around the world. It is a very important word in all of African culture. It means I am because you are. It means that my humanity is tied up in who you are. It means I am a human being because of you. You define my life. It is a spirit of community, togetherness. It drives us to help others. It is also the definition of love. Because true love is not a feeling, or emotion. True love is who we are as a church, how we treat one another, how loyal we are to the whole and not just to some of the parts. The way in which we love one another is a reflection of God. Over the next few weeks in our lessons we will deal with who we are as a church and what Jesus calls the church to be. We will talk about how we are supposed to treat one another. Matthew 15-35 will deal with the very topic. Christ realized that the only way his disciples could carry on his work was to work together in community. If there were things that stood in the way of loving one another, there were things that stood in the middle of the mission. Ubuntu is unity. But I also need to say that not all unity is healthy. There are times when we are united by our own survival and self interest. There are times when we are united because we have a secret. Sometimes we are united because of unhealthy emotions. Only unity in Christ is ubuntu – true love. We only have two more chapters of Romans until we start to deal with the four chapters of Phillippians. In Romans, Paul is telling new Christians how to be the body of Christ in the face of Roman oppression. In Matthew Jesus is preparing the disciples for the persecution ahead. It is interesting that Jesus mentions the word church in these verses, and yet Jesus would not have known what a church was. Matthew was writing in the second century of the early church. There too was a small struggling community, struggling against the circumstances of life.
If you look at Matthew 18 – it spells out the rules for confronting sin within the Christian community. Confronting sin means stop pretending that there is nothing wrong. Whatever it is, it needs to come out in the open. Things that live in darkness, secrecy and unspoken understandings become the devil’s playground. When the meeting in the parking lot becomes more important than the meeting at the table, something is wrong. Problems that are never dealt with continue to fester and get worse. When they come to the light of Christ – they are resolved and they go away. Matthew 16 says that there is a process to the way that you confront. First you come face to face with the person and you confront them alone to tell them what they did wrong (or what you think they did wrong). Then you being a witness along with you, and then you confront them with the entire church. And you pray through the whole process. Another person put it this way… 1. Put Your Complaint into Words 2. Tell the Person about It in Person 3. Counsel with Other Wise Christians.
4. Make Use of the Christian Fellowship.
5. Never Give up Trying The most important thing to remember is that you cant have confrontation without reconciliation. The point of the process is to learn to forgive.
A story of 4 friends
Four friends gathered for lunch after church as they did every Sunday. They went into their favorite café to talk. They had gathered for so long – that the conversation could go anywhere. They could be talking about their gardens and which vegetables didn’t come up this year. They could be talking about the new sewing project one had started, they could be talking about the new garage one just had designed. Then the conversation flows to more practical issues – the sermon they heard, the music the choir sang/
Today as the four picked their seat – one noticed that there was a young man at the table next to them – sitting all alone. She seemed to have recognized him – she could see the family resemblance – she must have known his father.
But she too immediately got into the conversation. The conversation always goes from church business to church gossip. And she had a good one to talk about – Patty. Patty was in the choir with her, but when she saw her at the grocery store last Saturday she did not even speak. It seems that every since Patty inherited that money from uncle, she has become very stuck up. She doesn’t talk to anyone. But this time our friend was offended. She did not appreciate this treatment at all.
Did you speak to Patty? Asks one of the friends. This person obviously didn’t understand the situation. If you noticed what was going on with Patty did you speak to Patty. As the friend looks away – she notices the gaze of the young man at the next table – he is looking right at her, his eyes seem sad, even a little concerned. But he is very quiet.
As her attention goes back to her friends- and the conversation she is upset but she listens to their advice. Maybe you should just go to Patty and ask her what is going on. You never know until you talk with her. If you sense there there is a problem talk with her – afterall, we are church members. Jesus calls us to forgive one another and to resolve our differences. When we feel that we have been hurt – Jesus asks us not to dwell in the pain – but to go directly to the person and resolve the issue. If you cant resolve the issue between the two of you – take some others with you. Afterall – Jesus reminds us that he is always with us – where two or three are gathered his presence is there.
And suddenly it came to her – she recognized the young man at the table- he did indeed look just like his father. Whom she knew so well also. But she also realized why her relationships with those in her church were so important. Because wherever those relationships were present – so was that young man who looked so familiar.

That young man was Jesus Christ himself. Jesus says that where 2 or 3 are gathered, so is Christ. The combination of us and Christ unleashes a powerful spirit. In the face of God we have to put aside our selfishness, our pride, our predjudice and the the holy spirit reign in the situation.
You have to realize that you love God more than you love being right. Because whatever it is that hold your spirit, hold you.
There is a Russian saying that we need to make peace with people and make war with our sin. Sometimes even in the church we like to do the opposite.

Forgiveness is a choice to put our future in God’s hands. Oprah said forgiveness is finally realizing that whatever it was that happened in the past, there is nothing you can do to change it. I would add that forgiveness is the decision to put it all in God’s hands. Forgiveness is the choice to leave the past behind and to live in God’s future. Christ calls us not to get so caught up in the way things are, and to embrace the way things can be. To create heaven here on earth – just in your attitude. To free ourselves of whatever it is that is holding us back.

True Freedom in Forgiveness
When Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela for the first time, he had a question on his mind: "When you were released from prison, Mr. Mandela," the former President said, "I woke my daughter at three o'clock in the morning. I wanted her to see this historic event." Then President Clinton zeroed in on his question: "As you marched from the cellblock across the yard to the gate of the prison, the camera focused in on your face. I have never seen such anger, and even hatred, in any man as was expressed on your face at that time. That's not the Nelson Mandela I know today," said Clinton. "What was that about?"

Mandela answered, "I'm surprised that you saw that, and I regret that the cameras caught my anger. As I walked across the courtyard that day I thought to myself, ‘They've taken everything from you that matters. Your cause is dead. Your family is gone. Your friends have been killed. Now they're releasing you, but there's nothing left for you out there.' And I hated them for what they had taken from me. Then, I sensed an inner voice saying to me, ‘Nelson! For twenty-seven years you were their prisoner, but you were always a free man! Don't allow them to make you into a free man, only to turn you into their prisoner!'"
You can never be free to be a whole person if you are unable to forgive.
Ubuntu – I can only be as human as I allow you to be.

We all have the power to bind and the power to set free. Whatever you are still holding onto – is still holding on to you. Whether it is the past, a person, an injustice, a resentment – God is asking you right now to let it go. That is the law of God’s love. With faith comes goodness, with goodness comes knowledge, with knowledge comes self control, with self control comes endurance, with endurance comes godliness, with godliness comes mutual affection, with mutual affection comes love. Let us pray.