My Sunday Sermon

Abide in Love

May 13, 2012

John 15:9–17

9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

This text is part of John’s larger witness of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse, which began with the intimate meal Jesus shared with his disciples in chapter 13. In this Farewell Discourse, we find Jesus and the disciples together as he seeks to deepen the disciples’ understanding of the power of his love found in his connection with God. In Jesus’ love, “community” is formed as the living expression of God’s love for the world.

Community was found in the relationships of the very earliest Jesus movement, before a church was even organized. Jesus had taught them the value of taking care of one another. In his acquaintances, there were no untouchables. There were women in his ministry..some even financed his ministry. Tax collectors were a part of his group. They met together each day and shared what food they had.

After Jesus death, the early movement continued his ministry by promising to take care of any who were sick. They fed the hungry, visited those in prison, clothed those that needed clothing. Even Paul spoke of deacons caring for widows. For over a hundred years people flocked to the new movement because of the love they found there and the care they were given.

Jesus unfolded the prior vine and branches metaphor used to express the relationship he called his disciples to have in him. When the branches connect with the vine, they produce and bear fruit. Without the vine, branches cannot produce the fruit for which they are created. Through this metaphor, Jesus wanted the disciples to understand their capacity to produce and bear fruit. This fruit only comes when they learned to love as Jesus did…unselfishly, all inclusive.

What is the fruit they will bear? Following the meal, Jesus said to the disciples, “I give you a new commandment to love one another just as I have loved you.”

There is an essential message seeking to be heard in this commandment offered three times in this discourse. “To love one another as I have loved you,” only has potential when we find the capacity to appreciate the love of God. To love like this is to be there for the other, to do for the other, even if it means giving things up for ourselves. When we recognize God’s love for us, we find the presence and gift of grace flowing into our lives. Through the presence of grace, we can experience and see ourselves and others as people of worth. It is through this grace that Jesus can say “I do not call you servants any longer…but I have called you friends.” It is this grace that will help us see all others as friends. When our congregation as individuals are willing to live in this new way of viewing people and embrace the blessing of our unity in diversity, amazing things will happen.

Latter Day instruction from Grant McMurray in Section 162 said it this way:

8a. You are a good and faithful people, but sometimes you fail to see the power that is resident in your own story and fellowship. Look carefully, listen attentively, and sense the Spirit among you.

b. Do not be unduly concerned with numbers. Be fervent in your witness, passionate in your discipleship, and vigorous in your labor on behalf of peace and justice. Where two or three such disciples form community, there will the Spirit be. Many will come to see.

c. Continue your journey, O people of the Restoration. You have been blessed thus far but there is so much yet to see, so much yet to do.Go forth with confidence and live prophetically as a people who have been loved, and who now courageously choose to love others in the name of the One you serve. Amen.

And this kind of love is not only present in our congregation and church members but we find it as well in the lives of our good friends who have learned to love the way Jesus taught.

Last month at our PINCH meeting, Mary, a Catholic woman who teaches the Hispanics members of their congregation the English language, pled with the group for help for one of her students. Maria had been caught in a traffic check on her way to Independence. She had to show her expired drivers license. Then she received a citation for driving without a license. She had had a license when she lived in Missouri but moved to Kansas where Kansas requires documentation for folks to get a driver’s license. Maria had no documentation. And her Missouri license had expired in 2009. She and her husband had lived and worked here in Coffeyville for many years. They had three children who were born here. But she was illegal. She had been deported twice without her family. After a long time, she managed to make her way back to Coffeyville to her family. Immigration from Mexico is backed up for ten years. The prospect of waiting to be legally imported, was dim. In ten years her children would be grown.

Mary brought Maria’s plight to the attention of PINCH. None of us thought there was a solution to her dilemma because of her illegal status. I talked to Judge Cullins about her case and he said if she was not incarcerated, she was only being charged with a traffic violation. However, if she went to court, her true status might be revealed. Jack, a retired judge, and dear friend, belongs to the PINCH organization. He said very little during the telling of Maria’s story. I did most of the talking but could not come up with a solution.

The Friday following the meeting, Jack paid Maria’s fine. Now Maria will not have to go to court. The fine was $138.00. I only know this because I work in that office. To me, that was evidence of “abiding in God’s love”. …of extending ourselves in love to care for the needs of others.

The word “abide” gives us a sense of security, of knowing we can trust God as our friend. It also represents a feeling of closeness, of knowing that we are never alone.

This story was shared with me by Madaleen Miller:

In Peshawar, there was, and perhaps still is, a driver named Riaz. He had the reputation of driving the Grant Trunk like a maniac. If one was interested in the quickest way to Islamabad, Riaz was chosen. On the other hand, our visiting son remarked that he had ridden the scariest roller coasters in existence and nothing equaled a trip down the Grand Trunk with Riaz at the wheel.

But the demon driver had another side usually unknown. He and his wife adopted children--in a country where child labor was much more common than adoption. Even a five-year-old can turn over bricks in a brick factory and thus 'support' himself.

Up country in one of the remote areas some young tourists (a Japanese couple I think) became seriously ill with a debilitating infection. There was rudimentary medical care at a clinic but no hospital. Riaz took them home and he and his family cared for them until they were able to travel, not for days, but for weeks. and refused recompense, though a drivers salary was not significant. Mud walls and dirt floors can contain great beneficence!

Now there is a disciple….abiding in love. Was he a Christian? No….but his actions were an illustration of Jesus’ challenge.

Humans are created to be with God and one another like the branch with the vine. When Christ-like love draws us deeper into relationship, mutual respect, and trust, the essence of worth becomes an expression of love between brothers and sisters in Christ.

We dwell in God’s love. In love, God pursues us. As Jesus said, “You did not choose me but I chose you.” This continues to be the miracle in this enduring story of love. God pursues us because God wants to be in relationship with us where true love flows inward and outward. And when this joy of God is in us, our joy is complete! Let us ask ourselves, when have we experienced God’s pursuit in our life and the invitation to abide in God’s grace and love?

A Wonderful Time

We had a wonderful time in Branson Friday and today! We went out to Silver Dollar City yesterday and spent most of the day and ate lunch out there then went to find our rooms and take a nap. Myra had not slept well at my house so she was really tired. After a nap, we all three went over to Pinetta bread and had soup for supper. Then we took a drive around Branson to see the tornado damage and show Myra. Then we went to the Pierce Arrow show and then afterwards back to the motel to watch some TV and then took a bath and went to bed. The Pierce Arrow show was wonderful! But we were all three exhausted!

This is Bob and Myra out at Silver Dollar City before lunch.

I have never figured out how to close the spaces between comments with HTML. So there is a lot of open space between the photos.

The second photos is Bob, patiently waiting while Myra and I shopped.

Yesterday while we were out at Silver Dollar City, the appliance repair man from home called to say my part had expectantly come in and he wondered if I wanted him to go to my house and install it. It was a surprise for all of us. I was delighted! I gave him the combination to my remote door opener and he did just that! So when I came home, I came home to a repaired refrigerator.

This morning we went to Branson Landing and shopped. We all got some things. I got new shoes, earrings and a T-shirt, Myra bought TV shirts and earrings, and Bob bought new slacks. We then went to Olive Garden and had dinner. Then we came home. It was lovely...not too hot and not too cold. Just right!

It was a wonderful time and I got home to discover I had a cute Mother's day card from my oldest son. How sweet he remembered!

And while I'm at it I'd like to say I'm proud of the president and Vice President Joe Biden too. They said some things this week that have been needed to be said for some time. Vice President Joe Biden asked this poignant question about "Who do you love?" He was acknowledging that same sex marriage can produce some very fine parents just as conventional marriage can. Then the president joined in the discussion with an ABC interview with Robin Roberts by saying his opinion had "evolved" and now he was able to accept same sex marriage.

What possible difference could it make to conventional marriage to allow same sex couples to marry? Lord only knows heterosexual couples have ruined many a marriage with infidelity and divorce and same sex couples won't be able to damage conventional marriage. That premise is stupid. They should be able to have equal rights. What does it take to help a person change their mind on this issue? It takes really getting to know a really fine person only to learn they are homosexual.

Thursday At Last

Today is the last day I work this week. First though, I am going back to Independence to have my hair done again. I want it to be easy to care for while we're in Branson. I will then go to work.

Myra will be here this evening. I will pack after work. We leave at 7:00 in the morning. I checked the weather at Branson and it should be nice..through cool. I will take a sweater...just in case.

I got the guest room bed remade before I went to bed last night. The bathrooms are clean and the bare floors are clean. I might need to run the sweeper again this afternoon after work. Missy sheds terribly.

I want to leave the house clean so I can come home to a clean house (and a hungry cat). I have asked Cyndi to come feed Missy Saturday morning. I haven't heard from her about it though. I hope she gets back with me sometime today.

Yesterday Aime, the director of the program for which I work, came to the office to have me sign some paperwork. She says everyone will be rotated to different offices in a couple of weeks. She has more clients then she has sites though. She may leave me at the present site. We will have to wait and see.

I came home at noon today to find that my nine year old refrigerator had stopped running and there was water on the floor. I grabbed a towel and mopped the floor up before the water got under my laminated dining room floor. That happened once before right after we put it down. The floor..or most of it, had to be replaced. This time I quickly turned off the ice machine and called a repairman. He came right out and tried to put in a substitute starter but then it wouldn't work so he turned the frig off and will order the part. I took my food over to Bob's and put it in his freezer and frig. I am not going to let this spoil my trip.

What's next???

Quiet Wednesday

This will be a quiet day..outside of work. I have nothing planned for this evening so maybe I can get some housework done. I need to clean both bathrooms and run the swifter again. Missy sheds continually.

I can get some things done this morning if I can train myself to stay off this computer. :)

More later....

I got both bathrooms cleaned thoroughly this morning before work and I have the extra bedroom bed stripped now and the sheets are in the dryer. It's 9:19 and I want to get that bed remade before I go to bed.

I mowed after I got home from work this evening. The mower actually started. I also mulched a couple of flowerbeds and finished the small wall around my flowerbed by the mailbox. I then put some soil in it and weeded it. It looks much better. I will trim the first of the week or Sunday afternoon. I speak at church on Sunday morning.

I want to pack tomorrow sometime. We will be leaving early Friday morning. Myra is coming tomorrow evening. She will spend the night.

Half Day Tuesday

Today I will leave early morning for Independence and my mission of finding a specific grave at the cemetery. That may take some time. I also need to stop by a store there and get some moisture emulsion to use under my makeup. I might go to Wal mart there too. I need some Clean and Clear, the face wash I use to clean my face in the shower.

If I can find that grave, I will take a photo of it for my classmate.

Then at 10:30, I will get my color and cut done. I will go to work at 1:00.

Tonight I have library board and library foundation meetings after work at 5:00.

More later about my success with the grave location.....

The grave did not exist. The grandfather was not buried there at all. I took photos of the four who were buried there and that was good. My classmate decided I had botched the assignment. I saw the records and saw the grave plot where other relatives were buried so I took photos of those.

After work, I went to the board meeting and then to the foundation meeting too. There were not enough there at the foundation meeting for a quorum. So there was no meeting for the foundation. I came home and wrote the minutes for the board meeting.

Monday Again

I went in to work today. I filed for a couple of hours and then spent the rest of the day removing staples from old files so they can be microfilmed before they are destroyed. I finished those two shelves today.

Tomorrow I will take the morning off. I promised an old classmate I would try to find his grandfather's grave and take a photo of the headstone. He is writing a book about his family. Then I want to get my hair done and cut. I will go into work at 1:00 and make up the time by working until 5:00.

I am so glad Bobby got my lawn mowed on Saturday. It rained this morning and I would not have been able to do it tonight. It's too wet. I made peanut clusters and took him a batch to church on Sunday. Then I felt a lot better about his working on my mower and mowing for me. I will not mow again until next Monday. The afternoon was lovely.

This evening I noticed I had about a dozen peanut clusters left that I could not get into Bobby's container so I divided them into two containers and took one of them over to my brother-in-law and will take the other to Carol for re-combing my hair last week. My brother-in-law helped me clean the church on Saturday.

I went to the market and bought the pans and cake mixes and icings and eggs for the cakes next Tuesday. I will need to take mine to Bob on Monday evening because I will be leaving before eight to pick up Juanita for our trip to Wichita. He is going to take them to Independence while I am gone to Wichita.

Another Busy Sunday

This will be another busy Sunday. In another couple of hours, Bob A. will come by to pick me up for church. After church, we will eat somewhere with the group. Then I will come home and do the newsletters I send out each Sunday afternoon. Tonight I will just stay home and watch TV. I watch 60 Minutes first then Harry's law, if it is on.

My yard looks so nice! I am so happy it's done at last. Last evening I went to the market and bought the makings for peanut clusters and made a batch for Bobby. He loves them and I usually only make them at Christmastime. But I am taking them to church to give to him. It's the least I can do. I am taking a photo of my yard to post here to show you all how nice it looks.

Well, Harry's Law was not on TV. And I was not interested in 60 Minutes tonight.

After lunch I came home and loaded up all my scrap booking material and took them out to Leslie's. She and a co-worker are going to make a scrapbook for their boss. I stayed a couple of hours and visited with her. I seldom get to have any private time with her anymore.