The Power of Community Love

 

SERMON

July 30, 2023

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 

It took me a long time to grasp the meaning of community and the power of love that God’s community holds as it moves in the world. 

As a young child I was a loner. I deemed it safer to keep myself separate from the confusion of my family’s comings and goings. But, during my adolescence as I struggled to be included in my peer group’s activities I began to understand the social consequences of years of keeping myself apart from others. It was a hard lesson to learn; one which continues to impact my current life.

When I was 14, I hesitantly joined my church youth group. Going to church was a new thing for my family. I am quite sure that my mother decided upon our church adventure for social reasons, not for a longing to be with God. But in any case, it was a great and necessary move for me. It brought me into weekly contact with the church’s Sunday afternoon youth group. The group was filled with wonderful people my own age, and our leader was an absolutely marvelous and energetic young man who delighted us with a wide variety of interesting speakers, who shared stories of what they did in the world.

One year we decided to put on a play to raise funds for the church. We selected The Heiress by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. The play centers around Catherine a young woman who stands to inherit her father's large fortune. Catherine falls in love when she meets Morris who gives her the love and affection her father doesn't. Catherine's father, believing Morris is only interested in money, tells Catherine she will be disinherited if she marries him. Morris' true intentions are put to the test when he finds out about the amended will.

Guess who played Catherine? Me. It was a fabulous adventure and everyone in the youth group had some sort of part or job. We rehearsed for weeks. We sold tickets. We designed sets and costumes. We put ads in the local newspaper. Most importantly we had fun, so much fun.

Two nights before our first scheduled performance my father died. Of course, I now was unable to participate in opening night, or any of the following performances. I called our leader and told him to please go ahead without me. He replied, “The group has told me they would not go forward without you. We will postpone the event until you can be with us. We are waiting for you, and we are praying for you.”

There are no words to express what the love and support of our youth group meant to me. It was at that moment in time that I understood the power of God’s love when it is expressed through many voices speaking as a community.

That was the beginning of my understanding of the power of community. The power of community as expressed in the theology of Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is an African philosophy that recognizes the humanity of a person is established only through a person’s relationship with other persons.  

Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained, “One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu — the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness … We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas how you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”

My youth group story and Desmond Tutu’s quote ring in my head when I consider today’s gospel passage from Matthew. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind and when it was full, they drew it ashore.”

And “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is old and what is new.”

In all of these metaphors Jesus is telling us that the kingdom of heaven becomes a reality only when we cease to think of ourselves as just individuals, separated from one another. The kingdom of heaven becomes a reality only when we are connected with each other and in that connection create a community in which God is fully present.

Regularly I hear stories of how hearts have been moved, how loneliness has been lifted, how suffering has been alleviated, how the kingdom of heaven has flourished through the love and caring of the people of St. Simon’s and their long history of mission, God’s mission, in Okaloosa County, and in some instances beyond. These stories must continue to abound, be heard, and be considered for what they truly are. These are stories that are the fruit of God’s mission in the world.

Several months ago, Bishop Russell visited with the vestry to discuss issues relating to ensuring St. Simon’s continued presence in the community. He said, and I gently paraphrase, “There is a need for St. Simon’s presence in this community. We must always remember how important we are to the flourishing of God’s community, both among ourselves and throughout Okaloosa County.”

It should come as no surprise to anyone here when I say that these are challenging times for St. Simon’s. We struggle with maintaining a building that needs costly repairs. We, like almost all other churches, are still regaining our footing as we recover from the Covid pandemic. We have journeyed with many invaluable friends who have died. We must face the growing reality of a world in which increasing numbers of people fall away from regular, if any, church attendance.

We are struggling. But as we struggle God expects us to seek his kingdom of heaven and like the tiniest of seeds, the mustard seed, God expects us to ensure that our soil is deep and deeply cared for. A rich soil that ensures  a renewed and flourished tree to emerge. A tree that brings the kingdom of heaven to our community and beyond.

Importantly, our soil can only be rich and deep, rich and deep enough for the growth of a flourishing tree, without first working together, in love and in community to tend the soil and feed the growing bush.

Archbishop Tutu was so correct when he said “We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas how you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”

The memory of the simple act of my youth group community saying that they would wait for me as I struggled with my grief will never leave my mind. Together, as a community, they waited for me out of compassion and love. Words cannot express the impact of their gesture on that deeply grieving teenager. Certainly, it allowed me to experience the kingdom of heaven.

In Romans 5 Paul writes “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Yes, we here at St. Simon’s are currently struggling. However, if we do not engage in that struggle in love and in community there can be no victory, only defeat. I do not believe defeat is an option God even considers. 

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal…