Sunday, May 6, 2018

6^th Sunday of Easter

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Acts 10:44-48, Psalm 98
Second Reading: I John 5:1-6
Gospel Reading: John 15:9-17

The liturgical color for the day is: White

This is Acts Chapter 10—what might be called the “Gentile Pentecost.”  In the story we hear, “the Holy Spirit fell upon ALL who heard the word.”

Then, there are those incredible words of Jesus from the High Priestly Prayer of John’s Gospel – “To love one another, as I have loved you.”

Jesus loved them to the end.  Yes, but he loved them beyond the end.  This is the kind of love that God has for us.  It is a love that goes beyond all we ask or imagine.  It is a love that never stops.  It is a love that is constant and continual.  It is a love that even death cannot take away or remove or slow down or hinder.

It is without condition.  We church folks can learn something about love without boundaries and restrictions.

It becomes what is revealed for Peter—it is not until the boundaries start to fall.  It is not until we tear down the walls.  It is not until we pull up the fences that we live this unconditional love.

It is the moment—this is the day—now is the time for us in our living as resurrection people to lean our shoulder into it—to push through and knock down the fence.

It is comfortable to just stay to our own.  Just breathe in and enjoy being together.  But there is Cornelius out there waiting for you.  And there are others out there waiting for you and for me to be open to them.

And this openness that we are being called to is not about just giving the hungry some food or the poor some money—this openness we are being called to is deeper than that.  It is about our being friend.  It is about our love.

It is what it has always been about.  How does Jesus put it?  “I am giving you these commandments so that you may love one another.”

That we may love one another—that always preaches.