Divine intervention and human interaction

It’s exciting for me to be leading you in worship again.

It seems like it’s been a long time since my last service.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably living an experience where it feels like heaps has happened but things seem the same.

When I started writing this sermon on an undeniability hot Friday afternoon I snapped out of heat brain and my heart got excited when I looked over the readings and realised that they are challenging us to embrace and examine our shared humanity.

If there has ever been a time where that is something we need to do: it’s now.

If you turn with me to Deuteronomy 26:1-11.

What we’re are seeing could be termed a humanity road map.

Do you know what I mean by that? In my opinion, this message from Moses could be called a social sermon.

It reminds us there are times where we feel cared for and loved;

Then there are those situations where we feel hurt, disconnected and let down because life doesn’t fit our ideas.

Sound familiar?

This is another narrative that reminds us that we are all in a similar, if not the same boat when it comes to humans being human.

I find this narrative exciting and encouraging because it doesn’t just say “Have hope!” it shows us what hope is and how to live it out with each other.

How do we do it?

We do it by remembering that we are all passionate, vulnerable, questioning people – who know what love is and know what hurt is.

We do it by remembering our common goodness and sharing our God stories.

It can be interesting to think about how Christians can trip over what worship Is.

“They do it too loud”

“They’re too quiet”

“They need more structure”

And this list goes on.

What this does is cut through all that and takes us more towards the Thomas Jefferson notion that it is in deeds not creeds that faith and worship are Ultimately discovered and expressed. Worship is service to others: Particularly those who are different to us.

Another thing to pay attention to here, is that this narrative removes the emphasis on labels and status: slave, free, foreigners, them/us.

We see this idea expressed repeatedly in the writings of Paul, he probably more than any other contributor to Christianity; levels the playing field and puts us all in the same place regarding the love God.

This is the message we see inside Romans 10:8-13 today, Paul is saying to his audience and to us that Christ’s invitation is a simple one.

We note that he doesn’t say those who believe the following creeds or theological ideas are saved: he instead says, “If you honestly say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. 10 God will accept you and save you” this is both comforting and challenging: comforting in the sense that we all need simple love to retreat to, right?

Challenging in that simple love can cause us to live with vulnerability – can be scary.

Challenging in that those of us whom have been in the church along time can develop theological check lists and judge people through them. As you’ve heard me say both from the pulpit and personally, creeds are invitations into experiences with the risen Christ, they are not theological measuring sticks.

Like our previous two readings, the Gospel today is encouraging us to think about how we examine and embrace our shared humanity. It would be easy for us, to look at this reading and say it’s about temptation and overcoming it and knowing who we are in God; Yes?

It’s also very easy for us to say “Jesus never sinned therefore we shouldn’t either. Yes?

The issue that can arise with that kind of thinking is setting an impossible standard, particularly for young people in the church. As I’ve said before We must make sure that our approach to God removes more guilt than it creates. I’m not saying we don’t sin – we do and those things need to be dealt with. What I’m saying is that it would not hurt us either as induvials or collectively to take some time to think about what sin is and how we approach it.

Take a moment to think about that.

What else could we take away from that story?

I thought it might be interesting to look the danger of our virtues.

Do you know what I mean by that?

Our virtues and values are things that we hold close to hearts, we often Don’t want them or think to challenge them: Because we live through them and understand the world through them. And we’re sure that we are right! Which could present the idea that they are more dangerous than sin?

Take a moment on that we see it all the time in areas like:

Religion politics Sexuality social approaches we are living through it daily with covid aren’t we? “Oh, you don’t agree with me? Ok we’re not friends anymore”

The danger comes to the forefront when we can’t entertain another point of view. I get a sense of hope when I think about where the world might end up if we started reflecting on our values and virtues: why we hold them and the influence they have on us: and the idea that we might not have the whole picture or that there maybe a completely new picture to see. I will say that I do think this applies to us: Christians/ the church.

I believe the deeper the value, the deeper the examination should be I’m going to be bold and say that examination of our values and virtues is just as important as dealing with our short falls.

As we continue to live and love in a Covid coloured world; and living experiences that remind us we are all vulnerable humans being human.

Today we are being called to think about worship as serving others, sharing with others, listening to others. We are being called remember to remember that part of our Job is to open the gates of grace for others. We are also being called to reflect on the place and power of our values and virtues in how live out our shared humanity; with the world God loves. Thanks for travelling with me.

May love and grace be the languages you speak and hear. Amen