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Sermon August 29, 2021
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 17, Track 2
http://lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp17_RCL.html
Audio: /documents/Eucharist__August_29__2021
Video: https://youtu.be/c80r6UyTNng
But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-they will be blessed in their doing. James 1:25
Please be seated
At the beginning of August, I got an apologetic text from Andrea Jezewski. She said, “I know you’re on sabbatical but I need to share and see what you think. Kerry got in his mind the other day to make a little food pantry that he could possibly put outside our church. It would hold non-perishables like canned goods and would be available to anyone who needed something. We could be responsible for keeping it up.”
Before I could reply, I got a photograph with the message, “Kerry isn’t one to put things off, so he already made it. If you don’t like the idea, we could look into another location.”
I laughed with great joy and told her it was fantastic and that I really loved it. That I was really excited about it. I told her to talk to Jill and Todd. By Thursday, this little community pantry was up by the parking lot! I’m surprised at how much it holds.
In our reading from James today, we are reminded that as Christians, when we hear the Word of God, we are compelled to act on it. We must be doers of the word. Kerry Jezewski came up with his idea after being in church that Sunday. Was that a coincidence or a God-incidence? He was also thinking of something to honor the life and work of recent family members who have died.
Isn’t that perfect? How do we all learn to be doers of the Word? One way is by example and by seeing others. For instance, I think of all of the hats and scarves that Edna Baker knitted over the past couple of years to help children stay warm. Be a doer of the Word. I think of the beautiful artwork that Dick Price left us. Be a doer of the Word. I think of the wonderful historical work and knowledge that Jean Tuzinskii left us. Be a doer of the Word.
I can think of the many ways each of us individually is a doer of the Word. And then when we gather together and join together, WOW, what amazing doers of the Word we become! In the next couple of weeks, we will finalize our annual Giving To Others gifts. During the year, we were able to take advantage of some opportunities for the organizations we love to receive matching gifts, so we’ve already given over $5,000 to the organizations we love and who extend our ability to be doers of the Word. Organizations like the Literacy Council, Council on the Arts, Join Hands, Newport Library, The Leaf Project and Perry Human Services. We supported the Dr. George H. and Mrs. Hettie S. Love, “Love of Learning” scholarship.
Together we gave to these organizations and thousands of people will be served as a result! Together we have been doers of the Word.
Throughout our life with each other, we hear the Word regularly. We hear it over and over again and find new things each time. We hear the Word in new ways as we live our lives and have our varied experiences. How we are doers of the Word shifts and changes over time.
Yet, one thing remains…the love we hear in the Word of God…the justice we hear in the Word of God…the example of the life of Jesus…prompt us…compel us to take action. We do our best to create a world as the one we know God wants for us…a world of abundant life for all.
So, take some time this week and look at how you are individually and how we are collectively responding to the deep love and blessing of God. How are we individually and collectively being doers of the Word?
Like the writer of James says, when we are doers of the Word, we will be blessed in our doing.
Amen
