Loading...Sermon May 21, 2017
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, Newport, PA
Easter 6 Year A: //lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster6_RCL.html
Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. John 14:15-16
Please be seated.
How did you get to Nativity and St. Stephen church? What is your story? Most of you know my story. I was looking for a new position and one that would be closer to my family. You had an opening and had posted it on the OTM website with The Episcopal Church. Seems so “cut and dried” as we say.
Yet, it was more convoluted than that, wasn’t it? I was only looking on that site and looking for another position at that particular point in time because I had seen another position in Southeast PA that interested me, so began searching the site. To be even considering a new position was unusual, because I was only halfway into a contract where I was. I was only really looking out of curiosity, realizing that I loved parish ministry and wanted to serve a parish fulltime.
And you had only just re-posted the position.
Just in the initial acts of our connecting with each other, I would say that the Holy Spirit was working.
I’m sure as you think about your own stories, you’d say the same thing. That chance encounter you had one day. That showing up at the church and liking how you were greeted or feeling comfortable. The Holy Spirit guiding you. The Advocate.
In our Gospel today, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the day he will no longer be physically present with them. It must have been so difficult for the disciples to hear these words. Isn’t that true for us when there is someone who has loved us and guided us and who dies? We don’t want them to leave this physical world, because we can’t imagine how we can live our lives without them being here with us.
Jesus tries to reassure and comfort his followers. Jesus tells them what they must do to continue living the way he has taught them and the way they have found so amazing…the way that has given them new life.
First of all, Jesus tells them and also us today that if we truly love him, we will keep his commandments. The first action is that we must make the choice to follow Jesus…we must choose Jesus first of all. Then if we choose to love Jesus, we will live out the teachings and commandments he gave us. The best way to sum up Jesus’ teaching and commandments is love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Sounds easy and simple, right? Yet, we all know how difficult this is, don’t we? Choosing to follow Jesus Christ is something we need to do each day. Some days we’re better at it than other days, aren’t we? We may certainly feel love for God, yet find it tough to love all of God’s creation. Some days we really don’t wish for others what we’d hope for ourselves. Needless to say, we start over and over again making the choice to love Jesus and to keep Jesus’ commandments.
And Jesus promises us that if we love him and keep his commandments, he will pray to the Father – to God – on our behalf. Now, we may think we don’t need Jesus to intercede for us, but then we’d have to question why we even pray for anyone or anything? Our Prayers of the People are our intercessions to God on behalf of the many needs and thanksgivings in our community and our world. We do know the value of prayer and praying for others. How wonderful to know that Jesus is praying for us!
Jesus then says that while he will not be with us in physical form, God will provide “another Advocate” to be with us forever. An Advocate…. This word has been translated from the Greek as counselor. The definition means to “call to one’s aid.” The Advocate is a helper to us. The Advocate implies action, because we must call on the Advocate to help us. Also, aiding us implies action.
So we love Jesus, keep Jesus’ commandment to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. As a result, we receive a counselor, an advocate that guides and directs us individually and as a community in our life together, as well as in our building of the Kingdom of God.
The Advocate guided us here to this community. The Advocate guides us in discovering our work here in the parish, our work in our daily lives, and our work in the world. The Advocate guides us to build God’s Kingdom right here and right now. And The Advocate will be with us forever.
Amen
