Sermon for Confirmation Sunday June 12, 2o22

GOSPEL: John 15:12-17

The holy gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

12This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Jesus defines what it means to love.

It is not an emotion.

It is a costly action:

laying down one’s life for one’s friends.

Jesus calls the disciples friends:

no longer servants - friends.

Love, then, is a willingness to die,

not just for a family member or a friend,

but for a follower of Jesus.

Jesus loved the crowds that sought him,

laying down his life for them

Love is an action,

and a difficult one.

It’s a bit of a paradox:

love is self-giving,

yet love is also a command from our God

We heard this in the Shema from Deuteronomy:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

mind, soul and strength.

Jesus adds to it -  Love your neighbour as yourself.

No one has greater love

than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

What might it mean to lay down your life for your friends?

Back in 2020, we laid down our lives for our friends,

by literally laying down, on the couch,

staying at home while the new and scary COVID-19

virus circulated.

As we learned about the virus,

we wore masks and practically bathed in hand sanitizer

to protect our friends,

to protect the diverse crowd,

laying down personal comfort and fashion.

Willingly or begrudgingly,

We put the needs and wellbeing of others

ahead of our own desires.

It was both command and self-giving.

For two years it was mandated that we lay down our lives,

commanded by those in political power,

informed by chief medical officers and those they look to.

With mandates being lifted for some time,

and with COVID’s ongoing presence,

we get to decide for ourselves how to care for one another.

Though we do not see Jesus of Nazareth in bodily form

The mandate from Jesus remains,

for those that Jesus calls friends,

we are commanded love;

to lay down our lives.

That command, that mandate,

is hard for us.

It is always going to be hard to chose the wellbeing of others

when compared to personal comfort,

and especially when we are dealing with our own problems.

But that’s the church:

called to lay down our lives,

called to love.

The church is about the only institution in the world

that exists for the good of its non-members,

for the diverse crowd Jesus loves.

What we do ought to reflect that.

Be it pandemic precautions,

or setting a church budget,

talking about building use,

or any of the things the church needs to talk about,

what might it look like to have these conversations

focused on love

with a willingness to lay down our lives?

Our church budget is a theological statement;

it tells us and others what we believe about God

What we do with our building

is a theological statement.

Advent’s monthly calendar and its bookings

is a theological calendar.

Do they read that we are laying down our lives?

Last week, I shared with you Brian McLaren’s suggestion

that the church is pregnant.

That our discomfort, lethargy,

our focus on our own comfort,

and the changing body

are signs that

God’s Spirit is birthing something new in the church.

And what a privilege it is to help give birth to Christianity

for the next generation.

God is refining us

that we become the church God is calling us to be.

Today we celebrate Confirmation Sunday with two young people,

who are serving as midwives

for the pregnant church.

They are the next generation,

but more importantly,

They are the church, now.

As they affirm their baptisms today,

they are laying down their lives,

not because you chose Jesus,

but because Jesus chose you.

Today they take on the baptismal promises,

instead of simply doing what they want on Sunday mornings,

they promise to be part of faith community together.

instead of doing and buying those things that the advertisers

say will make their lives better;

they promise to be guided by God’s Word

and nourished at the Lord’s Table.

instead of proclaiming the almighty dollar

they proclaim the good news of God in Christ Jesus.

instead of serving themselves,

they promise to serve others.

instead of making sure they get ahead in life,

they promise to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

That’s what we all promise in Confirmation;

in Affirmation of baptism,

we lay down our lives for our friends,

for those who follow Jesus,

for the world that God so loves.

Baptism is God’s yes to you,

and as we affirm that gift today,

we say yes to God’s way of life.

But don't just take it from me -

These confirmands have a testimony to give,

a sermon to preach,

a faith to share.

I always ask the Confirmation students

how many Gospels are there?

And do they know? It’s not 4…

It’s 5 - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and you.

A gospel is a story of God’s good news,

you,

every one of you - are a Gospel,

you are a story of God’s good news.

(You can listen to their faith statements here: https://vimeo.com/719656346 )

I’d like to lift up a couple things that they shared:

One knows that God hears her when she prays,

and God has the answers.

The other sees God’s Spirit moving us in ways that defeat

racism, sexism, and homophobia.

Put another way - in an ever changing world,

God is speaking,

inviting us to lay down our lives:

the old lives as we knew them,

to give birth to God’s inclusive love

for the diverse crowd that searches for Jesus;

for the crowd Jesus is searching for.

You did not choose Jesus,

but Jesus has chosen you.

Jesus calls you, friend.

No one has greater love than

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You do not lay down your lives on your own,

we are in this together,

with our God,

who in Jesus Christ has laid down his life

that we might have life abundant in Jesus name.

As the confirmands

are about to affirm this gift.

May we all join them in affirming this gift,

and by God’s grace,

may we all lay down our lives as well,

for the ones Jesus calls friends