Worship As Resistance V - A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday in Lent March 17 2024

GOSPEL: John 12:20-33

The gospel is announced.

The holy gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time to celebrate the Passover festival. Here Jesus’ words about seeds planted in the ground turn the disaster of his death into the promise of a harvest in which everyone will be gathered.

20Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

 27“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON (ELW p. 143)

The assembly is seated.

Welcome to instalment 5 of this preaching series;

Worship As Resistance.

I have invited us to consider

not just the God whom we worship,

but that which we are called to resist.

Sometimes we resist the wrong things.

Worship is a way of life,

not just what we do Sunday mornings.

Worship isn’t the big game:

Worship is like practice,

preparation for living our faith,

preparation for the big game of life.

Worship reminds of who we are

and whose we are.

Here we are fed and nourished

by Word and Sacrament,

that we might join God’s work in the world.

Joining God’s work means resisting

that which rebels against God.

Disintegration resists God.

To define the term,

For an item to disintegrate

is for it to break up into small parts

as a result of impact or decay;

to lose strength or cohesion and gradually fail.

For example,

take my trusty Lutheran Study Bible

the bible I used while in seminary.

With all the page turning,

the cover began to disintegrate,

come apart,

tear apart,

so I resisted this disintegration

with some simple packing tape.

Jesus is like packing tape on my bible,

Jesus holds it all together.

Jesus’ resurrection is about integration.

We worship to resist disintegration.

We share the peace;

more than a handshake, a hug, or a peace sign.

We shake hands not just with those in your section,

but with all the saints.

By Christ’s life, death, and resurrection,

we are at peace with our God,

so we seek to live at peace - integrated -

with one another,

and with creation.

We live into the peace and unity that is already ours.

Our worship resists disintegration.

The ways of this world

move us towards disintegration:

a movement of separation is happening;

separation from others

and separation from the land.

We are created from the dust,

in death we return to the dust;

we are created in relationship with the land

but we tend to choose dominance

over participation.

Consider even conservation efforts;

the thought is;

if we conserve enough land over there,

we can do whatever we want with it over here.

Jesus did not live separate from the land,

but with a deep appreciation and participation with it.

“Very truly, I tell you,

unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,

it remains just a single grain;

but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

How might we resist human dominance over the land,

and instead live integrated -

in relationship with the land? (Pause)

Similarly, Jesus lives with appreciation and participation

with other creatures,

with regular people,

particularly with outcasts and outsiders.

I shared this story with you about three years ago,

allow me to share again:

About 20 years ago,

We held a city wide youth event

at Highwood Lutheran Church.

Youth groups from around the city,

Lutherans, Anglicans,

I think Advent sent a group,

even a local baptist youth group

was invited.

We held a dance called “12 not 21”

Here’s the idea:

the world says you count at 21:

you can do adult stuff,

you can vote,

your voice matters.

the church says not 21, but 12.

at age 12 youth often begin confirmation,

and with confirmation you can vote,

your voice matters.

The event was a celebration

that God values young people in ministry.

The dance took many hours of preparation;

There were two sound systems in place,

lights, decorations, games

food, soft drinks;

I’m biased, but it was amazing.

The Youth invited their friends,

it was a great crowd.

A couple hours into the gathering,

two teens walked by the building,

and heard the music,

saw the young people,

and asked at the door if they could join.

Those at the door asked one of the leaders,

can these two teens join us?

These two youth,

asking to join the celebration,

were turned away.

“We didn’t think you would want them to join us.”

Even at our most creative,

even at an event promoting the value of youth,

promoting our unity,

celebrating our faith,

inviting others,

Someone in their own way can say

“we wish to see Jesus”

and we can choose disintegration.

We can view others as a threat.

We heard the story

of some Greeks wishing to see Jesus at the festival.

The disciples like to triage for Jesus:

rebuking those who brought little children to Jesus;

questioning Jesus for searching out

the woman with hemorrhages;

questioning Jesus for conversing

with the woman at the well.

There should be no hoops to jump through

if you want to talk to Jesus.

Perhaps the disciples were screening the Greeks,

or maybe Philip was excited to share Jesus

not unlike his own call story.

Either way,

the disciples approach Jesus,

for permission - with some kind of hesitation.

They don’t just say “come and see Jesus.”

Sometimes we still operate like the disciples

running triage - screening people - for Jesus.

It’s like we keep asking permission  -

can we let this person into our church?

Can we bless this kind of person?

Can we baptize this kind of person?

Can we commune this kind of person?

Or we just say no for them

and don’t invite them to see Jesus in the first place.

As much as you and I are seeking to be faithful;

building a welcoming,

inclusive community,

We ought to ask ourselves;

Who am I saying no to?

Who don’t I want to be in this community?

Who causes me to hesitate?

Jesus re-members us,

Jesus re-members all.

Jesus makes time for and welcomes with open arms

the people I don’t have time for;

the people I don’t want included.

It is not Jesus who needed to change.

It is not the Greeks from the festival,

It is the disciples,

It is us,

We are the ones who cannot grasp

the wideness of God’s inclusion.

These Greeks say “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

  Jesus responds

“Now is the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified”

So, is that a yes or a no?

Perhaps the disciples were confused.

Jesus isn’t.

For Jesus, these Greeks signal a widening,

an expanding of Jesus’ mission.

God’s Salvation is not just for Israel,

but for all people.

God’s salvation is not just for the church,

not just for the inner circle,

but also for those on the outside looking in.

God’s salvation is for all people,

all creation.

With Jews and Gentiles alike seeking out Jesus,

now is the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified.

We believe,

we are convinced,

this same Jesus is the only Way worth following.

And many faithful are trying to reconcile this belief

while many churches look like my old bible:

disintegrating,

barely holding on.

Many faithful are resisting this disintegration.

(From Zscheile, Binder & Pinkstaff, “Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future. Fortress Press:Minneapolis. 2023)

The realities of church decline - at least in North America

are partially due to a generational shift,

starting in and around the 1960’s.

It used to be - in the age of association -

that people lived their faith institutionally;

be it church or lions club or community league,

association with a denomination was normal,

it was natural to trust the association

and live your faith,

in and with the association.

The generational shift - to the age of authenticity -

comes with institutional resistance,

there is a growing lack of trust in institutions.

Faith is lived authentically apart from institutions,

partially because institutions can be restrictive. 

God’s Spirit is at work inside the church,

and outside the church.

People in the age of authenticity

might be asking different questions

than people in the age of association.

A God focused question is

“What might God be up to in the lives of our neighbours?”

An association question might be

“how can we get more people in the church?”

Perhaps people are asking one question

and the church is answering another.

We see emptier pews,

But this does not mean that people do not

hunger and thirst for God.

We might see Christian religious affiliation declining,

but, in our own way,

people are still saying;

“we want to see Jesus”

We do this in church together;

we worship to see Jesus,

to hear the voice of God,

to be nourished by our Saviour:

it is why we do what we do.

God is with us here.

People all around us want to see Jesus -

they might just say it differently.

We all hunger and thirst for God in our own way.

We are all incomplete -

there is a gap,

a void,

an emptiness,

a hunger,

a longing in all of us:

Only God can complete or fill us.

Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.

It takes significant effort - it takes courage

by a person to take that step

and say to someone in their own way

“I want to see Jesus”

Don’t dismiss it -

if someone summons the courage

to talk about faith with you -

believe that it has likely

been brewing in them for some time.

This is God’s Spirit at work in them.

Take a leap of faith;

listen, and then share the good news.

Maybe in the listening

we might learn the kinds of questions

that people are asking.

Similarly, it takes courage and significant effort

to do the hard work of proclaiming the gospel:

seeking justice and equity,

seeking inclusion,

making sure that everyone

has a seat at the table,

regardless of race,

ethnicity,

gender,

sexuality,

physical ability,

or any kind of difference.

Often talking about privilege,

racism,

inclusion

is met with discomfort or fragility.

Don’t dismiss it!

In a changing world and changing church,

Get used to being uncomfortable;

discomfort is holy.

Jesus says “when I am lifted up from the earth,

I will draw all people to myself”

It is true - By God’s Spirit,

all people are moved and touched by God,

somehow, someway.

God speaks to all of us.

Like packing tape on my old bible,

amidst disintegration,

Jesus holds us all together.

As Jesus has welcomed us with open arms,

May we extend Jesus’ invitation

widely and recklessly.

May we get used to discomfort

in serving our God,

for discomfort is holy.

And while we resist disintegration,

May Jesus hold us all together.

Thanks be to God. Amen.