This sermon was preached for the San Francisco Presbytery meeting on November 10, 2020
Ephesians 4:1-6
I therefore,
the prisoner in the Lord,
beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness,
with patience,
bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is above all,
and through all,
and in all.
Bearing With One Another in Love
I don’t know if any of you have noticed this,
but I’ve been seeing a lot of people who are on edge lately?
It’s curious, isn’t it? 😉
I mean, we’ve only had to collectively endure a few things like
A deadly, world-wide pandemic,
Massive unemployment,
Unrest due to continued (even exacerbated) racial injustice,
And, a contentious national election in our severely divided country.
It seems our faith should be holding us all together a little better, doesn’t it?
Of course, I am speaking tongue and cheek.
2020 has been a loooong year indeed.
Our patience, as individuals and an entire nation,
has been continually challenged for months on end.
Many of you who serve as church Pastors have had to
ramp up to speed quickly on how to use technology to
lead worship, make pastoral visits, and run meetings.
Those of you who are Chaplains
have had to get accustomed with
praying for patients while standing outside of their hospital room,
and meeting families over Zoom.
And you Elders, and those in specialized ministries of all kinds,
I know you’ve had massive adjustments to make as well.
None of us have escaped the challenges
this year has invited us to deal with,
… and gracefully, if at all possible.
And so, sitting with tonight’s scripture passage from Ephesians,
is probably a good exercise,
a helpful practice,
an honorable devotion for us.
Of course, it invites us into yet other challenges …
Having humility,
gentleness,
patience,
unity.
Bearing with one another in love.
That’s the phrase that stuck with me this week.
Bearing with each other in love.
We’re gathered here together this evening
with like-minded folks
who have all ‘said yes’ to this call we are in,
as individuals and as a Presbytery.
We were never promised it would be easy.
If you are at all like me,
and have a tendency to sometimes say yes before you’ve really
thought it through fully,
or sat with,
or prayed about,
the potential outcomes of your decisions,
then my heart really goes out to you!
Following through on things that are ‘right’ is hard enough!
Forcing yourself to follow through on things
that maybe you shouldn’t have agreed to
is really hard.
I’ve had days over the years when I’ve had to pick up the phone
and call one of my close clergy friends to ask the question:
“Can you remind me why I said yes to all of this?”
Most days it just takes a few moments
and these dear ones have set me back on track,
righted me on my feet,
or listened patiently while I expressed a few raw emotions.
I’m deeply thankful for that.
I’m also deeply thankful for God,
who claimed me long before I had any idea what that meant.
I’m deeply thankful for Jesus,
who weathered all of this before me.
And, I am deeply grateful for the Holy Spirit
who dutifully clings to my side during each of my days,
and all the moments in between.
It is far from easy, my friends, to bear with one another in love right now …
… at least consistently, with all people, all the time.
It means finding room in your heart for those who voted unlike you did,
for those who cut you off in traffic or yelled at you in the grocery line.
It means not just putting up with
your irritable church members and scared patients.
It means extending yourself time … and time … and time again,
to be the big person in the situation.
And, if like me, you sometimes think, “Hey, I don’t want that role anymore!”
then take a deep breath,
ground yourself for a few moments
and remember that not only did you say yes to this calling you are in,
but more importantly remember Who it is that walks with you on this path
and throughout your entire life’s journey.
The One who picks you up no matter how many times you might stumble or fall.
The One who looks at you with love even in your grumpiest moments.
The One who believes in you, even (or especially?) when you don’t believe in yourself.
And in that peaceful moment,
that you have created for yourself,
repeat the refrain …
I will bear with you,
(this person in front of me),
… and I will do so with love.
I will do this because One who is far more patient and loving
is already doing so.
And I’ve been called to be God’s co-creator in this life.
I will bear with you in love.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.