Love That Never Ends, Acts 17:1-9

 

Rev. George Miller

April 21, 2024

Acts 17: 1-9

 

Love is patient; love in kind

Love is not envious or boastful

or arrogant or rude.

 

Love does not insist on its own way;

Love is not irritable or resentful.

It does not rejoice in wrongdoing,

But rejoices in truth.

 

Love bears all things;

believes all things,

Hopes all things,

endures all things.

Love never ends.

 

These are the words of the Apostle Paul.

Words that were written to the Corinthian Church.

 

Many people make the assumption that Paul is talking about romantic love, so we’ll often hear this read at weddings or see on Hallmark cards.

 

But that is an understandable mistake.

 

The love that Paul is actually talking about is the kind of love that exists within a church; the kind of love that exists between believers of Christ.

 

When Paul states that love is patient, he means that members of the same congregation should be patient with one another.

 

When Paul says that love is not envious or boastful, he means that as siblings in Christ we are not to flaunt our faith or our blessings in a way that makes anyone feel less than.

 

When he says that love is to rejoice in the truth, he means that as Citizens of God’s Heavenly Kingdom we should be filled with joy based upon the Good News.

 

As Believers bound together by the Resurrection, it makes sense that faith-based love never ends, because the Resurrection of Christ means that Jesus’ place in the world has no end.

 

In Mark, Jesus told us very plainly that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor.

 

So as long as we love, as long as we love God, as long as we love neighbor, there is no end.

 

Only new beginnings, new chapters, new opportunities. 

 

Moments may end, eras may end, but love, love never ends.

 

So it is heartbreaking when we encounter a reading like today and witness when there is the absence of love.

 

No longer waiting patiently in Jerusalem, the apostles have branched out all over the world, sharing all they know about Jesus Christ.

 

Paul and Silas have headed into the Wild West, into a land in which many faiths exists,

 

where Greek gods and goddesses are adored,

 

and Roman rulers are seen as having supreme power.

 

Paul and Silas are out amongst people who have the kind of faith in which what they believe is tied to their politicians,

 

and their politicians are tied to their faith.

 

So for Paul and Silas to speak about and share their knowledge of Jesus is quite controversial.

 

The more they talk about the Kingdom of God, the more they refer to Jesus as the Messiah, the more they are seen as a national threat.

 

They are in a place and time in which those in power have let it be known- if you preach or teach about anything that does not elevate us and fit into what we believe-

 

You will pay the cost.

 

But this does not scare away Paul and Silas.  See- they are filled with love. 

 

Love for God, love for neighbor, love for the Good News of Jesus.

 

They talk so persuasively, passionately, that some of the Greek nationalists start to follow them, as do a whole bunch of women who are the trendsetters of their day.

 

Think of that- the Good News of Jesus being so powerful that some of the most popular women become believers.

 

And no doubt, these Madonnas, these Beyonces, these Maryl Streeps get to take on a more prominent role in this community based on the teachings of Jesus.

 

So what happens? 

 

The people in power, those who feel that they must have control, those that feel threatened by the message of love,

 

act in the most unloving of ways.

 

They do not rejoice; they become envious.

 

They do not act kind, but become irritable, resentful as they hunt down Paul and Silas.

 

They engage in blatant wrongdoing as they storm Jason’s house and drag him out, simply for giving Paul and Silas a place to stay.

 

They are so threatened by the Good News of Jesus Christ that they need to hurt someone, anyone to alleviate the envy and arrogance they feel.

 

The commandment of Jesus to love God and to love neighbor is so strong, that even after Christ has ascended to Heaven, the world still feels the need to Crucify him again and again and again.

 

It is a wonder that Christianity ever survived.

 

It is a wonder that the Good News ever made it through.

 

It is a wonder that 2,000 years later we are gathered here today because the leaders, the kings, the politicians of the world tried over and over to silence us, shame us, shut the Gospel down.

 

But…

 

But as Paul says-

Love.  Never.  Dies.

 

The love that Jesus talked about, the love that Jesus demonstrated, the love that Jesus embodied

every time he

 

reached out to a mother,

lifted up a sister,

ate with someone who was differently different, spoke to someone in a field, by the shore,

in a graveyard,

 

is the kind of love that cannot be silenced,

cannot be shamed,

cannot be shut down.

 

That is the kind of love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things.

 

Endures all things.

 

The love that Jesus showed, the love that Christ calls us to have for God and to have for our neighbor.

 

That is the love that never ends.

 

That is Kingdom Love.

Heaven Love.

 

Timeless Love.

 

Amen.

Empowering Ways Of the Resurrection; Acts 3:1-10

 

Rev. George Miller

April 14, 2024

Acts 3:1-10

 

Last week we all heard the news that we are moving into a time of transition.

 

After 14 years of an amazing ministry here, I have felt God’s call to move towards the next adventure. 

 

After 14 years of building and sustaining a relationship, you have heard that your pastor will soon no longer be serving you.

 

From now until June 30, we have time to navigate this together. 

 

It is an in-between time.  A “what does this mean?” time.

 

For some, a “how can this be?” time.

 

But trust, with Jesus beside us, God over us, the Holy Spirit around us, we will navigate this, just as we have navigated everything else we’ve done together.

 

Which makes it so perfect that we are in the Book Of Acts, this inspiring, mystifying book that is a reminder of how the Church began.

 

How the Church began even after Jesus was crucified, even after the Tomb was found empty, even after we are told of Jesus’ heavenly ascension.

 

Last week we learned that the followers of Jesus waited. 

 

The women and men who had been with Jesus since Galilee, waited.

 

Patiently.  Prayerfully. 

 

By sharing memories,

recalling scripture,

breaking bread, sitting at table.

 

Together.  Unified.  As One.

 

While the Resurrection means so many things to many people, what we see here is how the Resurrection kept the ministry of Jesus going,

 

how the Resurrection of Jesus kept the people unified when it would have been so much easier-

 

to give up, disperse, turn upon each other.  Forget all that had been done.

 

Today we witness that moment when the people have stopped waiting, and they truly, unapologetically start doing the very things they saw Jesus do;

 

they start embodying all the love that Jesus had taught.

 

John and Peter are making their way to afternoon prayer when right outside the gate they come across a man who is asking for loose change.

 

The name of the gate is Beautiful, and right beyond the gate is the entrance to the Holy Temple where folk are going to praise God.

 

But this man, this man who is said to be lame from birth, is not within the Beautiful Gate.  He is outside the Beautiful Gate.

 

How many people have ever known what it is like to be “outside”? 

 

How many ever felt that sense of “not welcome” or “you don’t belong”?  This man does. 

 

From birth he has known what it is like to be differently different.

 

All his life he was told he was different, treated as different, made to feel different.

 

Sure, he had people carry him right outside the Beautiful Gate so he could beg for money;

 

but he had no one who would dare to bring him inside the Beautiful Gate so that he could be part of the worship community.

 

And on this particular afternoon, Peter and John, who had been following Jesus since Galilee just happen to come across this man

 

and instead of doing what everyone else does, they choose to do something different.

 

Peter and John “see” this man.

 

They “see” him.

 

Verse 4 says “Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said ‘Look at us.’”

 

While others ignored the man, or gave him random coins, Peter and John, who followed Jesus from Galilee, have the wisdom and the compassion to do so much more-

 

They see him.  This man.

 

This differently different individual.  And they say “Look at us.”

 

Listen to that power.

 

Think back to when your momma, your auntie, your grandfather, your coach, your teacher, your drill sergeant said “Look at me.”

 

Think of that power when someone not only sees you, but they demand that you see them as well.

 

The actions of Peter and John are not just the actions of ordinary individuals,

 

they are not the words of people who second guess themselves.

 

These are the actions and words of people who

 

-know who they are

-know where they have been

-know just what YOU are capable of.

 

There is no doubt, NO DOUBT, that Peter and John learned this by being with and observing Jesus.

 

When Jesus told the demon “Come out.”

 

When Jesus told the man with paralysis “I do choose.  Be made clean.”

 

When the roof was raised and Jesus said “Stand up, take up your mat and go…”

 

When Jesus said to the woman “Go in peace.”  When he said to the daughter “Get up!”

 

When he entered the home of Simon who was living with leprosy and honored the woman with the alabaster jar.

 

Peter and John were there.

 

They saw.  They witnessed.  They remembered.

 

So now, even though Jesus is no longer with them, Jesus is still with them in experiences shared and lessons learned.

 

So the apostles look at the man.

They see him.

They interact with him.

They expect that he will see them too.

 

They speak.

They act.

They frame all that they do in the name of Jesus.

They extend an empowering arm.

 

And the man stands up.  The man transforms.

 

He goes from woeful to walking.

 

He goes from beggar to Psalm-giver.

 

More than that- this man who was only seen as differently different, who was always on the outside…

 

He now walks inside the Beautiful Gate.  With Peter and John, he now walks into the Holy Sanctuary, he now walks where everyone else is.

 

He is no longer apart, but he is now A PART.

 

And it is beautiful.  It is wonderful.  It is everything.

 

All his life he was only known as the man on the outside who begged to survive.

 

Now, because of the apostles, he is the man who has been welcomed inside, who gets to share his praises and blessings with everyone.

 

Why?

 

Because the people of Jesus dared to see this man.

 

When others simply walked by, while others simply tossed a coin, the people of Jesus dared to see this man, talk to this man.

 

They dared to have him see them in return.  They dared to offer an empowering arm.

 

They dared to do everything they needed in the context of Jesus Christ, in the context of the Gospel, in the context of everything they had seen and heard Jesus do.

 

The beauty of today’s story is the glimpse it gives us into the multiple meaning of the Resurrection.

 

That the Empty Tomb, the Road To Emmaus, meant that no Cross, no spear, no stone could stop Jesus, contain Jesus, silence Jesus.

 

The Resurrection is a reminder that the work of Jesus continues. 

 

The seeing, the hearing, the feeding, the welcome, the miracles of Jesus.

 

They ALL still continue.

 

And that WE, you and I, get to play a part in that heavenly ministry no matter where we go,

 

no matter who we encounter,

 

no matter what gates we come across,

 

or seemingly helpless individuals we meet.

 

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ means that-

just as Jesus saw,

we see.

 

Jesus as Jesus spoke,

we speak.

 

Just as Jesus offered opportunities for demons to be cast out,

folk to pick up their mat and walk, and daughters to get up,

 

So can we.

 

In how we welcome.  In how we allow our Gates to be open.

 

How we see.  How we hear.  How we extend an empowering arm.

 

How everything we do is centered on Christ, for Christ, and with Christ.

 

Regardless of what happens next, regardless of what transpires July 1, what truly matters is-

 

How do we see?

How do we respond?

 

How we do what we do because-

we remember what Jesus taught.

and what Jesus did.

 

For that, let us say “Amen.”

Being the Community Built Upon Christ Resurrected; Acts 1:1-14

 

Rev. George Miller

April 7, 2024

Acts 1:1-14

 

Hear now these words from the Book Of Acts chapter 28:30-31-

 

“(Paul) lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God

 

and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without hindrance.”

 

This is how the Book of Acts ends, with the apostle Paul in Rome, sharing with everyone about the Good News of Christ Resurrected.

 

But how did we get from the empty tomb in Jerusalem to 1,431 miles away in Rome, on a completely different continent and culture?

 

THAT’s what the Book of Acts magnificently depicts.

 

But first, we have some basics to cover.  Today we are focused on the weeks after Christ has been resurrected.

 

To be very transparent- the author of Acts has a completely different version of the story than Mark.

 

Mark was written during a time of war for folk who were very scared and seeing buildings all around them crumble to the ground.

 

Mark does not show us the Resurrected Christ but instead says to these very scared citizens-

 

where there is life, where there is love, where there are families, and people in need, Christ is there.

 

But the author of Acts is writing for people years after the war, when buildings are rebuilt and there is a sense of calm. 

 

Think of Mark writing for soldiers during World War 2 and

 

Acts being written for their teenage children who are watching The Ed Sullivan Show and hanging out at the malt shop.

 

The author of Acts is writing for people who have a bit more stability and calm, so the emphasis is not -

 

“Go to Galilee and look for the Resurrected Christ in the merchants and housewives, farmers and unwell.”

 

The author of Acts is more like-

 

“Hey, we’ve overcome this horrible chapter in our life, but Jesus brought us together as a community,

 

NOW- how do we act as One and continue to gather and experience heaven together?”

 

So Acts does not begin with Mary, Mary, and Salome still in fear.

 

Instead the Book of Acts begins with everyone calmly staying in place, in Jerusalem, waiting.

 

The Resurrected Christ has been visibly seen, by folk walking to Emmaus and breaking bread,

 

by Simon Peter, by the other 10 disciples,

 

seen by the women who, as it turns out, had always been there, just not always mentioned.

 

And after some time together, Jesus ascends to the heavens and his followers find ways to maintain the ministry they have participated in.

 

To do so, they pray, they stay united, they recall Scripture, they support one another with memories, with ministry, with shared leadership.

 

And they wait.

 

Faithfully, they wait.

 

This time of waiting is not one of Palm Branches waved in the air, nor a time of cloaks laid on the ground, or alabaster jars anointing hair and feet.

 

Acts portrays this post Resurrection experience as a time of waiting, of praying, of staying together.

 

How we go from the women and apostles waiting in place to Paul years later in Rome is purely an act of God,

 

an act of faithfulness,

 

an act of the astounding Holy Spirit.

 

So let’s share a few reflections.

 

First, we talk about the women.  Once again, we find that the women are right there with the men. 

 

Just as Mark mentions the women had been there with Jesus since Galilee, the author of Acts tells us (in Luke 8:1-3) that as Jesus traveled from place to place,

 

women like Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdelene, and Chuza’s wife, were right there, providing for him with their own resources, their own gifts.

 

They were there when he cried his last words, they were there to see his body placed in the tomb, they were there to prepare ointments, spices.

 

They were there on the day the stone was rolled away and Jesus was not amongst the maggots and mites.

 

It is no surprise to find that Mother Mary and other women were there with the apostles, praying, waiting, recalling, sharing, and caring.

 

Second, there is the question of how the women and male apostles are going to come together, stay together as a community, and continue the ministry of Jesus.

 

The answer is- do what they saw Jesus do with their own eyes.

 

Now they will be the ones to preach about the Good News, they will be the ones to embody what the Kingdom of Heaven look like.

 

The women and men will be the ones who address the crowds hungry for knowledge, they will be the ones to feed the crowds hungry for food.

 

They will be the ones to continue Christ’s acts of compassion by listening to others speak, seeing them as they are,

 

welcoming them to the table, being comfortable with the differently different.

 

Since the women and men who spent so much time following and observing Jesus are One in the Lord,

 

they have the tools and ability to speak words of empowerment to folk who feel powerless.

 

They have the ability to speak out and show up when unloving officials want to promote injustice.

 

They have the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of God’s Kingdom to be kind, walk humble, welcome others,

 

And to embody the Gospel by loving God and loving neighbor.

 

Finally, the question becomes “Where?” 

 

Where is this community of women and men based on the life and ministry of Jesus to do Heaven’s Work?

 

And the answer is simple- they are to be anywhere there is life, anywhere there are ears to hear, anywhere that folk are hungry.

 

The women and men are to share the Good News in Jerusalem, all of Judea and Samaria and the ends of the world.

 

Here, at Emmanuel UCC the answer can be similar but sound slightly different.

 

As a community built around the Resurrected Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are to share the Kingdom of God to

 

Highlands Ridge and Golf Hammock, Tanglewood and Whispering Pines, Downtown and Lemon Street, 27 and 17.

 

We are to share what we know and how we praise God via our worship and ministries with Haiti and Cuba, Philippines and Canada, Biloxi and Ridge Area ARC.

 

We are to share our ministry via the Compassion Crew and Pride, Compassionate Friends, and the County Commissioners,

 

We share the Good News through the Garden of Hope and Shepherd’s Pantry, Tai Chi and Somalia.

 

We are not limited by walls or a 10 am time slot- we are unlimited by our public actions, our social media presence, and the way we meet and great individuals.

 

There is a reason why the Good News of Christ Resurrected made its way from Jerusalem to Rome 1,431 miles away.

 

It’s because the people came together, they prayed,

 

they faithfully waited, they faithfully remembered,

 

and they faithfully acted and lived the way Jesus had shown them to.

 

And we, as apostles of Christ, get to do the same thing,

 

2,000 years later

 

and over 6, 595 miles away from where that Cross and that empty tomb laid.

 

May we, as Emmanuel UCC, continue to be Christ to our community.

 

Amen.