I believe that I'm supposed to preach something this week on the
first 2 verses of this passage; that is, on being "children of God."
My sermons are for a hospital chapel service that is also on closed
circuit TV throughout the hospital. It may have to do with identity
kinds of things, I'm not sure (Like how we often identify ourselves
by our occupations - doctor, lawyer, housewife, preacher, etc) I
think the Psalm may play a part in it, also, with the joyful,
possibly child-like spirit which it communicates. I've just read the
postings on the Gospel lesson,though, and they seem so heavy, all
about the struggle to "abide," to "persevere," and the difficulty of
staying Christian after you become Christian. It makes me wonder if
I'm missing the point. Any thoughts out there about tying this
passage to the Psalm, or how the good news is about being a child of
God? Thanks everyone for ALL your thoughts and postings. Janice in
Ks.
This past week, my wife bought some graduation cards. The front
cover had this simple line: "Life is good."
I thought how wonderfully counter-cultural that sentiment was!
Cynicism and the mentality of being a victim seem to be the
preferred ideologies of our time. My wife is no pollyanna; she's
experienced some of the grim realities of life. Yet, she can affirm
truthfully that life is good.
I think this has to do with the centrality of Jesus in her life. The
"commandments" of Jesus, to believe in Him and to love Him and
neighbor, are't "burdensome" unless you regard your faith
relationship with Christ as some grim obligation to be endured. Not
every experience we have in life is wonderful. There are tragedies
we endure.
But life is good. I mean that first, in terms of the life that God
has given us in what Bruce Cockburn has called our "world of
wonders." I mean it also in terms of the new life in Christ that all
who believe in Jesus are given. We know to Whom we belong and how
the story is going to end...and it's good.
No wonder the psalmist says, "Sing to the Lord a new song!"
So, Janice, I don't think you're being naive or missing the point of
this passage at all!
RE: vs 4 & 5: this fits into the Peace theme that I am using this
week... We can conquer the world for God through love and faith, by
living our lives for God through the love of Christ and the power of
the Holy Spirit. Conquer, that is, in the sense of establishing a
common interest, a base of communication, a feeling of inclusiveness
and recognition of brotherhood; not conquering in the sense of beat
them, rule over them, force them to conform to our ideas and
traditions 'or else.'Sort of ties in with John 15 and with the last
part of John 14. I am using John 14, verses 24-27 as part of the
scripture reading. Rev Jan in CNY
I am struck by verses 4 & 5. When one thinks of conquerers images of
victory parades and vanquished opponants come to mind. But the
victory of the children of God is not celebrated or even seen by the
world. Our victory is faith. While the world may see our faith it
hardly sees it as victory. The spoils of our conquest are hidden.
While the world remains intoxicated with power and control the
children of God have obtained the true prize - faith in Christ. What
a wonderful paradox. What a wonderful picture of a life of faith! I
would appreciate other thoughts on this as I develop this idea for
Sunday. Jeff in Western NY
I am focusing on verse six as it deals with the water that is our
entrance into the community of faith and the blood that was shed for
us. I will tie all this in with our memorial day theme. I have many
World War II veterans in the congregation. so this verse fits very
well. Sermon Title: "Blood is thicker than water"
SunCityRev
I think it ironic that this passage falls over the Memorial Day
weekend. The conquerers image may be an opportunity for us to look
at what we have tried to do in our world as Christian conquerers. I
think I may take advantage of this passage to give words of
encouragement to members of some of our church organizations,
specifically the men's and women's organizations, whose members are
getting discouraged because they have been losing members for years.
It will be a time to point them to the heart of what they do: our
faith is the victory that will conquer the world. Sharon Joseph
Since Easter I have been preaching on the ways of "walking in the
light"--since God is light and 1 John started us with that
verse--God is light--no darkness in God. Many in my congregation
know the "darkness" in the world first hand right now and this has
been a healing series. Last week--I preached on courage and boldness
that comes with the assurrance of love from one another and this
week will go on with victory over the darkness of the world that
comes from our "exercise" of faith. The commentaries all talk about
the confusing issues of 1 John but I have found the lections gentle
and healing. Of course Im a child of the 60s and love is a topic I
enjoy exploring!! sjeks
Thanks to whoever posted the response to my question. Are you the
same person who posted that awesome sermon? Your thoughts are much
appreciated. And are on target for where I think I need to go.
Thanks. Janice in Ks.
Children of God is a greatly under- appreciated phrase. Most of us
pretty much take for granted what it means to be child of whoever
our parents are, like fish never considering water.
There is a wonderful scene in Tolstoy's War and Peace, where the
main character, Pierre who has just lamented to his best friend,
Prince Aundrey, how one of his greatest grievances is that his
father never married his mother and how his father could never quite
acknolwedge that Pierre was his son. On his death bed Pierre's
father tells his son that he loves him and gives him a document
acknolwedging him as his son and sole heir to his vast fortune (and
Title). Pierre suddenly becomes a responsible person who wants to
build schools and hospitals to improve the life of the serfs on his
vast estate.
I am also reminded of the Movie "Dave" where a character played by
Kevin Kline is a look a like for the president, then secretly fills
in as president for several months after the president has had a
stroke which unknown to the public is debilitating. Dave is
"playing" president without really feeling legitimate. Yet at one
point Dave does something bold, courageous and creative and
accomplishes something truly important. Reflecting on this later the
first lady says, "I don't think you were just "playing" president.
Most of us have doubts about our own worthiness or importance. Most
of us feel like we are not living up to what we want to be. The
gospel says that who we are deep inside is really more wonderful
than what is visible on the surface. Others doubt us and we look at
where we are and doubt ourselves. But this epistle says there is
wonderful proof. When we are loving, that is absolute proof that we
are children of God and that our spirit is God's spirit living in
us. Its like the document Pierre recieved proclaiming him legitimate
heir and the next Count Bezukoff.
Janice, when we are in the hospital it is one of those times when we
don't feel like we can do anything to be worthy of the love of God
or others. To simply love others as a gift with no strings attached
is the essential family trait. Like some secret password, it is the
sign by which we know for certain that we are children of God.
Sometimes when we are being cared for, we feel there is nothing we
can do in return but alowing someone to love us unconditionally with
nothing in return is really one of the greatest experiences. Those
who love without anything in return, experience something of God's
own nature and come to have greater understanding and appreciation
of God. Let someone love you even when we have nothing to give in
return because in doing so we both experience being children of God.
Manzel
I have been reading the book “Fresh Faith” by Jim Cymbala. In this
book the author makes a point that has been guiding my sermon
preparation this Sunday.
“We cannot life of the commands of God, but rather the promises. The
commands of God reveal his holy character to us, but they hold no
accompanying power” (page 151).
For the past few weeks now the lectionary has been hammering on the
theme of love. Jesus then, in today’s Gospel reading, puts it in the
form of a direct commandment. If you are like me that is not always
an easy commandment to just follow. (There are some folks that are
difficult to love or that I don’t particularly want to love.)
Enter the Holy Spirit (Readings from Acts and First John). Here is
the promise that we are called to live in. The Holy Spirit.
If we try to live by the commandment, it is like trying to live by
the law. We can’t do it alone, we can’t do it good enough, we just
set ourselves up for failure. (How many times as a pastor have I had
to deal with a distraught parishoner who was riddled with guilt
because they were not ‘good enough’ as a Christian or at living the
Christian life?)
By merging the three readings (1 John, John, and Acts) we can put
the quote from Cymbala into practice. This is liberating. No longer
do we have to be confined to trying to fulfill a commandment, we are
freed to live in the promise of the Holy Spirit and power to love
which flows forth.
Just some general thoughts to contribute to an already worthwhile
discussion.
Peace,
DWR
As I have been studying this passage I have been wondering about the
way the world's ideas and standards for success have impacted the
church such that we have little understanding of what it means to
have an "overcoming faith", but we can describe what is successful
(for example the material put out by John Maxwell...not that it's
bad, but I wonder about the emphasis)...Hmmmmmmmm tina in ohio
To: Janice in Ks (and whoever else may be reading)
I'm the one who responded to your post on this text. But I'm not the
one who posted a sermon. Thanks for your kind words. God bless!
Mark in OH
DWR, I liked what you said about what you have been reading recently
being liberating. Please say more about this. thanks, Manzel
JG in WI
The posts this week have been great, and I see much potential here.
Thank you all.
However, there's been little discussion of v. 6 (which is
problematic). Notice however that Jesus came by both water and
blood. And notice how emphatic John is about it... repeating it.
It's like his readers would have ignored it if he haddn't mentioned
it. The blood, of course, speaks of His suffering and death.
We like to take the suffering out of Christianity sometimes. I know
I do. But truly, there is no genuine Christianity without genuine
suffering.
Only in Christianity do we have a God (Jesus) who has suffered. As
strange as it sounds, we need to embrace the suffering our faith
calls us to.
Kathleen Norris' newest book, A Vocabulary of Grace (I think that's
the title) has sections on various theological words. Her section on
"Blood" is good--how some of those old hymns that wallow in the
blood imagery remind us that we can't deny the presence of blood in
Christianity--we can't, nor should we, make it bloodless,
antiseptic, etc. I was listening to NPR yesterday and heard again
warnings that we must not try to sanitize everything so that we
don't have enough good microbes and bacteria. Seems like we are
still trying to deny the presence of blood and bacteria not only in
our religion but in our lives. Sometimes it needs to be messy to be
real, and it needs to be real to make a difference. JMK in PA
