WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:06.639 So I landed on body of Christ imagery despite our scripture this week. 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:08.320 Body of Christ. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:08.880 Right? 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:20.559 People have uh um, if you've journeyed in the church for a while, you've probably heard this med this metaphor, this imagery of how we understand all the people who are Christians together. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.320 We talk about the body of Christ, meaning we are all one. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:31.199 And the uh imagery extends to everybody having specific gifts and graces. 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:48.000 And uh so as you start thinking about that body and people's individual gifts, you start talking about the eyes and the ears and the mouth, the legs and feet, arms and hands, the heart. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:52.000 You know, it's powerful imagery for us. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:59.520 You know, you think about eyes as being those who can see kind of where we need to go and and how to get there. 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:10.640 You talk about ears, those those people who can kind of just hear what's going on and allow people to be heard on that on that journey. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:20.799 The mouth, the people who can kind of speak things clearly to grab the vision and communicate it to the body so that it can move forward. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:24.799 Legs and feet, these are the people that keep us moving, right? 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:42.079 Making sure we're moving, getting going and not standing still, arms and hands, the people who get stuff done, and heart people, the people looking out for everyone, the people who are uh have their finger on the pulse of how everything's going. 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:50.159 I'm curious in this room, this part of the body of Christ, how you see yourselves. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:53.840 How many people are eyes people? 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.680 They they can kind of see what needs to happen and how to get there. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.760 Are you eyes people, visionaries, prophets? 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.079 Not a one of you, I guess. 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:07.840 No wonder we're still in this same spot. 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:15.199 We have ears people, people who are good at listening, people good at feeling out anyone? 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:16.879 You cowards. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:19.280 Here we go. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:20.400 Oh, yeah. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:24.800 Barbara was telling me, come to the choir every now and again, right? 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:27.759 Yeah, yeah, the peanut gallery. 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.800 I don't know, but I don't want to fall into a stereotype. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:33.680 Just preaching to those people over there. 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:36.319 How about mouth people? 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:39.439 And I'm noting this because we need liturgists. 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:53.280 Legs and feet, people who are drivers getting things done. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:54.800 There we go, Stephen. 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:56.719 There's so many cowards this morning. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:01.039 I'm not like writing your names down on paper. 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:07.759 Arms and hands, people, people just can get her done. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:08.479 There we go. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:09.759 We've got a few of those. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:10.560 Good for you. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:13.360 We got a few on Wednesday mornings, I know, too. 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:14.639 And heart people. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.039 I meet with our heart people on Tuesdays. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:18.400 I'm sure there's more. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:22.960 People who are in our prayer group, our care group, looking out for everyone. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:38.479 Uh that's kind of the heart and soul of a church, is that that breadth of who's in the room and who's able to uh uh fulfill their role and bring that gift to the rest of the body. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:47.439 So I land in the Luke passage, uh started in the Luke passage uh because it's Ascension Sunday. 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:52.960 We're talking about Jesus' uh last moments here before he ascends. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.960 And if we break up the scripture, there's really four parts. 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:03.280 There is the reminder with some hope that his death, right? 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:05.919 His death, it is a fulfillment of scripture. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:07.599 This is not an accident. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:09.520 We should find hope in that. 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:17.279 Tragedy has occurred in a sense, but we should also recognize this was how it was supposed to happen, right? 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.160 Then part two is some instruction. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:30.959 And this instruction is useful, I think, if you're somebody studying Luke, because it's instruction about what is the core message. 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:41.839 You got to figure Luke in the words that Jesus offers, he's going to be trying to capture what he feels like is the core message that Jesus brings. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:47.439 In this case, instruction about repentance and forgiveness of sin. 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:53.839 That is the new reality that we understand in this new faith called Christianity. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:06.480 It's about a loving God who forgives us and gives us the space to turn back, to turn and begin to follow in the ways that are blessings to ourselves and to others. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:12.879 And after that instruction, there's further instruction to wait. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:20.399 You know, many people believe that Luke and Acts were written by the same person. 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:31.680 So this would fit really, really well for those of us who know the beginning of Acts, where the disciples are sitting trying to figure out what has just gone on. 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.920 Their leader has passed away, they're not sure what it all means. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:42.560 And next week we'll talk about the story of when it comes real for them at Pentecost. 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:45.360 But that instruction really does make sense. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:06:00.800 And then finally Jesus ascends to go and be with God, which is why we end up with this as our scripture for today on Ascension Sunday, the Sunday before Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.839 So it should all make sense. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:19.120 And yet, over the course of this week, when I was wrestling over what to talk about, I landed in this Ascension Sunday, but also that it's music Sunday for us. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.079 Music Appreciation Sunday. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:46.399 And somehow I landed on the version of this same scripture, but in the Gospel of John, where John, uh uh uh where Jesus is is praying, and he's praying for his disciples that he's gonna have to leave soon, and he's asking for God's presence when he leaves, which we understand to be the Holy Spirit. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:48.879 And he says these words, listen to this. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:52.079 This is uh uh John 17, 11. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:07:10.160 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you, Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, and here's the key part so that they may be one as we are one. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:17.360 So that they may be one as we are one. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:23.680 He's talking first about the unity that God and Jesus have together. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:38.079 That would be an important emphasis for John and his gospel, that unity of Jesus and God, but there's also this unity he's asking for that might be true for the disciples going forward. 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:42.240 He's asking God to say, bring them together. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:59.920 And I think we can safely extend the understanding that he's inviting God's presence in our overall unity as the body of Christ, that we Christians would move together as one. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.839 We landed in this imagery in the Bible study this week. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:28.079 I guess uh um we shouldn't be too surprised that if you're doing an intro to the New Testament and you reach the Paul sections, that you're going to be talking about the body of Christ and that it would overlap to a certain extent with this season, ascension, and uh moving into Pentecost. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:37.679 Um but we talked about the body of Christ passages this week, and I think that's part of why I landed on this Christ imagery. 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:51.840 Most of those passages that talk about that image, the body of Christ, the large ones are in Ephesians, the letter to the church in Ephesians, and the letter to the second letter to the church in Corinth, right? 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:53.519 Second Corinthians. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:09:02.240 And Paul at the time, and those of you who studied your New Testament, especially with Pastor Walt, you know this. 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:06.960 Paul's trying to establish a structure for this movement, right? 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:13.759 The Christianity just kind of getting going, you know, especially after Christ's uh resurrection. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:18.879 And now there's this group of people trying to figure out what they're going to do, and that's where Paul steps in. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:30.960 Most effective gift of mouth, shall we say, with the ability to speak some truth that inspires people, helps them understand where they need to go? 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:40.720 And uh in this case, the churches, all these new churches in these cities, well, they're they're trying to figure out how they're gonna move forward. 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:47.360 And believe it or not, there was a certain amount of disagreement in the right way to do it. 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:49.360 Does this shock any of us? 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:51.440 Right? 00:09:55.600 --> 00:10:05.120 You know, Christians then would wrestle, uh, they wouldn't always uh get along with each other and all, you know, not like today. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:12.879 I'm grateful that here in 2026 we have figured it all out. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:14.480 Right? 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:23.120 We Christians today not only get along with each other, we get along with non-Christians too. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:35.759 Paul, I decided we need like a sarcasm button on the stream, just in case it's not clear as I'm speaking. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:41.360 So, yes, it's perfect today, but back then they needed structure, they needed it figured out. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:42.960 Paul was trying to help them do that. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:52.559 And when you read the letters, you can see this backdrop of infighting that's happening uh in in uh um in these early churches. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.600 Everyone feels like they have the right answer. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:04.320 Paul's response in many in many of the instances is to remind them of everyone's value. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:10.159 In essence, everybody has their role. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:28.080 Everyone has been blessed with something to bring to enhance God's light and love, and by extension, we suffer when anyone is inhibited from bringing that sharing. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:37.039 The larger body is weaker when some aren't represented for whatever reason that that happens. 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:45.600 On a day like Music Appreciation Sunday, hopefully you can see why I made this scripture a pivot. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:12:05.600 How much of music performance, especially with a choir, is grounded in this imagery, in this understanding of this body of different people bringing different gifts, being able to make something great in their unity. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:17.120 I think the final piece of how I landed in this scriptural pivot to John came from our friend Carol up here in the choir. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:25.600 She sent me this Facebook post from a uh pastor over in uh the first congregational church. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:32.320 Wait, can't so the first congregational church UCC in Melrose MA, is that Maine? 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:33.440 Is that Massachusetts? 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:35.600 Massachusetts. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:36.480 All right. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:40.080 Sent me this Facebook post that really wraps it up well. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:53.919 Now, you should know, we pastors, we have enough pride slash arrogance that when we see something that's written, we change it just a little bit so we don't feel like we have to. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:57.759 But this guy wrote it really, really well. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.559 So I'm gonna cut this corner right now. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:08.000 An ode to Reverend Dominic Taranowski at the First Congregational Church UCC in Melrose MA. 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:09.679 Let me read this to you. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:13.360 The bell choir always strikes me as a metaphor for our church. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:17.919 No single ringer in the bell choir can play the entire melody alone. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:26.879 There is no way any one person can hold the necessary full set of bells to play the song, although Nick will try sometimes. 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:33.039 By themselves, they can offer several notes at the right time, but never the full hymn. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.240 That's what makes it such a powerful image of the Christian faith. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:41.360 The Apostle Paul reminds us that the body of Christ has many members, each with a different role. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:44.559 In a bell choir, that truth is audible. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:47.519 You can't jump the gun and play your part first. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:57.519 But when each ringer rings the uh watches the director, waits for the right moment, and rings faithfully, something larger emerges, a song no single person could create. 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:00.399 Church life works the same way. 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:07.120 Some of us carry bright high notes, others of us provide the low, steady tones that give depth and grounding. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:11.919 Some ring often while others wait patiently through long measures of rest. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:14.399 Even silence has a purpose. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:19.120 It creates spates for someone else's sound to emerge. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:33.600 Friends, this is embodied in all music, I would argue, and particularly in our music program here at the United Methodist Church of West Village. 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:46.240 So, choirs, today we celebrate you for the time, for the joy, for the spirit that you bring to us each week. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:58.320 But we also we also salute you for being the model of the body of Christ for us with every anthem, with every hymn, each and every week. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:14:59.200 Amen. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:01.039 Amen.