The Neighborhood Podcast
This is a podcast of Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina featuring guests from both inside the church and the surrounding community. Hosted by Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing, Head of Staff.
The Neighborhood Podcast
"Extending a Helping Hand" (May 25, 2025 Sermon)
Preaching: Dylan Lewellyn
Standing at the crossroads of faith and action, this sermon challenges us to examine our unconscious biases against people experiencing homelessness. As Guilford Park prepares to welcome homeless guests, we confront that instinctive reaction—"Pastor, you've lost your mind"—which reveals how deeply society's prejudices have influenced even the most compassionate hearts.
What does someone's housing status have to do with their character? This powerful question cuts through our conditioned thinking. Through a moving story about a Mason who gave money to a homeless man without judgment, we learn a profound lesson: "I will not be judged whether he buys food or liquor. I will be judged because I gave when I was able to." This perspective liberates us from the need to control outcomes and invites us to embrace the simple act of giving when we can.
The sermon weaves together Psalm 109 and Jesus's healing at the Pool of Bethesda to illustrate God's special concern for those who suffer. The psalmist, experiencing scorn and abandonment, finds hope in God who "stands at the right hand of the needy." Similarly, Jesus approaches a man who had been ill for 38 years—not waiting to be sought out, but actively seeking to help. When Jesus tells the man to carry his mat on the Sabbath, he prioritizes human dignity over religious rules, challenging us to reconsider what truly matters in our faith.
Though we cannot perform miracles, we can offer kindness, resources, and presence to those in need. Every smile, every meal shared, every moment of dignity restored creates ripples of healing in our broken world. As our church opens its doors to shelter those without homes, will you join us in extending not just helping hands, but open hearts? Together, we can embody Christ's compassion in tangible ways that transform both our community and ourselves.
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By the power of the Holy Spirit, open our minds to the reading of your Holy Word that we might be follow the risen Christ in word and deed, Amen. This reading comes from Psalm 109, verse 21 through 31. But you, O my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake, Because your steadfast love is good. Deliver me.
Speaker 2:Lord, I am born in thee and my heart is pure to the meaning. I am gone from the shadow of the evening. I am shaken off by the looks. My knees are weak through the vaccine. My body is in the bottom. I am not able to stand on my own two feet. This is the end of the church. Help me, O Lord, my God. Save me, according to your steadfast love.
Speaker 1:Let them know that this is your hand, you, o Lord, and keep me safe at all times. Let them know that this is your hand. You, o Lord, have done it. Let them curse, but you will bless. Let my assailants be put to shame. May your servant be glad. May my accusers be clothed with dishonor. May they be wrapped in their own shame, as in a mantle With one mouth.
Speaker 2:I will give great thanks to the Lord for his grace and the goodness of the wrong, for his stand is at the right hand of the need to save them from those who condemn them to death, holy wisdom, holy word.
Speaker 1:Thanks be to God.
Speaker 3:Thank you, kim. I think I have this on. Yeah, sounds like it that's half of my sermon. Done so Perfect.
Speaker 3:The second lesson today comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verses 1 through 9. After this, there was a festival of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool called, in Hebrew, beth Zathom, which has five porticos. In these lay many ill, blind, lame and paralyzed people. One man was there who had been ill for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him do you want to be made well? The ill man answered him sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. And while I'm making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me. Jesus said to him stand up, take your mat and walk. And at once the man was made well and he took his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a Sabbath. Holy wisdom, holy word. Thanks be to God. Please join me in prayer, dear Lord, may you grant me a portion of your divine wisdom that I may understand your words and teach your lessons. Amen.
Speaker 3:Next week, guilford Park is proving its commitment to the Matthew 25 initiative and opening its doors to people who are currently experiencing one of the greatest trials that anyone could face in this life. I have been exceptionally fortunate, as I'm sure many of us have, as to never have to worry about where I'm sleeping on any given evening, but we know that Jesus never sought out the well-to-do people. His ministry was directed to the poor, the downtrodden, the outcasts of society. We are called to follow Jesus' work to reach out the helping hand to those who need it. And yet I'm sure I'm not the only one here who heard the announcement and thought Pastor Stephen, you've lost your mind. Society has taught us that these people experiencing homelessness are not to be trusted For one reason or another. We are taught that these people are either liars or lazy or have ill intentions. Why? What is whether or not someone has a place to sleep have to do with a person's character? This knee-jerk reaction I felt brought me shame, and I was reminded that we should extend the helping hand when someone is struggling, not worry about whether or not our pastor has lost his mind. I reminded myself that if Sessions supported this decision and voted to open our doors to several people experiencing homelessness, then my only worry should be how can I help? This should be all our attitudes, not just for the people who will be sheltered within our home, but to every person who we have the ability to aid.
Speaker 3:A friend and brother from my Masonic Lodge told me a story once. He'd just come out from a lodge meeting with a few other brothers and he was approached by a young man who appeared to be experiencing homelessness and he asked this brother if he had any spare change. And this brother pulled out a 20 from his wallet, gave it to this young man and sent him on his way. And as he walked off, one of the other brothers looked at him and said hey, he's just going to go off and buy liquor. Why are you giving him money for that? And the brother responded perhaps, perhaps he will, but that's not what I will be judged for. I will not be judged whether or not he goes and buys food to save himself or liquor to comfort himself. I will be judged because I gave when I was able to. I gave when I was able to, and that's ultimately what we're called to do. We shouldn't put ourselves in financial danger to help others, as I've had to often remind myself, but when we have excess we should share it with those who need it. We should support programs that give aid to the underprivileged and we should give of our own pockets and our own service when we are able to. We are blessed to have such a wonderful congregation that supports so many organizations, that offers outreach here in Greensboro. A simple gesture Greensboro Urban Ministry, hot Dish and Hope Backpack Beginnings the list goes on and on for ways that we can volunteer or donate to those who need it.
Speaker 3:The first section of Psalm 109 speaks of the psalmist being falsely accused for something. It does not go into details. So it could be a crime, it could be just simply living. But he is being falsely accused of something. And then it goes on into a long and vicious passage about curses laid against the psalmist. Obviously we didn't cover that, but it says things like may he be childless, may all that he had be taken from him. And that takes us up to the passage that we read today. But you, o Lord, my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake, because your nail on the head here.
Speaker 3:The description paints a specific picture without really going into detail, someone who has gone without their needs, someone who's not getting enough to eat and has grown weak and frail, someone who is an object of scorn, someone that has truly lost everything. And then society turns against them, they withdraw their hands and let their brother or sister fall. This is not the attitude that the Lord, our God, would want us to have. As the psalmist continues on and explains help me, o Lord, my God, save me according to your steadfast love. Let them curse, but you will bless With my mouth. I will give great thanks to the Lord, I will praise him in the midst of the throng, and he concludes by saying that God stands at the right hand of the needy to save them from those that would condemn them to death. We, as those who are called to the service of God, are called to stand by our fallen brothers and sisters, to offer them the hand of mercy and help them up again until they are able to stand upon their own. In our New Testament reading today, we see Jesus demonstrating this principle as well. Jesus never shied away from the poor, the homeless, the sick or the weary.
Speaker 3:In the fifth chapter of the Gospel, according to John, we read about a Jewish festival in which Jesus approached a set of pools. I didn't understand the beginning of this passage very well so I did some external research and I'm going to provide it in case someone else doesn't understand. So the feast or festival here is not very clear. It just says a feast or festival, depending on which version of the Bible you're reading. Some suggest it's Passover. Apparently they have three Passovers.
Speaker 3:I'm not super familiar with the Jewish religion, but the pool that he approached some call it Bethesda, some call it Bethesda. It depends on which translation of the Bible you're using. This pool existed and they found historical record of this pool existing and it was believed to be either of a ritual cleansing or an actual medicinal cleansing a bathing pool is what they called it and that people came here to bathe in this pool to be healed. Most of the people that came here were the wording that some versions use is invalid. They're unable to walk, they're paralyzed and they came to this pool to be healed. In some older translations of the Bible it indicates that an angel comes down into this pool and stirs up the waters, and that was what's referenced in the reading that we had that he was waiting for the waters to be stirred up and then at the closing it refers to seemingly out of nowhere and that day was a sabbath. In the jewish religion and the sabbath it is considered a violation both of human laws and divine laws to bear any burden on the sabbath. So when jesus tells him to take up the mat and walk, he is telling him to violate the laws of the jewish religion. That was all external things that I had not written down, so I apologize. All right back to the pools.
Speaker 3:In these lay many invalids, blind, lame and paralyzed. One man who was there had been ill for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said Do you want to be made well? It's worth noting that in the story this man did not approach Jesus. Jesus approached this man who was there in hopes of healing, but when the actual healer arrived, this man did not seek to approach Jesus and even after the man refused, explaining that he's there without assistance, no one can help him into the pool and that even as he tries to get in, others are moving in front of him. Jesus says stand up, take your mat and walk. That's what I was referring to that. Jesus told him to violate the laws of the Jewish religion, to take his mat, bear this burden and go away from the pool because he does not need it any longer. The man was made well. He was able to take up his mat and leave.
Speaker 3:We are most certainly not miracle workers. You and I cannot cure illnessness or homelessness with just a simple word, but we can still change someone's life. So often those experiencing homelessness face great oppression and are treated as outcasts of society that their spirits become broken. To those who are so downtrodden and lost, even a kind word or a smile can improve someone's day. Kindness to another is always an acceptable token of support, but we take it a step further when we can, supplying someone with food or water or shelter or money to help them get these things that they need, to help them get these things that they need, or go out and volunteer our time to support them.
Speaker 3:However we're enabled to by our own skills, it is within our power to change the world for our fallen brothers and sisters. We must simply reach out the helping hand when we are able to. The readings today both came from the lectionary. How fitting is it that they both apply to the journey which we are currently embarking upon as a church family. Coincidences exist, sure, but I believe that everything lined up today perfectly to place me before you with these readings from the lectionary days, before we throw open our doors and say Come ye, blessed of our Father, I hope that we may all go forth from this and every day invigorated and ready to help up our fallen siblings In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. May all God's children say with open and helping hands amen.