Serious faith is not about becoming super religious it's about...
Father Goodrich preached this sermon, based on John 1:43-51 to a Zoom/online congregation of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Dubuque, Iowa. The congregation worshipped on ZOOM due to adverse weather conditions.
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Serious faith is not about becoming super religious it's about...
Father Goodrich preached this sermon, based on John 1:43-51 to a Zoom/online congregation of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Dubuque, Iowa. The congregation worshipped on ZOOM due to adverse weather conditions.
Subscribe to the Father Goodrich Newsletter
In today's Gospel lesson from our own Saint John, a young man named Philip receives an invitation from Jesus, an invitation of just two words Follow me. If you're a parent, raise your hand. Okay, I see some hands out there. Now a question for all of us Is being a parent more like a job that you get paid to do, that has set hours and hours off, or is being a parent more like a lifestyle commitment, part of the person you are all the time? Yeah, more of a lifestyle commitment, no matter the ages or stages of your kids. Who you are is still shaped by and informed by being mom or being dad. To a false statement you tell me thumbs up if you think it's true, thumbs down if you think it's false. Parenting changes how you see your life in the world. I see thumbs up, lots of thumbs up. Parent is not a job title, it's a trust, it's a relationship, it's an identity, it's part of who you are, who you are specifically parenting and, yes, parenting requires work, but it's work done as part of a lifestyle commitment, not because you're paid to do it as a job. Now another question Do you receive anything of value from parenting? Yes, but that value is not measured in green pieces of paper. In fact, if you want to have as much cash as possible, don't become a parent.
Speaker 1:Right Back to Philip and Jesus. Philip receives an invitation from Jesus, an invitation to live a certain kind of life, an invitation to become a specific kind of person. What does that look like? I'm going to toss out some options to you for what that might look like. If you think that option is on track, give a thumbs up. If you think the option is not on track, give a thumbs down.
Speaker 1:Would Jesus invite Philip to live a life of faith? Yes, a life seeking God? Yes, a life of service to others? Yes, a life eating locusts? Okay.
Speaker 1:Some of you disagree with me. I see some thumbs down by some of you. Okay, a life of listening to bad preacher jokes? No, no, that's also not true. Speaking of which, when does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes a parent? When it becomes a parent? Okay.
Speaker 1:But seriously, was Jesus inviting Philip to become the kind of person whose life shines with the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Yes, absolutely. And remember that these spirit driven virtues, these spirit driven behaviors, are found in Galatians, chapter 5, beginning at verse 22. And if you know them. Say them along with me at home Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And I'll read it one more time. And when you hear the fruit of the Holy Spirit star you got this year, raise your hand. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If you don't have one of those fruits of the Holy Spirit yet, we will get you one this month.
Speaker 1:Jesus was inviting Philip to become his student, his apprentice, or, as the New Testament often phrases it, his disciple. Let's say that word together. Disciple Again, disciple. Question for you. Question During Jesus's earthly ministry, did he minister to large crowds of people?
Speaker 1:Yes or no? Yes, he did, but he actually spent most of his time with those women and men who were his disciples, his apprentices. This was Jesus's focus during his earthly ministry. It's what Jesus spent most of his time doing. It's also the mission that he gave the Christian Church, and this mission is called the Great Commission. And here's a portion of that Great Commission from Matthew 28, verse 19. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach in the new bay everything I have commanded you.
Speaker 1:The Archbishop of York, where is York? York is in England, but the Archbishop of York, stephen Cottrell, who works very closely with the Archbishop of Canterbury, justin Welby, expresses this ancient idea of the Great Commission in sort of modern way. Here's what the Archbishop says McDonald's makes hamburgers, cabbaries makes chocolate, starbucks makes coffee and the Church of Jesus Christ makes disciples. Anyone here ever played catch? Raise your hand if you've ever played catch. Okay, ever dropped the ball.
Speaker 1:The Christian Church has often dropped the ball on discipleship. It's left people, a lot of people, even I say this is my impression starting off in the Christian life. It left people with the impression that Christianity is basically about going to an occasional worship service, volunteering at the church a bit and generally being a nice person. But does that description sound at all like the kind of life or the specific kind of person Jesus was inviting Philip to become and live? What do you think? Well, maybe, maybe the very first steps of such a life, but surely not the fullness of such a life, the destination of such a life. Christianity is a lifestyle commitment, a way of love, a life you live, a person you become Like Philip. You and I are invited to follow Jesus. Like Philip, you and I can become disciples.
Speaker 1:Disciples are intentional Christians let's say that phrase together intentional Christians. Being a disciple does not mean being a priest. The vast majority of disciples, intentional Christians, are not priests, and thank God for that. Unfortunately, not all priests are disciples. Unfortunately, not all priests are disciples, and I confess that over the last couple of years I have allowed my own personal discipleship to lag. This is a serious sin, especially for a priest, and as a result of that, I have, as your pastor, failed to keep our church focused on discipleship in recent years, and this is also a serious sin. I confess these sins, I repent of them, I met anointing and, with God's help, I start again. And perhaps you can start again in your journey of discipleship, or perhaps start it for the very first time. But how? How would we do that? How could we start again, or start seriously for the first time? Well, I'm going to toss out all sorts of things to you. Just catch a couple of them that connect with you.
Speaker 1:You can be more intentional in your faith by trying to pray. When is a time that you could pray each day? You'd be more intentional in your faith by seeking to attend the Eucharist regularly, worship regularly, or even on those busy weekends where you find it hard to do it, even if you just join us on Zoom, like we're doing today. You could be more intentional in your faith by really seeking to love someone who is difficult to love. You could be more intentional in your faith by serving in some way more widely in the community. You could be more intentional in racial reconciliation, leading a Girl Scout troop, volunteering at the hospital, shoveling someone's sidewalk, washing my car Now, I'm just kidding about that and many other ways. You could be intentional in your faith by finding time to read the Bible. You could be intentional in your faith by seeking to grow in the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:And did you know that at St John's we have a major resource to help each of us practice our faith more intentionally? Do you know what that resource is? It's called our Congregational Rule of Life. It has seven practices of discipleship. Sometimes we call them seven marks of discipleship. Here they are Worship regularly, pray daily, serve at St John's and beyond, love others and build spiritual friendships, know the Christian story and invite others, give generously and rest regularly. There are many, many, many, many ways that you can intentionally practice your faith. Choose just one of those as a next step, when you think about your own discipleship, your spiritual life, think about it like parenting.
Speaker 1:Discipleship is a lifestyle commitment, part of who you are as a person. All the time, no matter your age or stage in life. Who you are should be shaped by and informed by being a baptized disciple of Jesus. Question Will discipleship change how you see your life and the world? Yes, and if it hasn't, hello people. If it hasn't, or it hasn't in a long time, that is a spiritual check engine light. That is a signal to pay attention to your faith.
Speaker 1:Being a disciple is not a job title. It's a sacred trust, it's a relationship, it's an identity. Being a disciple requires work, work on yourself, work on the behalf of others, but it's work done as part of a lifestyle commitment. Can a lawyer also be a parent? Yes or no? Thumbs up, yes, thumbs down, no yes. What about a plumber? Sure, you can be a good parent and be a lot of other things too. You can be a faithful disciple and be a lot of other things too. Imagine a college student, a scientist, a couple, a stay-at-home mom, a professional baseball player. They could all be faithful disciples.
Speaker 1:Discipleship aims and strives to make you the best version of yourself. And this next part is really important. This is a big misunderstanding. I've noticed even here at St John's, but all over the world. The aim of discipleship is not to make you quote super religious or, to quote, take over your life. No, the aim of discipleship is to strengthen, to transform, to make whole and enrich every part of your life.
Speaker 1:Discipleship is how we live our faith when we're at church and when we're not at church. Discipleship is how we live our faith when we're at church and when we are not at church. Discipleship is a life you live. Discipleship is the kind of person you become, whether you're 8, 48, or 98,. There are next steps that you can take in your life of discipleship. What is your next step? And practicing your faith more intentionally. What is it? What's your next step? Disciples are intentional Christians and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same invitation that Jesus gave Philip to follow me is the same invitation extended to us, an invitation to a lifestyle commitment that, like parenting, can transform your life, my life, in the lives of the people we care about, with the help of God and God's people. Be intentional about your faith this year. Don't be a hamburger, a Cadbury bunny or a cup of coffee. Be a disciple, amen.