The Ultimate Combo

What two factors, when combined, form the ultimate combo? 

Fr. Goodrich preached this sermon based on the book of Philemon to a live person congregation of Christ Church, Westerly, RI.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:19

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. No, I can't do it. I just can't do it. We were backpacking in the beautiful green mountains

A Hike And A Hard Truth

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of Vermont. And we were carrying heavy backpacks. All of our supplies, all of our stuff. And what was an adventure for most of us was for a very small group of people, a purgatory, a slog, a very difficult challenge. But at the end of the journey, which was a week or more, those who had said, I can't do it, had in fact done it. They made it because the rest of us cheered them on, carried some of their stuff, and patiently walked with them when they thought they could not take one more muddy hiking boot step forward. And if you're anything like me, you've been both the struggler, the helper, and the onlooker in situations like that. Because some mountains in life are a joy, but others are a struggle. It wouldn't take long to bring this proverbial train of struggle to your heart's home station. I need only mention

Naming Life’s Real Struggles

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parenting a child in trouble, a health crisis, an addiction, a move, a new job, a new school, a loss, a tense relationship with your spouse or another family member. We've all been there. In fact, I bet not only have many of you been there, but you're there now in some way. The struggle is real. How many of you have ever read a book of the Bible? A whole book of the Bible, not the whole Bible, but one of the little books. Raise your hand. I see some hands. Good for you. Well done. Well, check this out. If you followed along, especially in the bulletin today for today's epistle from Philimon,

Reading Philemon Together

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then you have just read an entire book of the Bible. Give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Yeah, good job. Philemon is one of the shortest books in the Bible. And it is a personal and public letter from the missionary Saint Paul, who's getting on in years and currently is in prison for his faith, to a man named Philemon, who is a man of

Paul’s Appeal To Love

SPEAKER_00 3:28

some means, and to the entire church that meets in his house. Did you know there were no church buildings in the first century? The letter is personal because Paul is asking Philemon to take back his runaway slave Onisimus. And it's public because it's written to everybody in the church. Now, Philemon had legal rights in the first century Roman Empire to punish Onisimus for running away. But Paul is asking Philemon to take Onisimus back, not as he puts it in verse 15, as a slave, but as a beloved brother in the Lord. Slavery was common in the Roman Empire. It was a little different than the chattel slavery that we know about from American history. Roman slaves came from many backgrounds, many races, many situations, including those who voluntarily became slaves, indentured servants to get out of extreme poverty. Some slaves even acquired influence and property, some even their freedom, but most did not. And as is obvious, it was a very difficult way of life. Now think about the situation. Think about the situation. Paul knows Philemon personally, and he knows all the people who attend his house church, which is probably just like all of you over there on that side. That's probably the whole house church. He knows all of these people, and he's writing to him publicly. And if you're reading or listening, did you notice that Paul refrains from using his authority as an apostle to directly command Salehman to take Onisimus back? Instead, Paul in verse 8 appeals to him on the basis of love. And this is the selfless, selfless, Jesus-like love that we see in the Gospels. And check this out, because this relates to your center street of your life and mine. This is often a love that is more of a choice we make, an action we take, than something we feel. Hence the phrase, liking is optional, love is required. Liking is optional, love is required. Let's say that together. Liking is optional, love is required. And without the ultimate combo, do you even know what the ultimate combo is? You and I will struggle to live out this sort of Christian love faithfully and consistently. And by the way, this combo does not always come with French fries. Here's some questions for you to think about, and you can answer aloud or silently. Do you think that most of the early Christians, like Philemon, Afia, and Archibis, who are mentioned in this letter, would have been able to keep their new Christian

Slavery’s Context And Challenge

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faith in the hostile world of the first century Roman Empire by themselves? Two, do you think it would have been easier for Philemon to punish Onisimus if he wasn't a Christian? Three, what if he wasn't part of a congregation? What if Paul, who probably mentored Philemon personally, had not written him a public letter? I think we know that the answer to all these questions is probably yes. Without Philemon's new faith in God in Christ, and without the Christian community that he was a part of, it would have been much easier, maybe even inevitable for him, to lead into his worst inclinations when it came to Onesimus. And now for a joke.

Community As Moral Compass

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And he chooses a bench in Wilcox Park to make his proposal. And in traditional style, he gets down on his knees and he says to her, I have two questions. First, will you marry me? And the older woman says, Yes, I will. And what's your second question? And the older gentleman replies, Can you help me up? You and I often need to be helped up in life. Through the tough stuff and sometimes even just the boring, ordinary stuff of life. If you can honestly admit that, loudly say amen. Amen. The power of the Christian faith is the ultimate combination of the power of God working with and through the power of a Christian community. G plus C equals T U C.

God Plus Community Explained

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G plus C equals T U C. God plus community equals the ultimate combo. God plus community equals the ultimate combo. Let's say that together. God plus community equals the ultimate combo. The combination of divine power and human power helping us up. Now no church is perfect. The church that met in Photoman's house was not perfect. Phylomon's faith was not perfect, nor was Paul's.

A Joke And A Point

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But God used Saint Paul to create an opportunity for transformation in the life of Philemon and Onesimus. And God will and do the same for you and me. But here's the challenge. You gotta be open to God, and you gotta be open to being part of a local church and being there and being involved, a community of faith. In this little letter of Falleman, about this little house church, about this little difficult circumstance, we receive a hint of the big power of God and the big power of community. So be open to God. I'm speaking to you. Be open to God. Carefully receive the Eucharist today. Just don't go through the motions. And be open to community. Connect with others after the service today. Don't just leave immediately. Make a point of connecting with at least one other person. Now you know, if you were reading carefully, we don't know Failemann's decision. We don't know what he decided. We just have this letter. We don't have the response.

An Imperfect Church, Real Change

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We don't know what followed. But you can know your decision. Your decision. What will you decide when the proverbial train of struggle and trauma and challenge rolls into your heart station, your life? What will you do? Will you choose God? Will you choose community?

Eucharist And Staying Connected

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Because when you choose the ultimate combination, in good times and bad times, you'll find that you are helped up and even transformed in ways you could not have imagined. Accompanied by a motley group of spiritual backpackers climbing metaphorical green mountains of joy and struggle you could not have scaled on your own. Bringing blessings to your life, the people you care about, and the world.

Blessings On The Climb

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And sometimes, maybe even a side order of French fries.

Choose God, Choose Community

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Amen.