"RESPONSE"

Many years ago – more than I would like to think, I learned in high-school science class the definition of “work” in physics:  “Work is the product of a force applied to a body and the displacement of the body in the direction of the applied force,” which never really made a whole lot of sense to me – at least not said that way!

Another way of saying it that makes more sense to me and possibly to you, would be simply:  “For every action , there is a re-action” -- simple and to the point.  “For every action, there is a re-action.”  This reality is very much a part of every aspect of our human life.

For instance in medicine, there is the Lower Motor Neuron check done by a doctor – possibly known best by you and me as the Knee Jerk.  If you are healthy, the ACTION of hitting the knee in the right place will cause a REACTION of the leg below the knee to bounce forward.

When you buy something and you get it home and you find out it just doesn’t fit right -- the action of not fitting causes a reaction on your part to return the item.

Here at Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis, there are countless ACTIONS and REACTIONS taking place for each of you here on Sunday morning as well as the days in-between Sundays.  If your friends here at church didn’t see you last Sunday, which would be the ACTION of not seeing you, the REACTION was or will be

your friends asking after church:  “So, where were you?”  “Are you OK?”  When something during worship, which would be the ACTION, touches our hearts or moves our emotions, our REACTION may be expressing praise by clapping, saying AMEN, shedding some tears, or deciding to return next Sunday.

As you can see, ACTION/REACTION theory is a part of life, whether it is in our secular life or our faith life.  Another word for reaction would be our responses. 

In this human life God has blessed us with regarding our actions, we also have choices, whether they are Positive or Negative.  That is actually the gift God has given to us -- choices when it comes to our actions and reactions-responses. 

I have felt so very blessed by God.  I have wonderful relationship with my partner Mike Eichenberger.  I experience love from my and Mike’s family.  I experience God’s encouragement and strength as I stand here sharing God’s Word.  I have friends; I have a church right here – which is all of you.  And Mike and I have another blessing

Now the reason I mention Dakota, is to illustrate the theory of ACTION and REACTION or RESPONSE.  Dakota is a wonderful and loving puppy.  She is intelligent, soft and doesn’t shed - a great plus.  She plays with her toys and she sleeps through the night.  But enough of how wonderful she is, when Mike and I got her, we heard about liter-box training dogs.  WOW! – Mike and I thought that would be awesome.  We both work, Dakota could have the run of the house and do her business in the litter box.

A dream comes true!  So Mike and I go to the store and by this oversize litter box, which comes with videotape and this huge bag of compressed paper pellets.  To say that the experience was memorable of getting Dakota to understand what the people on the videotape were saying about how she as a dog should be responding, would be an understatement!  We tried everything.  She would scratch the pellets out of the box; we’d put them back.  We’d put her in the box, She would run out.  We even bought these treated puppy pads that are suppose to attract the puppy to do his or her business on them - yeah-right - we’d put her in the box, she would sit in there and shred the hand-dandy-attract-the-puppy paper pad and run out of the box.  Mike and I that weekend were on the verge of hysterics.

The reason I tell you this story is that there definitely was an ACTION that took place.  The action was: (and pardon my word), Dakota peeing on the floor and not in the litter box.  What was our response??  Not a pretty sight on our part!!!  We had made a choice that was not very positive.  I can only speak for myself, but the thoughts and words I was thinking as she squatted and peed on the floor instead of the litter box - well, I’ve asked God for forgiveness!!!

And there was another RESPONSE to Dakota’s ACTION.  We returned the litter box and we take her out on the leash and through the help of, believe this, a Dog Psychologist, (I can’t believe we talked to a Dog Psychologist but desperate people do desperate things).  Our Reaction or Response to Dakota’s ACTION now of when she does forget and pee on the floor is:  calmness - most of the time, acceptance of her not understanding and taking her outside, and telling her to potty outside.  Through our understanding of her needs and having a loving reaction or response I have to say, Dakota is learning not to go in the house and tells us when she has to go out.  Dog litter boxes work for some dogs and owners but it wasn’t working for us.

How we respond to actions in life make all the difference of how the future will unfold.  If Mike and I had continued on the anger-exasperated mode of responding to Dakota’s actions, life with her today and the days to come would not be as positive and growing in our relationship with her as they are now. 

Our scripture reading this morning is all about Actions and Reactions or Responses.  The story from Luke of the ten lepers is about 10 people who experienced the loss of feeling in their extremities due to the disease of leprosy.  This scripture is not only centered on the ACTION of the healing of the ten who could once again feel, but even more so on the REACTION or RESPONSE of the one who returned to give thanks in praise to God.Yes the other nine were healed, but there seems to be more that happened to the one who returned and in a positive response, said Thank You.

Jesus says:  “Your faith has made you well.”  Our reactions or RESPONSES as individuals and as a community are to be done in the midst of faith!  God’s ACTIONS in the blessings God gives to us are truly abundant if we seriously think about it.  Sometimes it may be difficult to see those blessings with all the muck and messiness that sometimes clouds our lives, but there has been – there is – and always will be one constant positive source of ACTION that you can count on and that is God and God’s Spirit working in and through the Church.

Who is the Church?  It’s made up of people just like each of you, whether sitting in the pews, working in the church office, standing up here preaching, involved in music, or the many ministries that are taking place here.  We are all seeking to experience God’s love, God’s  nurturing, God’s peace, God’s support and God’s joy. The church – all of you – we aren’t perfect, we make mistakes, we don’t always do or say the right thing, but the ACTION of God’s Spirit working in and through all of us is real.

My life would not be as fulfilled and have a sense of being on a growing journey if Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis was not here – was not alive with all of you.

And so how do we respond in faith to the many God ACTIONS of blessings?  There are so many ways of responding: 

Coming through those doors on Sunday and when there is a choir concert having the faith that God’s Spirit is working when and where we are gathered.

Welcoming someone you haven’t met yet

Looking at your busy schedule in faith, finding time to share right here through the many ministries here whether they take place during the service such as a greeter, usher, participating in communion or the many other ministries as printed on the back of the bulletin.

And yes there is another VERY IMPORTANT way of responding, by sharing our financial resources during offering time.

Folks, money is not a bad thing to talk about in the church.  When we share our financial blessings with MCC of Greater St. Louis – each of us is investing the blessings God has given.  Something awesome happens to Money in the church, it is transformed into MINISTRY that affects and changes your life and my life.  Money is transformed

into HOPE -- into VISIONS OF A FUTURE -- into JOY OF SERVIING in the church.   Money is transformed to build up a place that is safe to be who God created you to be!

It is only because we Respond to God that MCC of Greater St. Louis continues to be on this awesome journey with God.  Folks, the possibilities are endless of what we as disciples of Christ, as children of God can do with our resources, that of:  time, talents and money we share here at this church.  MCC of Greater St. Louis – this Church – is all of you.  It’s not this building – it’s all of you and the many, many more people who are seeking a place like this – a place of acceptance and love -- a place where people are on a journey who have struggles, and joys, visions and hopes.  This church, where endless possibilities of growth, spiritually and growth in numbers of people finding healing for their faith, is blessed with all of you!!!!

Folks, it is happening right here and it will continue to happen for you and for others because of you and all the others who come through those doors.  MCC of Greater St. Louis is here and will continue to be here as you and I look deep within ourselves of how God’s ACTIONS in our lives have brought such awesome blessings.  And in looking at God’s ACTIONS, each of us with God --AND THAT IS IMPORTANT-- WITH GOD, decide how we are going to RESPOND to God’s ACTIONS through our sharing.

Physics, secular world, or our faith world—there will always be “For every ACTION --- there is a REACTION or RESPONSE.”   For us as children of God, as brothers and Sisters in Christ, and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we know what the God ACTIONS are in our lives, it is up to each one of us to decide what our positive responses will be that always need to be done in faith.  Let us always prayerfully remember our Christ-Centered Reactions and Responses as we find as many ways as possible in saying THANK YOU to God here at Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis.

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