Ephesians 1: 3-14

In this morning's lesson from The Letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul

describes an extraordinary inheritance. We are told that, from the beginning

of time, from the very foundation of the world, we were chosen by God and

destined to be secure in our relationship with him, always.  That we are . .

.

. . . adopted as children of God the Father;  that we are

. . . redeemed, through the death of Jesus his Son;  and, that we are

. . . lavished with grace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are, it would seem, part of a plan.  "Saved," even before the beginning of

human time, "We live (as theologians like to say) in the now and in the not

yet;"---beyond the age of the earth and mortal decay.  One day---and only God

knows when that day will come---one day, we who have received this

inheritance will be gathered up into the "fullness of time."

Since we are directly connected to God in this way, eternally, we no longer

have to ask the question:

"Who am I?" or "Whose am I?"

We belong to God!  And, because of our adoption by and our relationship with

the Triune God, there is nothing in heaven or on earth for us to fear. There

is no reason for anything but hope and joy.

So, what is the bad news?" Well, despite these guarantees of our

"inheritance," there are many things that can derail God's adopted children.

Sometimes, we forget that God is alive and active in history---our history! 

When this happens, usually when our lives are filled with busy-ness and self-

importance, a "functional atheism" creeps into our coming and going, our

saying and doing.

I remember walking into a cathedral In Munich years ago. It was just a short

walk from the hotel in which Sally and I were staying. I had taken a morning

stroll in search of a cup of coffee.  It was 1972, just four years after my

ordination and yet, I confess, I was in a somewhat skeptical phase of my

life.  Quite frankly, at that very time and place, as I was walking past and

then up to that beautiful cathedral, I was thinking, if not saying aloud:

        "If European churches are simply beautiful museums,

empty of worshipers on Sunday mornings, what is the point

of  their existence as churches?"

How could I have known that, at that very time and place, an organist was

practicing for a Bach Festival. As I opened the heavy church door, I heard a

pure and irreplaceable sound, filled with power, spirit and grace that any

listener could recognize as holy and God sent!

Today, as we watch the decline of good music, classical and contemporary, I

comfort myself with the knowledge that, because members of congregations like

ours are willing to compromise, forgive and trust in the power of the Holy

Spirit, good musicians and good music are still being heard and seekers and

skeptics who found their way to our doors are also finding church homes.

Behind the doors of St. James Church, as well as, the doors of old

cathedrals, and of tiny country churches, there are Christians, guided by the

Spirit of God, who just won't let-go of things sacred. There will always be

those within Christ's Church on earth who will not remain silent about the

power and grace God unleashes in things spiritual and holy, heavenly and

eternal!

It happens on all levels and in all areas of mission and ministry. God's

"adopted children," throughout the larger Church and its congregations, go

through periods of doubt and uncertainty concerning "whose they are." Clergy

and laity alike become convinced that they not only lack the wisdom to lead

or the faith to follow but, they don't even believe they have the power to

forgive each other when forgiveness is required.

 

After countless church meetings and conferences, theological symposiums and

debates, interventions by "insiders" and "outsiders," --- all designed to

bring about agreement where there is disagreement and forgiveness where there

has been injury---after all of that, if someone suggests that the Holy Spirit

might become involved for the asking, people go strangely silent.

"What has the Spirit of God to do with trouble and division in the church?"

Last Sunday, as I spoke to you about the recent "Gathering at the Cross

Roads," a glorious experience I shared with six of our youth and 25,000 high

school teens of the ELCA, I focused my sermon time on contemporary music

trends within the "worship life" of the Church in this present generation.  I

suggested that the roll of the "church musician," whether trained in

"traditional" or "contemporary" venues, is difficult at best and sometimes

impossible. I also said that there is no worship style that will please

everyone all of the time. No matter how long and hard pastor and people work

together to ensure that their worship hours are welcoming and satisfying,

there will always be those who feel that we could work longer and harder to

meet their individual expectations. The truth is, on the road toward a more

unified "Body of Christ, some expectations will never be met, no matter how

hard people try!

  

Let me give you an example---a bit silly, but none the less poignant. A

deacon in a Presbyterian Church was upset that the congregation had called a

woman minister and he decided to indulge in a little foolish retribution. The

congregation's annual picnic was to be held on an island that was accessible

only by way of a ferry. All who planned to attend agreed to be at the landing

at exactly 10:00 in the morning because the ferry made its hour-long round

trip every two hours, with a half-hour layover on either side.

When the ferry reached the island, the deacon waited until the ferry had

departed for the other shore and then yelled, "Oh, no, we forgot the hot

dogs."  The new minister turned and quickly walked on the water back to the

other side, purchased a supply of hot dogs from a nearby store and walked

back, on the water, to the island.  Upon her return, the surprised but still

unhappy deacon said:

-

"See, I told you they'd send us someone who couldn't swim."

People who serve and lead in worship & music, as well as, Christian

education, evangelism and stewardship can become jaded and convinced that

those who turn to the Church for spiritual enrichment will never be

satisfied. Why? Because we doubt our adoption, our inheritance---that is, the

eternal presence and power of God's Spirit. Simply put, our distrust of what

we perceive as just another "human institution" prevents us from seeing the

spiritual "good" and the "glory" that is going on before our very

eyes!---within our own churches and within those of sister denominations.

As Christians who have made a conscious decision to become and remain active

members of the Church, we must somehow balance disappointing facts like Adam

fell, King David sinned, Judas betrayed, Peter denied and members of the

"Body of Christ" disagree. . . against the hope filled fact that Jesus Christ

arose from the dead! While it is true that the Church's history includes many

disappointing facts, it is also true that the Resurrection outweighs them

all---by far!   In the words of theologian Karl Bath:

"As the result of (Christ's) resurrection (the disappointing and despairing

facts of life) belong already to the vanished and distant past."   AMEN.