| Sermon, May 9, 2004 |
| "A place to call home." |
| "Love Feast" John 13:31-35 (RSV) Jerrod B. Lowry |
Anthem: “I need you to survive” by Hezekiah Walker
Prayer: “Muya Ta Nwingong Mu oy fa metiamoblia!” God of all strength be our strength when
we get weak. (Bafut: a tribal language of Cameroon).
Prayer: “Muya Ta Nwingong Mu oy fa metiamoblia!” God of all strength be our strength when
we get weak. (Bafut: a tribal language of Cameroon).
Gospel of John 13:31-35 (RSV)
“When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been
glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will
glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I
said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new
commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one
another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
“Is this the word of the lord?”
“When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been
glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will
glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I
said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new
commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one
another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
“Is this the word of the lord?”
Today we are discussing and looking at the word love. We are analyzing this topic through the
lens of “agape”, a Greek term meaning love or love-feast. We are going to examine how this
word, love, mandates that we form community, and in forming this inclusive community based
on love we are doing the will of God.
lens of “agape”, a Greek term meaning love or love-feast. We are going to examine how this
word, love, mandates that we form community, and in forming this inclusive community based
on love we are doing the will of God.
Our first scripture lesson comes from the Gospel of John. According to the accounts in the
gospel of John we have Jesus giving the disciples his last will and testament. Jesus tells the
disciples that he is giving them a “new commandment”. And this new commandment is so
radical and innovative an idea that the entire world will know who you are by fulfilling this new
commandment. This commandment that Jesus gave the disciples was to “love one another”.
Three simple words wrapped up in one little charge, and it seems so easy. All they have to do is
love one another. But as we read in our second scripture lesson this “new commandment” is not
so easy to accomplish, as Peter would later demonstrate.
gospel of John we have Jesus giving the disciples his last will and testament. Jesus tells the
disciples that he is giving them a “new commandment”. And this new commandment is so
radical and innovative an idea that the entire world will know who you are by fulfilling this new
commandment. This commandment that Jesus gave the disciples was to “love one another”.
Three simple words wrapped up in one little charge, and it seems so easy. All they have to do is
love one another. But as we read in our second scripture lesson this “new commandment” is not
so easy to accomplish, as Peter would later demonstrate.
Our second scripture comes from the book of Acts, a book dedicated to telling the story about
how this movement by a man and his followers becomes the institution of the church. In the
lesson we read about Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. We read about an argument that Peter is
having with some of the circumcised believers. It appears that Peter has been fellowshipping
with “uncircumcised” individuals telling them about the promises of a carpenter named Jesus.
Yet from the discourse of the discussion Peter does not really understand why it should be okay
to commune with these “uncircumcised” people. And it was on his way to a gentile’s home that
God decides to show Peter why it is okay.
how this movement by a man and his followers becomes the institution of the church. In the
lesson we read about Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. We read about an argument that Peter is
having with some of the circumcised believers. It appears that Peter has been fellowshipping
with “uncircumcised” individuals telling them about the promises of a carpenter named Jesus.
Yet from the discourse of the discussion Peter does not really understand why it should be okay
to commune with these “uncircumcised” people. And it was on his way to a gentile’s home that
God decides to show Peter why it is okay.
Peter is on his way to Cornelius’ house. Cornelius is just not some everyday regular gentile.
Cornelius is a Roman citizen. But more significant than that Cornelius is an officer in the army of
Rome. Yet Peter feels compelled by the Spirit to meet with him at his home anyway. And it is on
the way to Cornelius’ house that God explains to Peter why we form community and why this
community should not be exclusive to “circumcised believers”. God shows Peter a blanket, and
on this blanket are creatures of every variety: crawling insects; four legged, two legged, and
probably three legged animals. God tells Peter to “kill and eat”. But Peter tells God, “no”. Three
times God lowers the blanket to Peter and tells him to eat, and three times Peter rejects, saying
that he has never eaten anything “profane or unclean”. And God tells Peter, “HOW DARE YOU
CALL MY CREATION UNCLEAN”!
Cornelius is a Roman citizen. But more significant than that Cornelius is an officer in the army of
Rome. Yet Peter feels compelled by the Spirit to meet with him at his home anyway. And it is on
the way to Cornelius’ house that God explains to Peter why we form community and why this
community should not be exclusive to “circumcised believers”. God shows Peter a blanket, and
on this blanket are creatures of every variety: crawling insects; four legged, two legged, and
probably three legged animals. God tells Peter to “kill and eat”. But Peter tells God, “no”. Three
times God lowers the blanket to Peter and tells him to eat, and three times Peter rejects, saying
that he has never eaten anything “profane or unclean”. And God tells Peter, “HOW DARE YOU
CALL MY CREATION UNCLEAN”!
Peter forgot one of his basic “Sunday school lessons”, the Genesis creation account. God creates
everything in this story. God creates the sun, the heavens, the grass, the animals, and humanity.
God created it all, took a step back and said, “Hey ITS ALL GOOD!” So how dare Peter or anyone
else suggest what the creator created be unclean. If God loves it then why can’t we? Better than
that, when we look at the entire expanse of God’s creation we should see glimpses of the creator,
within the creation. We should recognize thumb prints left from the molding of God’s creation. If
we claim to love God then how can we not love the glimpses of God, or the thumb prints of God
left all over creation. How can we love god whom we’ve never seen and despise our brother and
sister whom we see everyday? So brothers and sisters let us love one another because love is truly
of God and THIS IS INDEED THE WORD OF THE LORD! (Ref. 1John 4: 17-21).
everything in this story. God creates the sun, the heavens, the grass, the animals, and humanity.
God created it all, took a step back and said, “Hey ITS ALL GOOD!” So how dare Peter or anyone
else suggest what the creator created be unclean. If God loves it then why can’t we? Better than
that, when we look at the entire expanse of God’s creation we should see glimpses of the creator,
within the creation. We should recognize thumb prints left from the molding of God’s creation. If
we claim to love God then how can we not love the glimpses of God, or the thumb prints of God
left all over creation. How can we love god whom we’ve never seen and despise our brother and
sister whom we see everyday? So brothers and sisters let us love one another because love is truly
of God and THIS IS INDEED THE WORD OF THE LORD! (Ref. 1John 4: 17-21).
Today we are going to respond to the proclamation of the word by having a love-feast, called the
Agape Meal. The Agape Meal is an old and almost forgotten piece of our reformed heritage.
Resources for the meal are no longer in our Book of Common Worship, but it is in the older books.
It dates back to a time when congregants received tokens in order to participate in communion. The
Bible tells us that we are not to enter into the sacrament of communion if we have fault with our
brothers and sisters. The early reformers developed a meal before the communion service where
these possible differences could be aired and discussed. The purpose of the meal was to suggest
that even though we may not always agree or get along we still love each other and can receive the
elements of communion with that love in our heart instead of the hate on our minds. It is not a
sacrament and should not be confused with communion. But like communion; which ties us with
the entire “communion of saints” (past, present, and future), and baptism; which by the power of
the Holy Spirit unites us not only to God but to each other in community, the Agape meal allows us
to affirm the fact that we are one body and that we need each other.
Agape Meal. The Agape Meal is an old and almost forgotten piece of our reformed heritage.
Resources for the meal are no longer in our Book of Common Worship, but it is in the older books.
It dates back to a time when congregants received tokens in order to participate in communion. The
Bible tells us that we are not to enter into the sacrament of communion if we have fault with our
brothers and sisters. The early reformers developed a meal before the communion service where
these possible differences could be aired and discussed. The purpose of the meal was to suggest
that even though we may not always agree or get along we still love each other and can receive the
elements of communion with that love in our heart instead of the hate on our minds. It is not a
sacrament and should not be confused with communion. But like communion; which ties us with
the entire “communion of saints” (past, present, and future), and baptism; which by the power of
the Holy Spirit unites us not only to God but to each other in community, the Agape meal allows us
to affirm the fact that we are one body and that we need each other.
In an Agape Meal everyone will be issued a loaf of bread. The loaf is to be placed in your right
hand. Please do not eat the bread! You will approach your brother or sister and break off a piece of
bread and put it in their right hand (and they’ll reciprocate). And this initiates a conversation where
begin by telling the person how you are feeling. If all is well you may begin by saying “I love you”.
This is also a way to inform your family about prayer concerns or joys you would like to share. Let
us enjoy each other with our Agape Meal.
hand. Please do not eat the bread! You will approach your brother or sister and break off a piece of
bread and put it in their right hand (and they’ll reciprocate). And this initiates a conversation where
begin by telling the person how you are feeling. If all is well you may begin by saying “I love you”.
This is also a way to inform your family about prayer concerns or joys you would like to share. Let
us enjoy each other with our Agape Meal.
| IMPORTANT After reading the translation: Click on the [X] in the box in the upper right corner of the translation window. That will close it. You will then return to the English version. |
| Posted June 1, 2004 |
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