Sermon: Called by the Spirit into Advocacy (May 25, 2025)

Easter 6C
May 25, 2025
John 14:23-29

INTRODUCTION

Today’s readings are full of visions. In Acts, Paul is going about his ministry the way he thinks it ought to be done, but doors keep closing. So at this point, they are just kind of hanging out, trying to figure out what’s next, when Paul has a vision to go somewhere unexpected: into what is now Europe. The result is the further expansion of the Church into new territory, with the help of another strong woman of faith, Lydia. 

In Revelation, John has a beautiful vision for what will be – an urban garden in which there are no divisions, and the gates are never shut. We will hear the last words of Jesus, the Lamb, and they are: “Come!” As you listen to this reading, try to imagine this vision as he describes it – a tree of life that somehow spans both sides of a river, growing leaves that heal the nations; gates open and ready to receive all who come to them; and abundant light provided by the Lamb himself. 

In the Gospel, Jesus also describes a vision, one of abiding peace. He offers it to the disciples on his last night with them, as he prepares to go to the cross. It is an anxious time for the disciples, in which they are likely already tasting a sort of grief. And it is a powerful and needed message for us, too, in a time of anxiety and sadness and brokenness. As you listen today, I pray that these visions of peace, reconciliation, and divine presence find a way into your own heart. Let’s listen. 

[READ]

Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Grace to you and peace from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

For most of my youth and 20s, I was not politically engaged. Frankly, politics intimidated me. When I went to seminary at Yale, a lot of my classmates were very politically engaged, which I found inspiring, but I was still uncertain how or whether to get involved myself. Then when I was on my pastoral internship, an opportunity came up to travel to Washington, D.C. for a Hunger Justice Leader Training with Bread for the World, a bi-partisan, faith-based advocacy organization. For a few days, we learned all about hunger at home and abroad, and its underlying causes and solutions (some of which I found very surprising!). We learned about Bread for the World’s particular issue of focus that year – renewing the Earned Income Tax Credit, which was started under the George W. Bush administration – and how it would help hungry families. And we learned how to be effective advocates. On the last day, we were joined by Christians from all over the country for Lobby Day on Capitol Hill. We were all organized into groups according to state (I joined about five others from Florida, where I was living at the time), and were sent off to meet with our legislators. 

My friends, I was terrified. After all that education and training, I still had no idea what I was doing. When we met with the first legislator, I was literally shaking, and though we were supposed to split the talking duties, I was only too happy to let others do most of the talking (hard to imagine me feeling that way, right??). 

But something happened to me in that room. I was overcome with what I can only describe as the Holy Spirit. As I started to say my piece, I felt my back straighten. I heard my tone rise into the same place in my voice that it does when I’m preaching. In fact, the whole experience felt to me like preaching. And it occurred to me, “This is the Holy Spirit talking. And I may not be in the pulpit right now, but I am proclaiming the gospel, because I am speaking up on behalf of the very same people Jesus served and commanded us to serve – the poor, the suffering, those in need.”

It was a transformative moment for me. I came home from that event eager to give presentations on what I’d learned. The next year I went back to grad school and got another master’s degree, in practical theology, and I wrote my thesis on faith-based hunger advocacy as an essential ministry of a Spirit-led Church. I did trainings for Bread for the World, training new advocates. I had officially become: a politically engaged Christian.

During my work on my thesis, I became very interested in texts like the one we hear today from the Gospel, which describes the Holy Spirit as an Advocate. As Jesus prepares to leave this world, he is telling his disciples how to live, and how they will reveal Jesus’ own self to the world after he is gone. He acknowledges how difficult it may be to “keep his word” and his teachings without him there. And so, he says, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” That, I thought, that was precisely what I experienced in that office on Capitol Hill: the Holy Advocate itself, teaching and reminding me of what Jesus taught.

In Greek, the word translated as Advocate is transliterated “paraclete,” which literally means “one who comes alongside.” I love that – because who does not want someone to come alongside them in their struggle? Remember, those gathered with Jesus are experiencing a deep grief and anxiety right now. They are scared, as Jesus has just told them he is leaving them to go where they cannot come. And Jesus is promising them, “You are not alone in this. No one knows better than I do that living out my teachings is hard work. But God, the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, is coming in my name, right alongside you.”

I have seen that word, “paraclete,” translated as Helper, Comforter, Counselor… but I really love it as Advocate. When you hear “advocate,” what do you think of? In the secular realm, you might think of a lawyer, someone whose job is to promote the interest or well-being of another, to speak to the courts on their behalf. Politically, you might think of a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy – like when I advocated in Washington for the needs of hungry people. In either case, an advocate is someone who uses their voice, power, or position to speak out on behalf of someone in need, taking on that person’s or group’s interests as their own, defending them and working toward a better life for them. 

Imagine, the Holy Spirit does this for us! The Holy Spirit – that is, GOD – comes alongside us in our grief or fear, sees our needs, and then speaks up to those with power for our benefit, defending us against evil, protecting us against sin, working on our behalf to be sure we have what we need. That sounds pretty great to me, and it gives me a whole lot of hope! 

But also know this: that this relationship with the Advocate, sent in Jesus’ name, is not one-directional. You see, Jesus says the Spirit will “teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.” And so, with the Advocate’s presence and work, we, too, are called into that same work. This call happened for the Church as a whole at Pentecost, but it happens for us personally in our baptism, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Lutherans don’t believe baptism is just a nice ritual – we believe baptism is effective, that something actually happens, and changes in us when that Spirit comes upon us. We believe that once we have that gift, we are drawn into and embody the Holy Spirit’s mission – to live lives according to Jesus’ teachings, of course, and also, to do the same work as that of the Advocate: to come alongside those in need, to speak out on their behalf for their protection and care, to, as Luther says in the Small Catechism, “help and support them in all of life’s needs.”

How that looks for each individual depends on your particular gifts, beliefs, and situation in life. If you’re a writer, you could write letters to congresspeople or write a letter to the editor for the paper. If you are a protector, you could stand up to others when you hear disparaging remarks about a person or group of people, and defend them. If you prefer personal connection, you could make a phone call, or set up a visit with a legislator in their office. If you like public speaking, go to a City Council meeting and speak up for the needs of people in your community who are struggling. If you are interested in conflict resolution, you could get involved with an organization like Braver Angels, who intentionally puts what they call Reds and Blues into in-person conversation together, to help people build the skills to talk to those who differ, to find understanding, so that we might bridge the divide. 

As a private citizen, you may have a host of things you want to share an opinion about. I’m not here to comment on all that. But as your pastor, I’ll tell you that, as a baptized Christian upon whom the Advocate has descended, who has been changed and empowered by the Holy Spirit: it is always faithful to speak out for the well-being of the poor, the hungry, and the sick. These aren’t merely political issues; they are a faith issues, which appear throughout the Bible. These are the people Jesus cared about, and to whom he devoted his ministry, whom he taught us to care for. He fed people, he healed them, he listened to those on the margins – women, Samaritans, people who were blind or disabled. More, he preached overturning the systems that caused their suffering, addressing the root causes and not just the symptoms. When we listen to the teaching of the Advocate, who reminds us of what Jesus said to us, this is what we will hear: to love and to care in whatever way we are able for those around us who are most in need, and work toward a world like the one described in Revelation, one in which they are no longer in need. 

To be honest, it still scares me, although for different reasons than it did in my 20s. Yet I know that in my effort to speak up on behalf of those Jesus calls us to love, that the Advocate continues to come alongside me and all of us, giving us help, and strength, and comfort, even sometimes supplying the very words we need, and consoling us when we are afraid. That is also a promise of baptism. And it is what allows us to do this hard work every day that we have breath to do it.

Let us pray… Holy Spirit, Divine Advocate, it can be scary to put ourselves out there on behalf of others. Move in us to speak out on behalf of your children who are in need. Supply us the words and the courage, so that we might make a lasting difference for those you have called us to love. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Sermon: Love one another, even the hard way (May 18, 2025)

Easter 5C
May 18, 2025
John 13:31-35

INTRODUCTION

Today, in the midst of the Easter season, we are transported back to the night of Jesus’ betrayal, when he is in that upper room with the disciples. He has just washed their feet, and then, immediately before today’s Gospel reading, Judas leaves the room to go and sell Jesus out. And then, knowing what’s just happened, and that he’s about to die, Jesus will turn to his disciples and give them a “new” commandment: to love one another as he has loved them. Easy to say, difficult to do!

Before we get to the Gospel, though, we will hear a couple other readings, one from Acts and one from Revelation. Both are visions, and it is useful to look at them through the lens of that new commandment Jesus gives, because they can each show us a bit about what it can look like to be a community that is marked by the command to love one another. 

In Acts, Peter has a strange vision, three times. To understand this vision, remember that Jews had a stringent set of dietary and other laws that they followed in order to set them apart as God’s chosen people. Gentiles did not follow those rules, and so until now, they had not been a part of the Christian community. But this vision Peter has blows apart the idea that Gentiles are not included in God’s chosen people. Just as no food is excluded, so also are no people excluded from God’s love.

Revelation gives us yet another vision of what life ruled by the commandment to love can look like – a new heaven and a new earth in which “death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” All three texts offer lots of hope for the original audience, and for us today. As you listen, hear that hope offered also to you: hope of acceptance, and love, and restoration, no matter what you are facing. Let’s listen.

[READ]

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! 

Grace to you and peace from our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here’s how I started my week. After a very full weekend of plans and celebrations, we had not gotten to the grocery store, and by Monday the poor dog was out of food and had been getting by on literal crumbs from her dogfood bag, and whatever the kids dropped (mostly chips) for almost a full day. So, killing two birds with one stone, I used my morning walk to walk to Wegmans, and get little Joey some food. I checked out using Samsung Pay, like usual… but had forgotten that we’d had a credit card fraud incident over the weekend, and the card had been canceled. Frustrated, I left the store in a hurry to get home and get my wallet. As I raced past a woman on the sidewalk, she said, “You look like a woman on a mission! I’ll get out of your way!” I laughed and told her why I was in such a hurry, and how frustrated I was that this was the second time in three weeks that we’d had a credit card fraud alert. She said, “I’ll buy your dog some food.” I told her she didn’t have to do that, but she insisted, pulling me back toward the store. I gushed about how kind she was, how she really didn’t have to, but she was relentless. “All I ask,” she said, “is that you pay it forward.” After we checked out, we chatted as we walked toward our respective homes. She said, “I just think spreading kindness like this is the way to heal this world.” I agreed. When we parted, she wished me all God’s blessings, and I did the same to her. I introduced myself, and asked for her name (Gail), so that I could pray for her by name, and we parted ways.

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you should love one another.” I knew going into this week that this would be the Gospel reading for this Sunday, and so I had planned to keep my eyes open all week for stories of love – and God delivered at 7am on Monday morning! Gail had said, “All I ask is that you pay it forward,” which sounds an awful lot like, “As I have loved you, so you should love one another.” That same day, I posted some items on Facebook to give away for free, rather than selling them. I called a couple people back who had reached out to St. Paul’s for some financial assistance and I bought and sent them gift cards for food. I prayed for Gail. Small things, each. Yet each one made a difference for someone, brightening their day. Each was an act of love. 

Now, I don’t want to be saccharine about this love commandment. Buying a stranger dogfood or supplying a Wegmans gift card for someone in need – these are certainly feel-good acts for all involved. But we also know that love is not always so easy and not even always feel-good. And truth be told, while I think God is pleased when we do these things, I suspect Jesus’ commandment here is more about the very difficult sort of love. Keep in mind the context of this command: we are back on Maundy Thursday, the day before Jesus’ death. He has just washed his disciples’ feet, including those of Judas, who he knows has just left to betray Jesus to the authorities. Jesus gives this commandment also to Peter, whose three-fold denial Jesus will predict in the very next verses. This is literally Jesus’ dying wish to his closest friends, who will, each one, abandon him in his hour of need. 

In other words, this moment is not a feel-good one. Jesus isn’t, like, suggesting over Sunday brunch that they should all volunteer for an upcoming fundraiser (though that would also be loving). He is commanding, into the darkest moment of all of their lives, into the midst of betrayal and fear and anxiety – that they love one another, even those who would do them wrong. In fact, he says, this sort of love – the kind that isn’t easy and often requires enormous sacrifice (as it did for Jesus) – is how others will know they are followers of Christ. 

Think of that! It is not their, or our, church buildings that will show that we love Jesus, nor our doctrines, nor our diligence in Bible study. It is not our beautiful, sparkling cross necklaces. No, our devotion to Christ will be known by how we love one another: strangers at the store, yes, but also strangers in our land, and people who have wronged us, who scare us, who believe differently from us, and people who live their lives in a way we don’t approve. Love people whom Jesus loved – those who are suffering or struggling, people who are hungry, sick, or in need. Love one another, as Christ has loved you. 

We are all capable of loving people in the way that Gail did at the store – whether it is buying groceries for someone, or holding a door, or simply asking how someone’s day is going and really listening to their answer. We can, and we should! But what sort of more demanding love might Christ be calling you into in this time? 

Could it be finding a way to forgive someone who has hurt you? Could it look like listening to and trying to understand the viewpoint of someone who differs from you, or striving to see the opposing side, or someone whose experience differs from yours, with compassion rather than fear or anger? Could loving one another in this time be not only donating food to hungry people, but also addressing the root causes of their hunger by engaging in advocacy – calling your legislators and urging them, as they work on a budget for the next year of our shared life, to remember the needs of the sick and poor in our community? (If you are interested but nervous about doing this sort of advocacy, by the way, maybe the first step toward this sort of love is to come to the advocacy workshop we are offering on June 7, which will address how such advocacy is a way to live out our faith and our baptismal promises! Sign up HERE.) 

How else might you live out Jesus’ command to love one another, as he has loved us? Could you commit to finding one new way to love one another this week, and going forward?

However it looks, I agree with my new friend Gail: loving one another with the same compassionate, self-sacrificing, humble love with which Jesus loved us is how we can heal the world. It is how we can participate in bringing about the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation, in which mourning and crying and pain will be no more. I believe in that world, believe it is possible, if we do truly love one another with the love Jesus shows us, and furthermore I believe God is calling us to be a part of bringing new life to a world in need. 

One of my seminary classmates recently spoke out in a public setting with diverse clergy from around her state, and with her permission, I’d like to close with her words, which I think so beautifully echo both Jesus’ command to love one another, and that vision from Revelation. She said, “One of the traditions we share is the practice of theological imagination in which we dare to dream of a world we have not yet seen but we believe is possible if we are willing to do our part in creating it – a beautiful reality in which every person has what they need to flourish and thrive. May we continue to practice the discipline of hope that guides our work for a more just and compassionate [state], country, and world. May it be so.”

Let us pray… Loving Christ, when we are suffering or fearful, it can be difficult to reach out to one another in love; we are more inclined to turn inward. Give us the strength to turn outward and love, especially in the midst of suffering, so that we might witness and be a part of the new thing you are doing amongst your people. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Sermon: Women of faith - the Dorcas story (May 11, 2025)

Easter 4C
May 11, 2025
Acts 9:36-43

INTRODUCTION

This 4th Sunday of Easter is always known as Good Shepherd Sunday – we hear Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”), and a part of John’s Gospel where Jesus talks about being the Good Shepherd. It’s a beloved and comforting image, and one of the first images used for Jesus, and one worth reflecting on during this Easter season each year. But today, I am drawn to the reading from Acts, which tells the story of Dorcas. I’m drawn to it both because it is Mother’s Day, and a day we celebrate and lift up the particular ministry of women, and more uniquely because the name of Dorcas is kind of a big deal here at St. Paul’s, as it is the name of our women’s circle! And that’s pretty cool, because it turns out, the only time the feminine version of the word “disciple” is used in the New Testament, is in reference to Dorcas. Pretty cool legacy!

So I’m going to focus my attention today on the story of Dorcas, though we will also hear these Good Shepherd texts. So how about this: as you listen to the texts today, think about the women in your life who have modeled faith for you, or shepherded you in your faith. How have they shown you what discipleship looks like? How have they shown you what it means to be sheep who follows the Good Shepherd? Let’s listen.

[READ]

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

It was the beginning of the 20th century, 1902. St. Paul’s Evangelical German Lutheran Church, of Pittsford, NY, a rural church made up mostly of German-speaking farming families, was just 35 years old, and had fairly recently built their sanctuary on the corner of Lincoln Street and Morningside Park (now Washington Ave.). The women of the church desired a place where they could encourage a spirit of Christian fellowship among women, a group that could respond faithfully to the needs of the poor in their own congregation, or the community, or wherever aid was needed. In short, they wanted to live out their discipleship, within a community of faithful women, and be devoted to good works and acts of charity. They wanted to serve the world. In September of that year, a society of women was formed with 28 members, and took the name of the biblical disciple, Dorcas, who was known for her good works and acts of charity and notably touched many people in her community, especially the widows, by sharing her gift for making clothes.

Almost immediately, the newly formed Dorcas Society saw a need: they did not have a room large enough to meet in! They held a chicken and ham dinner that raised $155.14, got some additional aid from the congregation, and with $600 in hand, St. Paul’s began construction on the Dorcas Room, which was completed by the Society’s first anniversary. That room would be home base for this group of faithful women as they served the community in myriad ways – supporting missions both global and local, providing clothes (just like their biblical namesake) for people during times of war, hosting meals for those in need, and faithfully meeting each month for devotions and fellowship. When the high school burned down, they offered this room for the students to meet in until the school was rebuilt. When the church embarked on a remodel that would add a kitchen to the building, Dorcas raised some $20,000 toward the project. They donated three leaded glass windows, and helped build our sacristy. Today, 123 years later, the Dorcas Circle continues to meet faithfully each month, and the room their grandmothers made happen hosts myriad church and community groups, from an all-women AlAnon group, to a lace guild, to Bible studies and VBS, to Sutherland High School AP exams. As one history written on the group says, “Our group has always been called the Mother of the church, but a better name today would be the Grandmother.” And another said, “God has always blessed the Dorcas, and we hope there will always be a Dorcas Circle at St. Paul’s.” …

1967 Dorcas Circle

It was the middle of the first century. News of the story and teachings of Jesus was spreading through Greece, reaching Jews, Gentiles, and even Romans, thanks especially to the work of Peter, one of the apostles. It had also reached a successful businesswoman, by the name of Dorcas, or in Aramaic, Tabitha. Yes, she went by both her Greek name and her Aramaic name, because she ran in both circles. You might even say she was something of a bridge-builder between different kinds of people. She was a sought-after seamstress, you see, and known in the region for her skills and gifts. Yes, she had done well for herself and her family, and she could be very proud of that.

But then she heard about Jesus. She was moved by his teachings. The possibility that someone, that even she, could be forgiven, freed from the power of sin, and live without guilt, was incredible to her. She had assumed that guilt was simply a part of life, but these teachings compelled her into a different way of viewing life. And Jesus also taught her a radical way of loving her neighbor – for it was a love that depended not upon success or prestige, but only on the fact that any person in need was a person worthy of love, care, and compassion. 

In light of Jesus’ teachings, Dorcas was moved to use her position, her success, and her particular skills and gifts to serve the under-served around her. In particular, she had a heart for the widows – an often-overlooked segment of the population, and a particularly vulnerable one in a society in which most women depended upon a man for their survival. For these widows, Dorcas gave herself: her time, her resources, her skills, and most of all, her love.

No wonder so many gathered to grieve when Dorcas fell sick and died. She had shared so much love with so many people – and they all came to share that love right back to her. So deep was their devotion to this disciple of Christ, that when she died they immediately called the apostle Peter to come. You see, they heard he was just in the next town over, and that he had recently accomplished a great miracle: he caused a paralyzed man to walk again! Though Dorcas was already dead, maybe, just maybe he could do something for their beloved friend. 

Maybe it was Dorcas’ faithfulness. Maybe it was Peter’s. Maybe it was the deep love and faithfulness of those gathered, or maybe it was God’s. Well, definitely it was God’s! Whatever combination of factors it was, when Peter uttered those words, “Get up!” – she did! She sat upright, took Peter’s hand, and stood up. 

And without skipping a beat, she went right back to using her myriad gifts to serve the Lord. … 

There aren’t many women in the Bible who are of means. Most of the ones we encounter are poor, sick and vulnerable, and many of them are unnamed, identified only by her ailment or by he to whom she is related. But in the book of Acts, we get several named women – stories of generous and successful women who were patrons of the early Church or notable disciples – and the story of Dorcas is an important one. It would be easy to focus in this story on the work of Peter, which is far more dramatic (raising someone from the dead!). But just look at the outpouring of love for Dorcas, the disciple of Christ who is devoted to good works and acts of charity. Widows gather round to tell stories of how her love and faith had touched them. They weep for her, genuine tears. It is such a tender and beautiful scene. You see, they had been touched by the love of Christ, through the work of Dorcas. Dorcas’ story – her life and her death and her return to life – brought many people to the Lord.

Hers is a dramatic story of life coming out of death – the very same narrative we celebrate throughout the Easter season, about the power of God to bring new out of old and life out of death. But this story is not only seen in Peter’s dramatic act. Dorcas brought life out of death by the way she lived, well before Peter came into the picture. She brought life out of death by the ways she used her skills to serve those in need, especially the widows in Joppa. She brought life out of death by the love she shared, by her selflessness, by her devotion and commitment to her Lord. 

Hers is a legacy that lives on among faithful women and men all over the world, including here at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, through the long ministry of the Dorcas women’s group, and in so many other ways – any time we use our particular gifts to serve those in need around us. It can be easy to think little of our gifts, to imagine them as purely secular, with no possibility to share God’s love through them. But Dorcas did not do that. She had an abundance to share, and she saw a need in her community, and so she used her abundance to serve the Lord, and bring hope and life where there was previously despair. 

That is our call, too. It is a call that has been faithfully lived out by the women of Dorcas here at St. Paul’s, and by the many other members who have been a part of our nearly 160-year history. It is a call we continue to live out – and we do that by always keeping our eyes open for what abundance we may have that can serve and bring life to the fear and lack in our community and in the world. Let us follow in the path of so many women of faith, and especially Dorcas, as we step into that call each and every day.

Let us pray… God of abundance, you have lifted up many women of faith over time. On this day when we celebrate women, help us also to remember Dorcas, and the legacy she has here at St. Paul’s, and move us all to use our particular gifts to serve the needs around us. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Indifference is not love

I recently engaged with someone on Facebook about the men who have been deported from the US to a notorious prison in El Salvador, known for its horrific treatment of prisoners, including torture, despite that a recent Bloomberg report indicated that some 90% of the men we’ve sent there have no criminal record, and did not receive due process – a right guaranteed by the Constitution, not just for “citizens,” but for “people” in our country.

The man I was talking to was not concerned about the situation. “They broke the law by coming here, and there are consequences for breaking the law,” he said. “They are terrorists – I don’t want them here anyway.” I responded that, first of all, without due process, we don’t actually know if they are terrorists. But furthermore, I don’t care what someone has done, no human being that is made in God’s image deserves such inhumane treatment. Lock them up humanely or deport them, I said, if due process has determined that to be necessary. But if I wish torture on another human being because I think they “deserve it,” then I am no better than they are. The man responded, “I’m not wishing for their harm. I’m saying I don’t care what happens to them. I’m indifferent.”

In April of 1999, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel delivered a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress entitled, “The Perils of Indifference.” He said, “In a way, to be indifferent to suffering is what makes the human being inhuman…. Indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim.”

On Maundy Thursday, we heard again Jesus’ “new commandment, to love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34-35). He said this right after he had washed the feet of his betrayer, and right before his closest friends would abandon him. Later, as Jesus was mocked and beaten, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And on the cross, he promised to the criminal who hung beside him, "Soon you will be with me in paradise." Christ has shown us the cost of loving our neighbor. 

Indifference is not love of neighbor, for as Wiesel says, indifference “benefits the aggressor – never his victim.” Love of neighbor is active, and it extends even to the betrayer, the criminal, the one wielding the whip. Love of neighbor steps in to stop suffering, in whatever way is possible – prayer, certainly, but also making phone calls, donating money or goods, writing letters, going to rallies in support of the vulnerable, having difficult conversations with loved ones, and more. Love of neighbor means not looking away, but striving to learn and understand, so we have a fuller picture of the issue. However it looks, love of neighbor is not indifference. It is action.

St. Paul writes that when one member of the body suffers, we all suffer (1 Cor. 12:26). We witnessed Christ’s suffering on Good Friday; but we are Easter people – people who live, not into the suffering of this world, but into the hope of the resurrection. And as Easter people, we are called to participate in God’s work of redemption. 

I know, it is impossible to ease all the world’s suffering, and I’m as guilty of indifference as the next person; we can only bear so much. But as believers in Christ’s resurrection, and the life and freedom that it promises, we can and must do something. In this Easter season of new life, to what suffering will we refuse to be indifferent? Let us all be so courageous as to participate in God’s work of redemption on behalf of those who suffer.

(This was printed in my congregation's May, 225 newsletter.)

Sermon: Road to Damascus experiences (May 4, 2025)

Easter 3C
May 4, 2025
Acts 9:1-20

INTRODUCTION

Now in the third Sunday of Easter, today we encounter some call stories. And one of them should be of particular interest to us at St. Paul’s, because it is the call of St. Paul himself! Except here he is still called Saul (which is his Hebrew name). As you may know, Saul was not such a nice guy, to start with. In fact, he was actively trying to stop the followers of The Way (early Christians). Today’s story shows us the dramatic way in which Saul encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus, which led to him becoming a missionary, planting churches all over Asia and Europe, and writing much of the New Testament. Quite a turnaround!

In John, we will hear of Jesus’ fourth post-resurrection appearance. The disciples, not knowing what else do to, have gone back to what they have always known: fishing. But remember, God isn’t about doing the same ol’ thing, but rather, doing a new thing! So, Jesus meets them on the shore, and calls them anew into his mission. “If you love me,” he tells eager Peter, “feed my sheep,” showing all of us that when we say we love Jesus, it is implied that the expression of this love is in actively loving those in need of care.

These calls exist still for us today – especially for a congregation who calls itself “St. Paul’s Lutheran Church”! So, hear today’s call stories, as well as the other readings, as calls issued also to you, and to our congregation. Let’s listen. 

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Grace to you and peace from our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

When I saw that this week’s lectionary gives us the story of the call of Saul (later known as St. Paul), I knew I wanted to write a sermon that would help us enter into the story of Saul/Paul, and discover how his story can help us tell our own St. Paul’s story.

I immediately realized it might not be too easy because, well, Saul was not known at first for his more appealing attributes. When a story starts with, “Saul, still breathing threats and murder…” well, it’s not an obvious entry point to then try to convince your congregation that their story echoes that of their namesake!

But I think as we dig into Saul/Paul’s story, we will see how we might be able to connect with it – as individuals, and by extension, as a congregation. (Going forward, a reminder: when I say “Saul,” that is the same guy for whom St. Paul’s is named. He did not change his name – Saul is his Hebrew name, and Paul is his Roman name. So: Saul = Paul.) 

The story begins with Saul “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” When we first meet Saul in the book of Acts, he is holding people’s coats while Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is being stoned, and the young man Saul approves of this killing. (Yikes, rough start.) Now, we learn he has been empowered to hunt down other followers of the Way and bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he heads down the path to Damascus, though, Saul is knocked down and he encounters a sudden, bright light, and he hears a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” The disembodied voice identifies itself as Jesus, “whom [Saul] is persecuting.” Saul is struck blind, and is led by the hand into Damascus, where he fasts and presumably prays for three days. 

It's very dramatic, and because of that it is perhaps difficult on its surface to relate to. But think of this: have you ever been heading down a metaphorical path you believed to right, even godly, only to be suddenly knocked off course in a big way? I know I have! And perhaps that sudden and dramatic disorientation was exactly what was needed to get you to reevaluate what path you were following, and begin discerning where God was leading you instead. When I have had such a disorienting encounter, I have, like Saul, had to rely heavily on others – to lead me by the proverbial hand, or talk me through options, or pray with or for me, or sometimes just to let me weep. I have found myself confused and uncertain, struggling to see clearly what was happening or how to respond to it. I have depended upon prayer and discernment. 

So… can anyone else relate to that? Ever had a dramatic event in your life disrupt your plans, and throw you off your previously chosen path? Ever had to rely on others for direction as a result? Ever thrown yourself completely into prayer, hoping for clarity on where God wants you to go next? And, have we experienced any of this as a congregation? 

Keep thinking about that as we look at this next part of the story. Ananias comes and prays for Saul, laying hands on him and saying, “Brother Saul, Jesus has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And then, I love this: “Something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored.” What a compelling image for that moment when we are visited by sudden clarity about God’s plan for us. Sometimes it does feel just like this, like scales falling and sight or insight or perspective restored. Sometimes it is waking up in the morning and you just, suddenly, know the thing that seemed impossible to grasp just the night before. Sometimes it comes after you have made a tough decision, and the relief you feel is like a weight lifted from your shoulders, and a confirmation that you have, with God’s help, done the right thing.

When have you felt that? When has God brought you the gift of clarity about how to go forward? When have you been affirmed that God has set you once again on the right path?

When has St. Paul’s as a congregation experienced this? 

I can’t speak for your personal stories, of course, but I have some thoughts about how this story has played out at St. Paul’s. Most recently, this makes me think of how we handled the Keymel bequest we received a year and a half ago. We were gobsmacked to learn we would receive such a sum of money. (Knocked off our path and confronted with a great light and the voice of Jesus, you might say!) We consulted with (were led by) a lot of people both in and outside of the congregation. And, through prayer and discernment found ourselves heading down some roads we would not have otherwise found ourselves traveling – like evaluating and donating a million dollars to worthy organizations, or considering hiring or calling someone for a new position focusing on outreach and evangelism, or dramatically increasing our endowment fund to allow us to give away more money each year, and building relationships with many organizations locally and beyond. It has been a road to Damascus experience.

Going back a few more years, the whole world was knocked off their path by the Covid pandemic, blind-sided and unsure of how to go forward. Through discernment, sage advice from wise people, and many people’s willingness to be adventurous and share their gifts, we ended up developing a livestream service which now serves a third to half of our worshiping community on any given Sunday. Our online congregation is made up of members who can’t come in person for reasons ranging from age and mobility to being on vacation, as well as out-of-town family members of our local members, and people who are looking for a church and wanted to check us out online before they come in person. It is a gift to our ministry we never would have had, if not for getting knocked off the path by Covid. Another road to Damascus experience.

Going even a little further back, when your longtime pastor retired, you were prepared for that. You expected it. But then, the first attempt at a call process did not result in a new pastor, and then your longtime music director also left, and many beloved members followed. I wasn’t here for that, but I suspect that left you a bit disoriented, knocked off your path, and unsure how to go forward. Various people and resources took you by the hand and led you through that darkness, prayed with and for you, and suddenly things became clear. You were able to hire a new music director who was beloved, and then call a new pastor (me!), and together we started a new chapter in St. Paul’s ministry. Another road to Damascus.

You see this story plays out again and again – not just for us at St. Paul’s, of course, but for all Christians. That experience, no matter how big or small, on the side of the well-trodden, familiar path – blinded, disoriented, questioning, uncertain – is not a fun or easy place to be. Frankly, it can be discouraging, unsettling, even terrifying. Yet Jesus does not leave Saul alone there, nor does he leave us alone. He may question us in that place, like he did Saul. He may challenge us. He may ask more of us than we think we are able to give. But, he will also provide just what we need to get where we need to go – someone to lead us by the hand, someone to pray with and for us, even the Holy Spirit herself. All along the way, God never leaves Saul’s side.

And when the time comes (three days later, hm, sounds familiar!), suddenly a new life begins for Saul. He suddenly sees the future God has in store for him. First, he is baptized, and receives assurance of God’s presence, forgiveness, and protection for this life and the next. Then he receives some food for strength – not unlike how we receive strength from this holy food we have each week. He spends time with other followers of Christ, in fellowship with a Christ-centered community. And then, he goes out into the world, proclaiming Jesus, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God!” And Saul, Paul, becomes the foremost missionary and church-planter who spreads the good news of Jesus Christ throughout Asia and Europe, and whose letters to these fledgling churches would become our holy scripture. 

And none of it would have happened if he hadn’t been knocked off his planned path, if his plans hadn’t been disrupted. This, I find very comforting, because I am often so annoyed when my plans get disrupted. And yet, it is often those disruptions that are exactly what is needed to bring about the new life God has in store for us and for the world. 

Let us pray… Disrupting God, we do our best to plan our lives and do your will, but sometimes you have a different idea. We thank you for the story of Saul, and for what it teaches us about trusting that when we are set off our path, it might just be exactly what is needed to set us on yours. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.