Fr Phil Eberhart
June 7, 2020
For about the last 10 days we've been watching the unraveling of American society and the takeover by an uncovered spirit of lawlessness. This morning I want to talk about how we can pray and act in this time, to allow light to be shed on our community, our state and nation and around the world.
This is Trinity Sunday, a week after Pentecost. The period between Easter and Pentecost was a time of great shaking for the disciples. Trying to come to terms with the crucifixion and then the resurrection of their master, Jesus. His death and three days in the tomb. His resurrection and his appearances with them, in the Upper Room, on the road to Emmaus, again and again in various places and times all the way back to Galilee. Then the second miraculous catch of fish. The Ascension of Jesus and 10 days of waiting. Then the rushing, mighty wind and fire of Pentecost.
God was shaking them up. Shaking them out of their roots and traditions, out of their stubborn misunderstanding of God's mission in Christ. Shaking them out of their self-preoccupation and raising their eyes to a bigger view of their calling and what God wanted to accomplish through them.
Today we're being shaken, we've said this over and over for months and now it's actually taking shape. Is God the author of this confusion? No, but God certainly will use it in our personal and national lives, to move us individually and corporately, to a place where we are attentive to Him and responsive to Him!
Over and over throughout history God has allowed hardship, national trial, and personal pain to cause us to come back to a fuller reliance on Him, a fuller knowledge of His ways, and a fuller engagement with His mission in the World. Today it's no different!
The shaking has a designated purpose... to discipline God's People, (judgement begins with the House of God) to produce in us the fruit of repentance and to turn us, and thus our nation and world, back to Him and Him alone. All the disciples experienced all of these things personally and wrote to give us a clue about God's purpose in this time...
In Hebrews...
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.12.11.ESV
In James:
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:17-18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.3.17-18.ESV
Friends, God is working here. Among us and across our nation. It's time for us, the Church, to pay attention. It's time for us to get on our knees - in prayer, where it all starts but cannot properly stay there; in acts, the fruit of Repentance: changing our own ways in response to God's word and His Spirit working in and through and among us. Staying on our knees, in servant ministry, washing feet, healing hurts, supplying His love and grace to our world.
This morning we've moved from creation to commission in our readings. And that is the pathway we are constantly called to: turning and returning to God as our source and supply, then taking all we've recieved and giving it to others. Just as the Father has sent me, so now I am sending you! GO. 1500 times in the bible... GO. The message is clear.
The world is crying out for the church to be the church! God himself has taken us in hand and through this time will lead us if we will but pray, listen and do what He tells us. It still comes down to our own willingness, our availability and ultimately to our OBEDIENCE.
LET'S PRAY.
Our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: We come to your throne today seeking your face - lift up Your face towards us and grant us Your SHALOM. Help us, Lord, to return to You and Your ways. Our world depends on it. Send us out today to serve others, to live and love in your Name. Open our eyes... awaken us to see your hand working around us, and direct our steps to bring your peace into our world.
In Jesus Name and for His Kingdom's sake, we pray.
Amen
For about the last 10 days we've been watching the unraveling of American society and the takeover by an uncovered spirit of lawlessness. This morning I want to talk about how we can pray and act in this time, to allow light to be shed on our community, our state and nation and around the world.
This is Trinity Sunday, a week after Pentecost. The period between Easter and Pentecost was a time of great shaking for the disciples. Trying to come to terms with the crucifixion and then the resurrection of their master, Jesus. His death and three days in the tomb. His resurrection and his appearances with them, in the Upper Room, on the road to Emmaus, again and again in various places and times all the way back to Galilee. Then the second miraculous catch of fish. The Ascension of Jesus and 10 days of waiting. Then the rushing, mighty wind and fire of Pentecost.
God was shaking them up. Shaking them out of their roots and traditions, out of their stubborn misunderstanding of God's mission in Christ. Shaking them out of their self-preoccupation and raising their eyes to a bigger view of their calling and what God wanted to accomplish through them.
Today we're being shaken, we've said this over and over for months and now it's actually taking shape. Is God the author of this confusion? No, but God certainly will use it in our personal and national lives, to move us individually and corporately, to a place where we are attentive to Him and responsive to Him!
Over and over throughout history God has allowed hardship, national trial, and personal pain to cause us to come back to a fuller reliance on Him, a fuller knowledge of His ways, and a fuller engagement with His mission in the World. Today it's no different!
The shaking has a designated purpose... to discipline God's People, (judgement begins with the House of God) to produce in us the fruit of repentance and to turn us, and thus our nation and world, back to Him and Him alone. All the disciples experienced all of these things personally and wrote to give us a clue about God's purpose in this time...
In Hebrews...
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.12.11.ESV
In James:
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:17-18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.3.17-18.ESV
Friends, God is working here. Among us and across our nation. It's time for us, the Church, to pay attention. It's time for us to get on our knees - in prayer, where it all starts but cannot properly stay there; in acts, the fruit of Repentance: changing our own ways in response to God's word and His Spirit working in and through and among us. Staying on our knees, in servant ministry, washing feet, healing hurts, supplying His love and grace to our world.
This morning we've moved from creation to commission in our readings. And that is the pathway we are constantly called to: turning and returning to God as our source and supply, then taking all we've recieved and giving it to others. Just as the Father has sent me, so now I am sending you! GO. 1500 times in the bible... GO. The message is clear.
The world is crying out for the church to be the church! God himself has taken us in hand and through this time will lead us if we will but pray, listen and do what He tells us. It still comes down to our own willingness, our availability and ultimately to our OBEDIENCE.
LET'S PRAY.
Our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: We come to your throne today seeking your face - lift up Your face towards us and grant us Your SHALOM. Help us, Lord, to return to You and Your ways. Our world depends on it. Send us out today to serve others, to live and love in your Name. Open our eyes... awaken us to see your hand working around us, and direct our steps to bring your peace into our world.
In Jesus Name and for His Kingdom's sake, we pray.
Amen
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