God Is With Us.
Easter 4, Year A
God is with us; we are not alone. There is no place we can go where God will not be. Psalm 139 asks,
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10
God is with us so we are not alone. Nothing we do can separate us from the love of God. The Apostle Paul declares
…neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God … Romans. 8:38-39
There is no place where our joys and jubilations, no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven. Because God is with us yesterday, today, and forever, we are not and will never be alone. In the Gospel reading from John (10:1-10) God is likened to a shepherd, gatekeeper, gate, and roll caller. God, the Good Shepherd, watches over the sheep. God leads the sheep, you and me, to green pastures and beside still waters nourishing and sustaining us. Psalm 23:2 God, is both Gatekeeper and Gate. God, the Gate, establishes, protects, and promotes freedom. John 10:10 Before nightfall the Gate is opened to offer a resting place. Overnight, the Gate is closed to keep out predators. Each morning, the Gate is reopened to allow sheep to explore and wander.
When a sheep is lost, caught in a thicket, or injured the Good Shepherd leaves
…the ninety-nine… and goes after the one which is lost… And when it is found, that sheep is laid on the Shepherd’s shoulders, and brought home with rejoicing. Luke 15:4b-6
God is with us; we are not alone. The Good Shepherd, Gatekeeper, and Gate know us and call us each by name. Jesus’ description of God’s roll call is not about judgement or punishment. Jesus’ description reveals an intimate, tender, and compassionate relationship between Shepherd and sheep. Every person is a child of God. Just as a parent knows the name of their children, God knows the names of God’s children. The Good Shepherd names each sheep. Just as every person is a child of God so too every sheep is member of the Good Shepherd’s flock. Sinners and saints, Democrats and Republicans, sheep and goats, believer, agnostic, and atheist are all children of God. When God calls, God does more than choose and set apart a particular group. While the Bible frequently refers to the chosen people, selected prophets, anointed kings, and apostles called, Jesus purposefully and powerfully demonstrates that everyone is loved [Jew and Gentile] and everyone is saved [Nicodemus (the pharisee), Zacheus (the tax collector), and the woman at the well (with all those men and no husband)]. Everyone is called, but some are not listening and only a few are willing to go. You are called and cared for by God. We are called not because we are worthy. We are loved not because we are good. We are called and cared for because God is good. God is with us so we are not alone.
What difference does it make to have God with us? The Acts of the Apostles reports
…those who devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers. …performed many wonders and signs… Acts 2:42-43
What the first generation of apostles observed is taking place today. People who worship, receive Communion, read Scripture, and pray (in other words, people who know their need for God and seek God) develop skills. Skills that enable us to recognize and follow the Holy Spirit. Dushy, a Christ Church Vestry member, regularly invites people to church. She gets frustrated because very few people have accepted her invitation. Having a small number of worshippers can make Vestry members and priest’s anxious. Though the size of Christ Church membership is small, around 80 people, it has grown beyond the 25 active members I met 3 years ago at the start of my tenure. Worship attendance at Christ Church was great on Easter Sunday. There were 68 people. Among those attending was a person Dushy had repeatedly inviting to church. During Lent, this woman dropped by to ask whether her daughter could play the flute during church. I asked whether her daughter was available to play on Easter Sunday. The mother, her flute playing daughter, and 8 of their family members worshipped and stayed after church to dine with us. God was with Dushy, cultivating her invitations into church attendance beyond what Dushy imagined. Kim, a Christ Church Warden, helped count the Easter offering. She noticed a check bearing the name of a person who had not attended Christ Church in years. Kim was disappointed that she had not seen this person to greet them at the peace or talk with them after church. God was with Kim and the lapsed member. On Easter Monday they rode on the same Jitney bus to Manhattan. They greeted one another and talked about Christ Church. Rosina, a colleague I have known and worked with for almost 40 years, fell gravely ill during Holy Week. Rosina, a sister in the Order of St. Helena, was at Covent in Augusta, Georgia.
When we spoke over the phone, she told me she was ready to die and was annoyed that God was taking so long to call her home. This was the third time in three years she was gravely ill. She was ready. Why, she asked, was God keeping her waiting. On each of her remaining days, Rosina called on and look for God. Like the Good Shepherd, Rosina corralled each person who visited her to sang hymns, say prayers, and recite Psalms to celebrate her impending meeting with God. Psalm 91 was among those she insisted people say.
When they call to God, God will answer; God will be with them in trouble; rescue them and bring them to honor. Psalm 91:15
The Good Shepherd came for Rosina a few days after Easter. God called her name and Rosina went home rejoicing. God partnered with Dushy. God guiding someone she invited to the green pasture and still water of Easter worship. God was with Kim orchestrating her meeting with the lapsed member. Wonders and signs happen to those who know their need for God and who seek God. God is with you; you are not alone.
