LOOKING AT LIFE THROUGH TRANSITIONAL LENSES

Readings: Psalm 8, Genesis 1:1-4, Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:9-13
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, June 19th 2011

A PDF printable file can be downloaded here

I recently acquired some new glasses through which I now view the world. Not only can I better read the small print but these spectacles have lenses that respond to the sunlight. When the sun shines on them they magically become tinted so as to save me from squinting. Automatic sunglasses. ‘Cool’ I thought. Until one lady said, “Yes, a lot of old people enjoy them”. There’s always somebody who has to burst your bubble! Never mind. I am now looking at life through transitional lenses!

Our Scripture reading came from Paul’s closing words of the second letter to the Church in Corinth. The Church in Corinth were a people whose lives were changing and had become a church in transition. In an attempt to sum up all he had said to them Paul offers these words (and I share from the Message Bible) “That’s about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure” (2 Corinthians:13:11)

As a church here in Baldwin we are in a time of transition. A particular challenge we face is our Sunday School program. As a congregation we are committed to raising our children in the faith of the gospel. Some folk have been faithfully teaching over many years but can no longer continue. Others are moving away. Others are over-stretched and can’t commit for the coming year. As a result we need new people to step up to the plate in order to have a strong Sunday School program for the Fall.

I would encourage you to consider how God may be calling you to respond to this need we have. I’m not sure how it’s all going to work out, as right now we don’t have a plan. But I am sure God has a way for us to proceed and that as we commit to following God’s way then things will fall into place. I believe God is faithful. I worry about some of God’s people from time to time, but then so did Paul, which is why he kept writing letters and visiting them and encouraging them.

The Church in Corinth was, as I said, going through a time of transition. What did Paul offer them? Firstly he encouraged them to be cheerful. Let’s be honest, whatever lens you look at life through things can look bleak. And there is no shortage of folk to tell you that it’s only going to get worse. Some people always have room for doom and gloom. That’s true about life in the world. It also applies to the life of the church.

The thing is that the voice we are called to listen to is not that of the unfaithful gloom merchants, but the quiet, renewing voice of God’s Holy Spirit. The action of God’s Spirit is the one that brings joy to bear even in the midst of complex problems with uncertain outcomes. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!” wrote Paul to a struggling church in Phillipi. (Philippians 4:4)

So friends, I invite you to be of good cheer. Not because everything is right with the world, but because you are a child of God, much loved, much privileged, full of potential and destined for glory. Don’t allow anything to drain the joy out of you! Be cheerful.

Secondly, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “Keep things in good repair and keep your spirits up” (or as our Bible reading from the NIV had it “aim for perfection”). We are blessed in this church with a great heritage. Folk from this church have taught the faith to others, impacted the community with good works and gifted us with a wonderful facility in which we continue to proclaim the blessings of God.

Let us set our standards high. Let us not only build on what we have received, but take it up a notch so that generations to come may also receive a godly heritage. Those who aim at nothing always achieve it. God invites us to aim high! ‘Keep your spirits up!” Again there are voices around us, like the lady who informed me transitional lens were a sign of my age, who pour cold water on our dreams and make light of our vision. But, again, we choose in what we invest our time and how to use our talents and treasures in the service of God. Let us make the right choices.

Thirdly, Paul encourages the Corinthians to “Think in harmony”. The Greek word used here is “Phroneo” which is a difficult word to translate into English as it has a variety of meanings. It can mean, “Be of one mind”. But it can also mean, “Do not let your opinion of yourself exceed the bounds of modesty”. Putting those together Paul is saying that in order to travel through times of transition everybody has to pull together. No one person can do it all. Every person’s contribution has significance.

It’s always a problem in church life to figure out where you fit in. The best way to work that out is just be yourself, and offer your life to God to serve in whatever way God thinks is best … and then let God take care of it. The Holy Spirit has a wonderful way of fitting things together in the most unique ways. I wish I could explain that in a precise way, but all I can do is encourage you to be sensitive to the gentle prodding of God and launch out in faith when you feel there is a need you can respond to!

When we open our hymnbook we see a piece of music in front of us. We see the words, but they need the melody. We see the melody, but then there are those other parts that fill it all out. And then there’s the accompaniment. And to have accompaniment we need the instrument. And somewhere along the way of course there had to be a poet who came up with the words and a composer who came up with the tune, not to mention a publisher who printed the hymnbook. Takes a lot of different people to sing a hymn in church. Likewise to run a Sunday School, or seek the best in any area of church life, we have to as Paul says, “Think in harmony”

Finally, Paul encourages the Corinthians to “Be agreeable”. Friends, although I’ve only been here a short while I know there are things we agree on. We agree that we want to see this church flourish and grow. We agree that we want to see our children nurtured in the faith of the gospel. There are other areas we need to agree on.

That what we do here on a Sunday and throughout the week has great significance and is more important than we dare imagine. That the world needs a Savior and that Jesus Christ is still calling people to be disciples. That the love of God is the ultimate framework in which we can live and move and have our being. That all is not right with the world, but in Jesus Christ hope can be reborn and real change can take place.

I encourage you today to look at life through the transitional lens of God’s love. To be cheerful, and not allow the doom and gloom merchants to steal away your joy. To “Keep things in good repair and keep your spirits up”, in other words to invest your time, talents and treasures in things that matter so your life has purpose and meaning. To think in harmony, that is see that everybody has a role to play in creating a church community that is faithful and able to do all the things that God calls them to. To be agreeable, to agree that what we are doing here at 717 St Luke’s Place is no little thing, but a great endeavor that invites our greatest passion, commitment and service.

If we do so … then we can also claim Paul’s final words in verse 13 as our own. “Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure”

For sure! Did you catch that last little nuance? For sure! Be of good cheer. Aim for perfection. Be of one mind. Be at peace. In such ways we discover the love of God truly is amazing! Again I encourage us to see all things through the transitional lens of God’s love. “And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

To God’s name be the glory. Amen.

Rev Adrian J Pratt