Keeping the dimension of mystery
Commentary
The reading from Acts this day is the closing scene in a story that begins in Acts 10:1. The whole section of Acts 10:1--11:18 is Luke's account of the meeting of Cornelius and Peter, the reception of Cornelius and his household into the church, Peter's subsequent report to the Mother Church in Jerusalem, his response to critics, and the official endorsement of the Gentile mission by the Jerusalem church. The preacher today might well consider telling the whole story via excerpts from Acts 10:1--11:18. Some commentary by the preacher at selected breaks would move the story along. That the life of a Jewish fisherman should intersect with that of a Roman army officer is something one would not expect to happen given all the walls between the two of them. That the meeting marks a decisive moment in church history adds to the drama. In the narrative one feels that Luke wants to share with us his own sense of the mystery of God's guidance.
The epistle lesson again, as it will also do next week, transports us into the beautiful imagery and poetic insights of the author of Revelation. As I scan them the words of the old hymn, "These Things Shall Be," surface in my thoughts. No section of scripture is more challenging for the preacher. Last year on this particular weekend I attended worship at a small rural church in a neighboring state. Since this Sunday in some calendars is also the Festival of the Christian Home the preacher deftly applied the command of Jesus in today's gospel reading to family life. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another."
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
Acts 11:1-18
As noted above, this reading is part of a larger unit in Acts and can be more richly treated within the context of the entire narrative. In 10:1--11:18 Luke tells the story of the meeting of Peter and Cornelius, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household as Peter was speaking to them, and Peter's subsequent report to the leadership in Jerusalem. This is a pivotal historic moment as the Gentile mission is validated and the young church moves beyond barriers to community set down by an exclusionary piety.
Some in the Jerusalem church criticize Peter for eating with Gentiles. But the real issue is not food, but the inclusion of Gentiles. In church and community controversies given issues are often not the real issues. The stated issue may be a cover for the real issue of prejudice or a power struggle.
Some commentators fault Luke for excluding human decision making in the process by reporting a series of Divine incursions that make the actors just puppets on a string. I personally believe that dreams can play a role in our mental processes especially as we seek to resolve issues and problems. I once heard a great sermon on this passage delivered by the late Rev. Fred Hoskins at a service of installation for a new minister in a Chicago area church. The title of the sermon was "Working From Both Ends." Hoskins pointed out how Cornelius was engaged in prayer and Peter was prayerfully struggling with an issue. Their lives intersected. He compared the process to that of a church seeking a pastor and a pastor seeking a church. Prayer on both ends is assumed by the very fact that we speak of calling rather than hiring. Our vocabulary preserves the conviction and hope that more than human decision making is involved.
Cornelius is worthy of more than just casual mention in any sermon. The Italian Cohort was the only all-Roman unit stationed in Palestine, at least during the days of Jesus. It was garrisoned at the residence of the Roman Procurator in Caesarea. At the time of Luke's writing, however, Herod Aggrippa, who had strong ties in Rome, especially with Caligula, had been granted kingship. If you know anything about the perversion of Tiberius and later Caligula, people like Cornelius and the unnamed common soldier mentioned in the narrative shine forth.
The name of Simon the Tanner crops up. Peter was staying at his house. Surely something has to be said in praise of all the long-suffering saints who host visiting preachers.
Revelation 21:1-6
Apart from the beauty and comfort in these verses there is a much needed vision of the City of God. Thinking of cities we think of crime, traffic, human congestion, smog, a decaying infrastructure. The urban negatives loom large in our minds. We need to hear about the city of potential. Even the city as we know it now is a miracle. I share with you this prayer I once composed for a special occasion.
"Our Father, the sun arose again this morning and by some silent signal the city sprang to life, traffic filled the streets, and everyone went to his appointed place. Thousands do their varied tasks, the city throbs, and all things hold together. O God, what a miracle of grace daily renewed is the human city. Keep alive in us the sense of wonder and mystery, the sense of daily participation in miracle lest there slip from our lives the capacity to wonder, to be astonished, to worship, to listen for a Word from beyond ourselves." Even the city built by human hands is a bit of a miracle. Think of the City of God.
John 13:31-35
The setting and the intimacy of the language suggest a family circle where dissension is always a possibility. Just what the situation was in the Johanine community at this time we cannot know for certain. Family is a primary community for all of us and we are familiar with some of the passions that can rend the family. We hear too many stories of abuse within the family circle these days. The command to love one another goes to the heart of things in our primary family setting as well as in the congregation which is our extended family. The Lord's commandment is that we act redemptively toward one another. Whether we call this Sunday the Festival of the Christian Home or Mother's Day these words seem quite appropriate to our needs.
We need to cite the danger in the word, the inference one can draw that loving one another is to be an in-house affair, my little family and no more, our little church and no further. The later epistles bearing the name of John betray a bit of an us-versus-them mentality that was starting to develop.
The epistle lesson again, as it will also do next week, transports us into the beautiful imagery and poetic insights of the author of Revelation. As I scan them the words of the old hymn, "These Things Shall Be," surface in my thoughts. No section of scripture is more challenging for the preacher. Last year on this particular weekend I attended worship at a small rural church in a neighboring state. Since this Sunday in some calendars is also the Festival of the Christian Home the preacher deftly applied the command of Jesus in today's gospel reading to family life. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another."
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
Acts 11:1-18
As noted above, this reading is part of a larger unit in Acts and can be more richly treated within the context of the entire narrative. In 10:1--11:18 Luke tells the story of the meeting of Peter and Cornelius, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household as Peter was speaking to them, and Peter's subsequent report to the leadership in Jerusalem. This is a pivotal historic moment as the Gentile mission is validated and the young church moves beyond barriers to community set down by an exclusionary piety.
Some in the Jerusalem church criticize Peter for eating with Gentiles. But the real issue is not food, but the inclusion of Gentiles. In church and community controversies given issues are often not the real issues. The stated issue may be a cover for the real issue of prejudice or a power struggle.
Some commentators fault Luke for excluding human decision making in the process by reporting a series of Divine incursions that make the actors just puppets on a string. I personally believe that dreams can play a role in our mental processes especially as we seek to resolve issues and problems. I once heard a great sermon on this passage delivered by the late Rev. Fred Hoskins at a service of installation for a new minister in a Chicago area church. The title of the sermon was "Working From Both Ends." Hoskins pointed out how Cornelius was engaged in prayer and Peter was prayerfully struggling with an issue. Their lives intersected. He compared the process to that of a church seeking a pastor and a pastor seeking a church. Prayer on both ends is assumed by the very fact that we speak of calling rather than hiring. Our vocabulary preserves the conviction and hope that more than human decision making is involved.
Cornelius is worthy of more than just casual mention in any sermon. The Italian Cohort was the only all-Roman unit stationed in Palestine, at least during the days of Jesus. It was garrisoned at the residence of the Roman Procurator in Caesarea. At the time of Luke's writing, however, Herod Aggrippa, who had strong ties in Rome, especially with Caligula, had been granted kingship. If you know anything about the perversion of Tiberius and later Caligula, people like Cornelius and the unnamed common soldier mentioned in the narrative shine forth.
The name of Simon the Tanner crops up. Peter was staying at his house. Surely something has to be said in praise of all the long-suffering saints who host visiting preachers.
Revelation 21:1-6
Apart from the beauty and comfort in these verses there is a much needed vision of the City of God. Thinking of cities we think of crime, traffic, human congestion, smog, a decaying infrastructure. The urban negatives loom large in our minds. We need to hear about the city of potential. Even the city as we know it now is a miracle. I share with you this prayer I once composed for a special occasion.
"Our Father, the sun arose again this morning and by some silent signal the city sprang to life, traffic filled the streets, and everyone went to his appointed place. Thousands do their varied tasks, the city throbs, and all things hold together. O God, what a miracle of grace daily renewed is the human city. Keep alive in us the sense of wonder and mystery, the sense of daily participation in miracle lest there slip from our lives the capacity to wonder, to be astonished, to worship, to listen for a Word from beyond ourselves." Even the city built by human hands is a bit of a miracle. Think of the City of God.
John 13:31-35
The setting and the intimacy of the language suggest a family circle where dissension is always a possibility. Just what the situation was in the Johanine community at this time we cannot know for certain. Family is a primary community for all of us and we are familiar with some of the passions that can rend the family. We hear too many stories of abuse within the family circle these days. The command to love one another goes to the heart of things in our primary family setting as well as in the congregation which is our extended family. The Lord's commandment is that we act redemptively toward one another. Whether we call this Sunday the Festival of the Christian Home or Mother's Day these words seem quite appropriate to our needs.
We need to cite the danger in the word, the inference one can draw that loving one another is to be an in-house affair, my little family and no more, our little church and no further. The later epistles bearing the name of John betray a bit of an us-versus-them mentality that was starting to develop.
