What is it about youth-group songs that make them stick in your head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am the resurrection [clap].
And the life [clap, clap, clap, clap].
Those who believe in me will live a new life.
I am the resurrection [clap].
And the life [clap, clap, clap, clap].
Those who believe in me will never die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who remembers that one? There\u2019s a story about a teen, taking her first tentative steps on her Christian journey who turned up at a youth group. She hears the group sing that song, but it puzzles her. There has to be more. Maybe they clapped because it was a fill-in-the-blank song? She didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today\u2019s reading from Paul\u2019s letter to the Ephesians could have perhaps helped out that teen. While scripture makes it clear that it is through \u201cgrace that we are saved \u2013 through faith, not by works,\u201d when we decide to follow Christ, old life is shed and new life is embraced. Kind of like when a child outgrows a winter coat and the loving parent gives the child a new coat of the right size. We don\u2019t earn the new coat \u2013 it is given in love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, we are to respond to the new life given with Christian action. Paul\u2019s letter provides us with a set of refreshingly clear instructions that guide us as we take off the old \u201ccoat\u201d of secular living, of old life, and put on the new coat of Christian life. It\u2019s a list of some of the instructions to guide the actions necessary for Christian living, as applicable today as they were nearly 2,000 years ago when they were first written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look closely at a few of Paul\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, Paul instructs his reader to \u201cput away all falsehood.\u201d We, as followers of Christ, are to lose all dishonesty, lies, deceit, and tendency toward fabrication. Paul invites us to live an authentic life marked by truth and honesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an era of Bernie Madoff, one doesn\u2019t need to look far to find poignant examples of people whose entire existence is based on lies and falsehood. And there are less extravagant examples all around us. During these tough economic times, the excess and lies of the last decade are becoming apparent. Looking at the number of foreclosures, the staggering amount of credit-card debt, and other signs, it is clear that many Americans have been on a spending binge, spending well above and beyond their means. Isn\u2019t spending what one doesn\u2019t have, and pretending to have more than one does, qualify as deceit and fabrication?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some churches are like this too \u2013 dipping deep, or even exhausting their endowments if they are fortunate enough to have them, and spending more than their finances allow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
William Barclay, in his commentary on \u201cThe Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians\u201d addresses why truth is such a core component of Christian life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are all members of the same body. We can live in safety only if the senses and nerves pass true messages to the brain. If they took to passing false messages, if for instance, they told the brain that something was cool and touchable when in fact it was hot and burning, life would very soon come to an end. A body can function healthily only when each part of it passes true messages to the brain. If then we are all bound into one body, that body can function properly only when we speak the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As members of the body of Christ, we must live an authentic life marked by truth and honesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul also addresses the role of anger in Christian life. In verse 26, Paul advises us to \u201cbe angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently a priest was picking up his clerical shirts from the local dry cleaners. Short on time and with a to-do list a mile long, he ran in for the shirts, expecting the stop to only last a minute or two. As he asked the young woman behind the counter the superficial question, \u201cHow are you?\u201d tears filled her eyes. She said, \u201cFather, I have a hate-filled heart, and I don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d Clearly, this was not going to be a quick stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest listened \u2013 holy listening, on God\u2019s schedule, not ours, as is often the case \u2013 and the young woman explained that she had lived with her boyfriend, a drug addict, for the past two years. He had been in and out of rehab, and he had now relapsed once again. The night before he had brought home a man that the police were after and let him stay on their sofa. She had spent the night in fear for her own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young woman explained that she knows it is the \u201cChristian thing to do to forgive,\u201d but that she just couldn\u2019t do it any more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest thought long and hard, and he explained that her anger was certainly justifiable. Anger is an emotion, and we can\u2019t help but feel angry. He also explained that forgiveness does not mean that people who sin against us are not responsible for the consequences of their behavior. Radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlesinger once had a phone call from a woman expressing a similar sentiment and Dr. Laura responded by saying, \u201cBeing a Christian doesn\u2019t necessarily make you a wimp!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forgiving her boyfriend for his relapse is one thing, but allowing him back into her life is far different. To allow the boyfriend to return time and time again had allowed the anger to fester, and the \u201chate-filled heart\u201d she described was the result \u2013 the \u201cmaking room for the devil\u201d to which Paul refers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While we all feel anger, as Christians we must seek to resolve our anger. And as Christians, we must use our words to build up the body of Christ. In verse 29, Paul writes that we must not let \u201cevil talk come out of our mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that our words may give grace to those who hear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a funny thing about human nature. It seems that we have a tendency to try and make ourselves seem better off by talking badly about others. While people of all ages can be guilty of this practice, at no other time in life is it more true than in middle school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a story about a 13-year-old girl, active in her local Episcopal youth group, whose Christian faith ran deep. Most evenings at about bedtime she could be found on her window seat, quietly praying, wholly on her own accord. One Sunday after youth group, when this passage from Ephesians was explored, she came to her mom, looking downright scared. She asked, \u201cIs that really true? Do you think it is a sin to talk bad about someone? Should we really only say things that build up other people \u2013 no matter where we are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her mom could only imagine her 13-year-old\u2019s thought process. After a long discussion \u2013 and without a lecture or mandate from her mother \u2013 the girl decided that for the entire season of Lent she would only say things that would build others up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were challenges; at school, with her siblings, and even once at church. But by Easter she was able to explain to her mom that that she realized that putting other people down really didn\u2019t make her feel any better about herself. In fact, it made her feel worse when she thought about it. Taking the time to be intentional about her speech allowed her to break a bad habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a middle school student is able to live by Paul\u2019s words, we as adults certainly should be able to as well. As Christians, we must use our words to build up the body of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul\u2019s instructions conclude with the summary of that point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPut away from us all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is noteworthy that Paul adds the importance of forgiveness \u2013 forgiveness of self and others, as God has forgiven us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reality, very few of us can always live by the guidelines for Christian living that Paul lays out for us. Maybe today your heart is heavy because you aren\u2019t living a completely authentic life \u2013 maybe the world and even your church family see an inauthentic you. Paul\u2019s words suggest it is time to start living in truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or maybe today you are harboring a festering anger \u2013 an anger that may well have been justified. Paul\u2019s words suggest that it is time to let it go. God has more for your heart and soul to do than nurse a previous hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or maybe today you\u2019re thinking that your words aren\u2019t always used to build up others. Paul closes with forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So today as our worship continues and we pray together, pay particular attention to the Lord\u2019s Prayer \u2013 to forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recalling the youth group song, it is through the gift of God\u2019s forgiveness that we \u201ccan live a new life and never die.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is it about youth-group songs that make them stick in your head? I am the resurrection [clap].And the life [clap, clap, clap, clap].Those who believe in me will live a new life.I am the resurrection [clap].And the life [clap, clap, clap, clap].Those who believe in me will never die. Who remembers that one? There\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201212,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[43,52,33,3],"tags":[337],"class_list":["post-510966","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-the-season-after-pentecost","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-proper-14b"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":33,"label":"The Season After Pentecost"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":337,"label":"Proper 14B"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/510966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/510966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951553,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/510966\/revisions\/951553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}