First Presbyterian Church
Sowing not Sinking
Sermon for July 8, 2007
by Pastor
Susan Barnes
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Children's time: What's going on in this cartoon? 1 The baby in a high chair has a face full of food. The dad with the bowl of food and an empty spoon also has a faceful of food. The dad said to the mom who just walked in, “He started it!” What do you think it teaches the baby? Whose fault do you think this mess is? (The kids all agreed it was the dad's because he knew better.
Our unison reading is from Psalm 30, found on page 505 of your pew Bibles. In this thanksgiving psalm, the Lord moves the psalmist from sorrow to joy, drawing up the singer as a bucket in a well, and preserving the psalmist's life. Listen for the word of God as we read it together in Psalm 30.
This ends our reading from the psalm.
Our epistle reading is on page 191. It's the final chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians. Paul has written against the Christian missionaries who claim that all Gentile Christians must be adopt Jewish practices of following the kosher food laws and being circumcised. He has talked to them about the fruits of the spirit. But now, Paul closes his letter by explaining to them what it means to walk by the spirit: mutual correction, self-examination, and financial support. Listen for the word of God as it is found in Galatians 6.
This ends our reading of God's word. Anthem Paul encourages the Galatians to restore with gentleness anyone who transgresses. Restoring a transgressor in a spirit of gentleness isn't easy. Generally the transgressor doesn't think he or she did anything wrong. Theologian Rheinhold Neibuhr said, “we find it…difficult… to believe that anyone could think ill of us, since we are…persuaded…that [we are] so essentially virtuous that only malice could prompt criticism of any of our actions.” 2 I think Paul was trying to help the church members correct that attitude when he said “ all must test their own work.” We are obligated to examine our motives and our actions, knowing that we are going to be held accountable for them in the judgment. “My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.” It is so easy, when we are accused of something, to accuse our accuser. But Paul cautions the church not to sink to that level. He wrote, “bear one another's burdens” and “all must test their own work.” When we care for one another with kindness, we live out the law of ‘love thy neighbor.' Christ did it, and we try to do it also. Christ's law will be fulfilled “as a consequence of the church [members'] simple daily acts of assuming responsibility for one another.” 3 I think of a former PCUSA moderator, Syngman Rhee, who was sent to help a troubled church. The church had just called a pastor, full of charisma and a great preacher. But that same pastor had been charged with misconduct at his previous presbytery. He preached that “the congregation should perform its duties at church in the manner that pleases the pastor.” He taught that “When you encounter the pastor, behave as if you were facing Jesus.” 4 A friend of mine heard him say, “A church member ought to lay down his life for his pastor.” The presbytery would not dismiss him to the new presbytery until he answered the charges. The pastor then renounced the jurisdiction of the presbytery and left the denomination. He moved in to his new church. Once he arrived, nearly half the members left the PCUSA as well. This is the situation Syngman Rhee came into. He had hoped to work toward reconciliation in the congregation, but the dissidents were having the locks changed on the church building, and a trial was pending. A civil court judge had issued a preliminary finding, ordering both the dissidents and the loyalists to share the building until the case had been decided. Rhee tried to mediate. There was an ugly confrontation during a worship service that included security guards and many cameras. The dissidents wrote angry letters to church publications. The loyalists were angry that the moderator was so conciliatory toward the dissidents. The former moderator said, “They began to wildly spread the opinion that I am not on their side… “You know, being a peacemaker and reconciler can be a very difficult thing.” 5 But Rhee kept at it, and eventually the loyalists got to keep their building. They have new pastors now. The dissidents formed another, non-PCUSA church. Paul urged the Galatians not to sow to the flesh. Part of that means not indulging ourselves in behavior that isn't helpful. Like the dad throwing food at the baby who throws food at him. Or people changing locks on the church so the other members can't come in and set up for worship. Instead of sinking to an accuser's level, we are to sow our trust in the spirit. Think of our works as tiny seeds we plant, in hopes that they will grow and bear fruit. In our church constitution, we have a Book of Discipline. It says
Permanent judicial commission, or PJCs, have to carry out that purpose. When I read Galatians 6, I thought of my work as this presbytery's representative on our synod's PJC. Last month I heard a case brought against a presbytery in California. Both sides in the case believed the other had transgressed; each party believed they had God and the Presbyterian constitution, the Book of Order , on their side. The presbytery had passed some resolutions that our commission found were irregular or unconstitutional. But even though we sustained the complaints of one side, we were concerned for the discord of both parties. In our decision, the commission wrote
We spent a day wrestling with every word of the decision. We didn't say anything lightly. Paul didn't either. He said don't grow weary in doing what is right. Instead of sinking to an accuser's level, we are to sow our trust in the spirit. Our works will bear fruit. It is difficult when the opposition is loud and strong and convinced of their righteousness. But the work we do in the spirit is important, even if it seems like it is of no use. Paul said when we sow to the spirit, God is not mocked. Until Christ spoke to Paul, Paul took pride in being a Roman citizen and prominent Jewish leader. But now, he just takes pride in the cross. The cross is what saved Paul. Paul thought the missionaries wanted to boast in how many gentiles they convinced to follow the law. But Paul wanted the Galatians to follow his lead, and boast just in Christ. Paul wrote that he carried “the marks of Jesus branded on” his body. He had been flogged several times for preaching the gospel; the marks are his scars. He encouraged those early Christians to keep following Jesus despite the persecution they may experience. Some of us carry those marks too, 20 centuries later. They're not physical scars, but they show how we too are wounded by transgressors, and we inflict our own wounds on others, too. We are called to restore people with gentleness. It's a task that's never easy and sometimes uncomfortable but, says the apostle Paul, it is the work before us. When we worship with others in community, we get to do the difficult things together, along with Christ, the great head of the church. 1 www.gocomics.com/adamathome/2007/07/03/ 2Living Pulpit, vol. 8, no. 4, p. 24. 3New Interpreter's Bible, vol. XI, p. 333. 4 www.layman.org/layman/letters-editorials/2005-august-letters-2.htm 5 www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2005/05535.htm 6 D-1.0101, 1.0102. |
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