First United Methodist Church
June 23rd, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Cultivating Joy: God is With Us
When John Wesley was first asked to visit a man in prison, he was opposed to it. He thought that the man would try to persuade him to try to get his sentence reversed. He did go, however, and he discovered that the man was willing to accept his punishment – but he sought the companionship of a holy person in order to perfect his soul for eternity. This began a lifelong commitment to prison ministry and ultimately led to Wesley advocating for prison reform, because the conditions of 18th century prisons were appalling. Although his ministry included visits to the condemned, even accompanying them to the gallows in an effort to provide a comforting presence, much of his work involved providing meals, clothing and education to the prisoners’ families, since the primary breadwinner was unable to provide for them.
Wesley’s commitment to prison ministry and reform is an example of his holistic approach to faith, emphasizing both personal salvation and social justice. His legacy continues to inspire those who advocate for better conditions for prisoners and marginalized communities.
Sister Helen Prejean and Rev. Jeff Hood visit with and comfort death row inmates in their final days prior to their executions, and like Wesley, they have no expectations of influencing the inmates’ sentences. Rev. Hood wants to help the condemned inmates “feel human again” and offer them an opportunity to experience some level of dignity in their last days, hours, and minutes of life. Sister Helen has devoted her life’s work to advocating for the abolishment of government sponsored-killing, but in the meantime, her efforts mirror Wesley’s as she continues to befriend the condemned, offering grace, love and compassion. In her book, “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty,” she brings us into her mission of standing with people on the margins and loving the “unlovable.” She states, “It wasn’t enough to pray for God to help the poor. I had to roll up my sleeves and get involved. I’m still grateful that I woke up. It was grace that woke me up in a big way.”
As a part of God’s continuous relationship with us, God calls us to be a light in the world and empowers us to make disciples. If we are to answer this call, we also need grace to “wake us up” so that we don’t, as Paul warns, “accept the grace of God in vain.” Most people understand grace as something that we receive from God. It is a gift. We simply receive it – we open up our hands, and grace pours in. So what does Paul mean by accepting the grace of God in vain?
According to Wesley, when a person truly experiences grace, there is an internal “witness of the spirit.” This means that a person experiences a change in feeling. “Where before there was fear, now there is peace and joy. Where before there was animosity and resentment, now there is love. One can’t have peace and joy and love without knowing that one has them."
As a result of this inner change, or transformation, a change in behavior occurs. In other words, we begin to treat our neighbors differently. When Sister Helen and Rev. Hood began visiting inmates condemned to death, they were putting this understanding into practice. They did not expect to change the outcomes of the inmates’ death sentences; rather, they hoped that their relationships would bring some peace and help them to experience the grace and compassion of God.
Grace produces real effects that are visible and publicly testable; otherwise, Wesley claims, “it is not the grace of God the Creator.” When Paul tells the Corinthians, “Don’t accept the grace of God in vain,” he is saying that there should be some evidence of your faith in how you live in community and how you engage in the world around you. An inward transformation must produce an outward one that is visible. If a faith community is bearing fruit, there will be evidence.
Notice that he isn’t saying you must earn faith; faith, like grace, is a gift. But it is a gift that works in you and works through you.
Accepting the gift in vain would be like receiving some apples and hanging them on a maple tree with a sign that says “Free.” Although some people would benefit from your generosity, as the apples are picked and eaten, you still only have the same amount of apples you received originally. If you instead took one of the apples and planted it so that it grew into an apple tree, you would have a much more reliable source of apples, and the tree would produce apples year after year and many more people would benefit.
Grace is transforming. Grace is fruit-producing. But it is a partnership. Paul offers his own life, not as a boast, but as a sign that grace is at work in him and through him. But the road has not been easy. Grace does not make life simple or comfortable. If anything, it makes it more complicated and difficult. Yet, that is where grace is made full, where life is embraced. It is in the difficulties, in the heartaches, as well as in the joys and celebrations – in sorrow and in rejoicing – that grace is made manifest in individuals and the community of faith. When we rally around one another, when we enter into the hardships of another, when we endure, then grace abounds.
So, then, how do we activate this grace? How do we ensure that we have not accepted God’s gift of grace in vain?
First, we have to hear Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 as a declaration and a promise, not as instructions about what we should or should not do. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Llike the weeds we talked about last week, there is not much that you can do about it.
And because that’s true, Jesus says, we won’t be able to help but do things that salt and light do – preserve, add flavor, illumine, guide. In short, because God has created us to help each other and care for the world, we can’t help but live into that identity.
Can you believe that?
I know, at times, that can be difficult. Day after day, after all, we see enough evidence in the lives of those around us – and, truth be told, in our own as well – to recognize that we don’t always live up to Jesus’ pronouncement. We fall short, hiding our light, and wonder how in the world this promise could possibly be true.
Which is why it’s so important, I believe, to go to church. Not because going to church is a good thing to do (which of course it is). And not simply because God wants us to go to church (although I’m sure God does). But rather because when we come to church, we hear words of confession and forgiveness by which we can acknowledge where and how we’ve fallen short and then receive God’s forgiveness and love and be commissioned once again to go and be, in fact, salt and light for the world.
Being salt and light, you see, isn’t something that we do, it’s who we are. And each time we come to church we are reminded that whatever our successes and failures, whatever our good deeds or misdeeds, whatever we’ve done or has been done to us, nevertheless our essential identity as God’s beloved children called to be salt and light to the world has not changed.
We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, Jesus says – those loved by God in order to love those around us. We just can’t help it. Why? Because a city placed on a hill simply cannot be hidden.
The result of understanding ourselves to be the light of the world is joy. So go out into the world and let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Cultivate joy and know that God is with us. Let us pray:
Gracious and Loving God, remind us each and every day that we are your beloved children, called, equipped, and empowered to be salt and light to the world and to love others as we have been loved. We long to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We yearn to live with such passion and purpose that our lives may be like a city on a hill, resplendent in justice and righteousness for all the world to see. Shine through us this day, for we seek to reflect your glory in all that we say and in all that we do.
Give us courage to become the disciples you created us to be, bringing hope and peace in the places we find ourselves. As we bring before you the people and situations that require help and healing mercies, remind us again that you are with each person and situation, offering your love and mercy. Today we pray for [names]. We thank you for the many ways in which you have healed us. For all the goodness you have poured on us, we offer prayers of gratitude and love, as we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
