People of Faith
Rev. Margaret Gunselman, Lebo-Olivet United Methodist Church
Friday, January 25, 2008
Recently my husband decided that it was time for me to upgrade my phone. So we got up early one Saturday to beat the rush, and then stood in line with all the other people who had the same idea. I let him decide on the type of phone I would get. They just confuse me and cell phones do way too many things anymore. All I need is the ability to make and receive phone calls. I was pleased that I ended up with a phone that is slimmer than my model, and is a lovely shade of red. Later that day, we stopped to eat. I decided to try out my new phone while we were there; and promptly took a picture of the table top.
Lately, I feel like the White Rabbit that Alice met. It seems that I’m always late. Not only am I hopelessly behind on all things technological, but more and more I seem to be living from deadline to deadline. And while I know it’s not true, I keep hanging on to the fantasy that if I can just get this next deadline out of the way, I will be able to stop, get caught up, and organize my life. But there is something about my life that seems unwilling to be organized, or managed, or controlled.
As I read the Scriptures, I think this may be a very holy thing. Moses paused to turn aside and see the wonder of a bush that burned and yet was not consumed. In doing so, he encountered God and learned of God’s call on his life. A call that led him to leave his flocks and go to Egypt to lead God’s people into freedom. Peter, Andrew, James and John were mending their nets when Jesus called them to a new vocation. Paul was blinded by the light when he encountered Jesus. And when his sight returned, he saw the world very differently.
Few of us are called to the great tasks of these men. But each of us is called to faithful living. We are called to love God with all of our being, and to love others with the love God has shown us. To take this command seriously not only changes the way that we live, but changes the world. That was what set the early Christians apart. It wasn’t their fine buildings, or their great preaching. It wasn’t the setting for their worship or the lively music it contained. It certainly wasn’t their wealth or status in the community. What people noticed about them was how they loved and cared for one another. Not just those within the community, but those the world had forgotten.
Our call is to follow Jesus; to offer justice, healing, and peace to the world. And our calling is to “make disciples.” That is, to teach those who join us how to do that same work of compassion and love for God and others. As people of faith, we are asked to have faith. Faith that God will provide and we will be set free to love God, to tend and care for God’s creation, and to love others as we have been loved.
- “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Margaret Gunselman of the Lebo-Olivet United Methodist Church.