Psalm 133; Acts 4.32-37
One people, under God, with liberty and justice for all …
A dream for something better … something good and glorious … a nation devoted to the highest kinds of virtue.
The Statue of Liberty in New York’s harbor … these words inscribed on its foundation:
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Our nation was tested in 1861 … Confederate guns open fire on Fort Sumter … a terrible war engulfs the land.
The Union holds … Democracy wins the day, freedom’s holy light, from sea to shining sea.
In 1889, General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain dedicates a monument at Gettysburg, for the soldiers of Maine who fought there - their valor, their daring, turn the tide of battle at Little Round Top, and turn the tide of the war for a Union Victory …
General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain spoke with eloquence:
"In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar, and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder and dream; And lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their
souls."
A vision-place … a deathless field … the fields of Gettysburg, and right now, right here, I say the same about Westminster Presbyterian Church …
Great things have been done here, and great things still to be done - our call, our purpose, our duty … to follow Jesus.
Jesus walks the roads of Palestine … he’s kind to the needy, with sharp words for the Pharisees and the Sadducees … folks make a fuss about him.
The Roman Empire and Jerusalem’s ruling elite join hands, to get rid of him … he's arrested, tried, convicted, and executed … hurriedly buried when the day is done.
In the early hours of the third day, the women go to the tomb to finish the tasks of burial … wash, anoint, and wrap the body.
But the tomb is empty …
Death cannot hold the child of Bethlehem, the man of Galilee … he’s not here, says the angel, he goes on ahead of you!
So, here we are … the first Sunday after Easter … and we might well ask, Where do we go from here?
We put our hand to plow and not look back … we show up to sing the songs of Zion … at the end of worship, we’ll go to the Table, for the bread of heaven and the cup of blessing …
When that’s done, I’ll meet with some youth in Confirmation … to explore life and faith, and eat some good pizza …
After Easter, we simply keep on, keeping on …
Faithful to the things of God …
kind to one another …
generous with our worldly goods …
engaged in the questions of the day.
We love, we work, we pray, we help …
because Christ is risen from the dead …
faith is no lost cause,
hope is no feeble effort …
love is never wasted,
the good we do adds up …
mountains are climbed,
the bridge is built,
candles are lit … there is light, there is love …
the church of Jesus Christ continues the long march to the kingdom of God.
To live together in unity, writes the Psalmist … in time when there was no unity … North and South, Israel and Judah, each going their separate ways, often at war with one another. The Psalmist dreams of unity.
No needy among them, says the Book of Acts … because, then or now, economic systems create poverty …
Where do we go from here?
Where does Jesus go?
To the widow in tears … the man born blind … those without voice … the woman dragged before Jesus by a mob with stones in hand … the woman at the well, alone in Samaria … the man in the tombs, wild and full of curses … to the rich and the powerful … the leaders and the rulers … he goes to all of them.
In our time and day:
Where is the widow in tears? …
Where is the man born blind … where are those without a voice …
And those who hold the stones …
Who are rich and the powerful, the leaders and the rulers … those who command the day and the night?
Where does Christ take us?
Where might Christ be taking you?
[pause …] close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath … where might Christ be taking you?
Dear friends,
The early Christian Church transformed the Roman world, because the Church was kind and generous - in a time when governments were authoritarian and religions harsh.
The Church had good news! especially for women, children, and the poor …
We make a difference … we help America find its way to the better day … local school boards, civic clubs, professional associations, labor unions, neighborhood parties, the folks with whom we work, our classmates … the opinions we hold, the books we read, the words we speak, the way we vote.
We dare to believe we can do something really good, because we dare to believe in Christ …
we believe the impossible, the incredible, the wonderful … great things generated by faith, hope, and love … stones rolled away … tombs made empty.
Jesus said: Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.…
You are the light of the world, says Jesus.
A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.
General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain - a man of God, a man of the world, dedicates the monument at Gettysburg … On great fields, he says, something stays.
You and I are on a great field here and now, a deathless field … a vision place … hallowed by the prayers and deeds of those who’ve gone before us …
The saints in glory whisper to us: You can do it … you will do it … we believe in you!
How very good and pleasant, it is when kindred live together in unity!
There was not a needy person among them.
On great fields …
To God be the glory.
Hallelujah and Amen!
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