Sermon; Easter 6B; John 15:9-17 (Dcn. Sue)

Happy Mother’s Day!!  Happy Easter!!

During this season of prom, graduation, and the celebration of Mother's day today, this time is a season of love and joy complete. As I read today's passage for the sermon, the movie Juno came to mind. For me, it is a catalyst of transformation between what we think is love and what real love is all about love.

The movie concerns an awkward intimate encounter between two of the most uncool teenagers ever, which results in a pregnancy. It is a movie about the love of a stepmother transformed by an unfortunate situation. It is the story of the transformation of a hopeful infertile over-the-top adoptive couple, but more importantly, it is the deepened love of best friends.  

The intimacy they shared once wasn't real love. Only at the end of the movie, as the baby's father curls up into the bed where his best friend is, we learn real love. It isn't a glorified moment, but a compassionate one, as the two who just gave up their baby for a better future. As they lie together, we are the witnesses of the genuine love between them. 

This is an actual intimacy. This is completeness in sorrow but is filled with such love. I think of it often.

The film isn't real life, and in reality, many things could have gone sideways; Like, a resentful step-mom and a school life that could be more bullying, or maybe a church group judging the pregnant girl as having made awful choices and be condemned forever. The young man's life will never be taken to task due to his privilege of boys being boys.

What is reflected for me was the sense that in this awkward thing called life, as we make mistakes, we hope for love and forgiveness, and we do and will live with the choices we make.

Today's Gospel is about what love this all about. 

It is about obeying and abiding in God through Christ with the Spirit stirring us on. It is not easy, but it is like God curling up with you in a sorrowful place and will make the day a new one. Your sorrow turned to joy and completeness. All this in obeying and loving as Christ loves us is the catalyst for realizing a fullness of joy, love, and an intolerable situation.

Today's reality is we are being transformed or changed by our very actions within and outside of these walls. We are also being formed and refined in the agony of the Cross and lifted to a more compelling calling of loving through Christ's resurrection. This formation leads us to what was said over the last few weeks about the difference between belief and faith.  We believe in the resurrection of Christ, but do we have faith in a resurrected life?  Will we be assured of the invisible path before us from our trusted notebook and take the step out into the abyss?

Unfortunately, the Pandemic has offered us an opportunity to reach out in love and risk-loving one another, even when in conflict with the other. Risking is faith in action. It is putting up a Blessings Box on the Historical side of the church. It is risking by loving your neighbor who is against vaccinations or perhaps for vaccinations, pork politics, trickle-down econ, and bitcoin. Risking to love doesn't always end the way you want it, but while you are abiding in Christ, and Christ abides in the Father, your joy will be complete.

In a few moments, we will take the real presence into our mouths, an almost tasteless wafer. But in the Eucharistic Prayer, we are implored to,

"Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace  only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one Spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name."

Our ministry is to risk; not many of us like risk. When I thought about adding a blessings box, I considered the office windows, the traffic of those who might abuse the area, but in Christ, I went forward, stepping into the abyss. This step can go sideways, but we are Blessing our community with food. Belief is easy, but faith in action is difficult.

When we resume the community café, and I hope we can by the harsh winter, let us welcome our guests to worship for the next day, and to sit with them at the table to share the meal, or perhaps even 'curl up' so to speak to be with them. I will go so far as to dream we have a Community Café marketing in Spanish because we know the undocumented are some of the most marginalized. 

Belief is walking up. Faith is being filled with the Christ to reach out in this abiding love to all, love and abide in all and walk where we think it is impossible. God makes all things possible. Amen