You may have heard me say a few times ...
that God cannot be put in a box.
Well, neither can the Gospel,
or truth, or wholeness, or wonder or Love, or compassion or ...well...
. . . not much in our world belongs in a box except perhaps
crackers, cereal, tea ... or Jack.
But ...sometimes God is put in a box,
and sometimes ‘Gospel’ or Jesus... is put in a box.
By that I mean, that sometimes we try to simplify
the Good News of Love in our world, by quoting one particular scripture,
or using only one story of Jesus.
And we sometimes let our images, our idols, our doctrines,
or our scriptures...
prevent us from breaking open ‘simplistic thinking’,
and enabling us to gazing beyond...
to the One to whom Jesus of Nazareth, pointed -
the creator, the More... the beyond... God.
We sometimes miss... that we are invited to
lift up the ‘Jesus way of being in the world’...
and to offer healing, compassion, hope and justice.
We forget that we have something amazing to offer... new life,
found in Jesus the Christ.
We forget that we can say Yes to Jesus... outside the box.
While driving in rural Alberta,
I have seen the words... John 3:16... on the side of a barn.
.... just those words... not whole verse written out.
I have seen John 3:16... on an old truck, in a parking lot,
in Hamilton Ontario.
I have seen John 3:16... on signs at football games, soccer games,
skating events and high school field hockey games.
The folks that display those signs,
must imagine that enough of us know what John 3:16 means...
because rarely is there more than ....
four letters, three numbers and two dots.
John 3:16 .... standing alone...
what does it mean?
and standing alone.... what does it say to us?
During the season of Lent... wrapped in prayer...
we are journeying towards Holy Week,
open to the Holy Spirit and to each other.
We are celebrating our unity in our diversity,
by acknowledging that faith is at the centre...
faith is the grounding of our being,
and that we all live out that faith in different ways.
The diversity of our expressions is our strength as a people of God.
Today we celebrate those who communicate their faith,
and live out their faith...
through an Evangelical expression.
Now that word.. evangelical... has been fractured, misshapen,
and re-figured many times ... even in my lifetime.
For awhile... Main-stream Churches...
Anglican, Catholic, United, Presbyterian, Reform..... congregations,
would stay clear of the word evangelical.
and even avoid relationships with Evangelical Churches.
But evangelical... with a small ‘e’ ...
is still a part of who we are as Christians.
And..... I have come to understand,
that some people who are evangelical in their ‘living and serving’
can have a fairly progressive theology.
There are evangelicals within the United Church
that are inclusive, open-minded and accepting of peoples differences.
And at the same time, their way of living out their faith,
means Jesus is at the centre of their lives...
and they share that fact with others openly.. often, and with passion.
They share love with the world,
but are clear that it is Christ’s love that they offer.
Evangelicals say Yes Jesus!... and live out that yes.
Ecclesial, Ecumenical, Missional, and now Evangelical.
Dynamic ways to live out our faith,
and share the ways of God with the world.
This is our Theological Banquet!
Next week we shall hear more about those
who live out their faith from a Spiritual focused theology.
During the season of Lent,
I have been encouraging you,
to add something to your day, to your living.
Three weeks ago... I invited you to make a list of people you know and care about,
and then to pray for them every day.
Two weeks ago I challenged you to be in touch with a family member
that is on the fringes of your regular contacts.
To call, check in, and wish them well.
Last Sunday I asked you to respond to something you heard or saw or read...
in some way that would encourage, affirm or support.
I asked you to respond.... and to make a difference.
This week, breathe!
When you pick up that first cup of coffee, or tea, or orange juice... or whatever...
Before you take that first sip of the day... breathe...
not just once... but three deep breaths... yes three... every day.
It will take you less than ½ minute.
Give your heart, your soul, your being a 30-second gift, every day.
Please! Who knows... it could change your life.
The choir sang the words this morning...
‘For God so loved the world...’
And somewhere along the way...
this verse has been raised up above all other verses...
plucked from a larger text and idolized .... romanticized.
It’s like the Gospel in a box...
and for me, that makes God so very small.
The Gospel in a box means saying...
‘Yes Jesus’..... ok Jesus, I believe you Jesus...
...instead of saying YES... Jesus!
YES... God!
YES... Love!
YES... Justice!
Yes... to all the other verses that surround John 3:16.
Yes to abundant life, to a world that is saved...
yes to light and deeds that have been done in God.
God’s love for the world does not fix the world or us.
God did not send Jesus,
and magically fix the world or us.
To really change the world, or to save it...
means believing enough to commit one’s life,
to a process that ends hate, injustice and oppression.
It means following in the ways of the Christ,
and living into justice, compassion, mercy, love, equality and kindness.
In our journey through Lent we can lift a new way of living...
a Gospel way, of being healing for the world.
Believing in Jesus does not mean believing
that God needed Jesus to die as a blood sacrifice,
before God could forgive us.
Believing in Jesus is about trusting the experience of God...
that we encounter in the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
The writer of the Gospel according to John tells us,
that Jesus said:
“I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.”
This is our great gift: life to be lived abundantly.
Life with no beginning and no end – a mystery beyond our comprehension.
Life to be lived abundantly ...
loving our God who is the source of this eternal life;
loving God and loving our neighbours as we love ourselves.
This is the good news: we have been given life!
Life to be lived abundantly, loving God, doing justice,
loving kindness and walking humbly with our God.
Living the good news beyond John 3:16...
living life fully, loving extravagantly
and being all that you were created to be.
Saying: here is my heart, Lord Jesus
Living: Love divine... all loves excelling.
and being found.... even if you don’t feel lost.
May it be so! This day, and always.