|
Christian
Education, Graduation,
June 7, 2009
"Vessels of
Honor"
Reverend Michael D. PowellJohn 17:17 |
This
morning is the first Sunday after Pentecost.
Last week we celebrated the gift of the Holy Spirit that binds us
together in Christian community and makes us the church, the very Body of
Christ. We received new members and
shared in the sacrament of both infant and adult baptism. We honored our music
and worship leaders with floral prayers of gratitude. This morning we’re
continuing that theme of celebration by honoring our Christian Education team
and also our graduates. In the 11
o’clock service we’ll be sharing in another Sacrament of Holy Baptism. The Spirit is definitely moving in the life
of our church family and I’d like to bind all these themes together with the
Sacrament of Holy Communion. So, I’m
challenging each of you to an exercise in active imagination. I’d like for you to think of yourself for
just a moment as a beautiful handmade communion chalice. Can you imagine what
that feels like? A communion chalice is literally a "cup of God’s
spirit," a vessel of honor that has been set apart for a very special use,
for celebrating our unity in God's love through Jesus Christ. That's our theme
for this morning.
Our scripture this morning is just a brief section
of what is referred to as the "High Priestly Prayer" from the Gospel
of John in which Jesus prays for himself, for his disciples, and for the unity
of the church. He prays that we might be protected from evil while we remain in
the world, that we'll be filled with the joy of knowing that we are one with
him even as he is one with God, and that we might be sanctified in the truth of
God's Word. That word, sanctified, is
what I want to focus on.
The
word sanctified literally means holy, as when something is "set
apart" or designated for special, sacred use. In the Hebrew Scriptures the
word was used for consecrating priests and sacrifices. In the book of Jeremiah,
we hear the Word of the Lord saying: "Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth I sanctified you
and ordained you a prophet." [Jeremiah 1:5]
Well, we’re not all ordained to
become prophets, but I do believe we were all created for a purpose and I pray
for our graduates this morning, that they will be open and receptive vessels,
willing to be filled with God’s love and purpose. I believe those individuals who are called to
participate in Christian Education are entrusted with a holy task, set apart to
do God’s work, and I pray that as you teach others you feel that the Holy
Spirit is sanctifying you in your work. I pray that when a couple creates new
life there is the awareness that this is a holy participation in God’s creative
work. The baptism of a baby is an acknowledgement that parenting is a sacred
calling, and that we need God’s guidance, God’s patience and forgiveness to do
it well. To be sanctified means to become a receptive vessel of honor and in
our scripture this morning Jesus is praying for you and for me to be sanctified
as special vessels of God's Holy Spirit.
In 11 Timothy 2:20 Paul writes about how in a
house there are a variety of vessels, some for special, and some for ordinary
use. That’s true in your own home. You have special dinnerware that you pull
out for special times, perhaps the silver or the china, a crystal goblet
instead of a common drinking glass. Paul says that disciples of Jesus Christ
are like special vessels, dedicated to specific uses by the owner of the house.
God is the owner of the house, and Christ is praying this morning that you and
I will be vessels filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit: love and joy, peace
and patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. [Galatians 5:22]
Please notice that being set apart does not
mean being put on a shelf. Jesus doesn't pray that we be removed from the
world. Disciples are supposed to be used, supposed to be involved and a part of
the everyday life of decision making and responsibility taking. Jesus doesn't
pray that we become so special that we're locked up in a cabinet and never used.
He prays that we be protected from getting broken while we're being used.
There's one other very important aspect to sanctification. Not only does
it mean to be set apart for a special task, it also means that we're specially
equipped for that task! God doesn't ask us to do anything we can't do. God
doesn't expect us to do something without giving us the gifts and the graces,
the aptitudes and the skills to accomplish the job. Now, we may not have all
the skills we need in the beginning! Sometimes God gives us a particular job in
order to teach us new skills, kind of like on-the-job training. Most Sunday
school teachers learn more than they teach.
Parenting doesn’t come with a manual, and graduates face an equally
uncertain future.
All that means is that sanctification is an
ongoing process. It is God empowering us with the mind and the heart and the character
that is necessary to accomplish whatever is set before us. That's why Christ is
praying that we recognize that we are one with him, even as he is one with God.
It is by taking on the heart and the mind of Christ that we become equipped
with the gifts of the Spirit which make our discipleship effective.
One
of the most important ways we are empowered is through the fellowship of
worship and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Think of yourselves as one of
these beautiful vessels, filled with the Spirit of God, overflowing with the
strong and joyful expressions of God's love and grace. Relax for a moment. Breathe deeply the breath of God’s Spirit,
then come, let your vessel be filled, taste the goodness of God, drink from the
fountain of God’s grace, and know that each of you is offered the opportunity
to be one in Christ. Amen.