⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.¹³ No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants^[a] any longer, because the servant^[b] does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷ I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. – John 15:9-17

Nothing you can know that isn’t known
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be
It’s easy

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

The Beatles sang this back in the 60’s.  We all know it, yet it’s hard for us to understand it.  Love is a word that gets thrown around a lot.  But, at its core, it’s a relational term that evokes emotions and commitments to each other.  I believe it is embodied fully in Jesus’ actions and attitudes with each of us.

What does Jesus’ love look like?  Oftentimes I’m asked at weddings to read the “love chapter” found in 1 Corinthians 13.  It has beautiful poetry, but it’s not really just about love between two persons…no one can love that way except for God.  It’s a chapter describing perfect love, sit back, close your eyes, soak in these words as if God is speaking directly to you:

13 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,^[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹ For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; ¹⁰ but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly,^[b] but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³ And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Wow.  And, this is what Jesus is saying to us.  Live, or abide, remain in my love.  Jesus isn’t going anywhere, as a matter of fact, Jesus is present with us, right now…as we sit in our homes, wondering what’s going to happen next in this pandemic, what is the new “normal”, we are not alone.  Jesus is with us…and is chasing after us…won’t give up on us.

One of my best friends in my twenties was Jay.  I’ve talked about him before.  Jay was simply amazing.  Great athlete, musician, lots of charisma, looked like James Dean.  His family had owned the patent to frozen yeast and also owned several bakeries throughout the world.  He seemingly had it made.  Yet, underneath, he was deeply struggling with the death of his dad in his teenage years and his mom’s impending death during much of our 20’s through MS.  

He was a Young Life leader, but after a while, quit that, left the church, and went into a season of life trying to numb himself of the pain in as many ways that he could.

Jay and I still got together, he was one of my best friends.  But, there was a period of a few months where we weren’t around each other.  We got together for dinner with a friend and he leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, “I’m back”.  He went on to say that he simply could not get away from God.  That God kept on chasing him even when he was so numb from whatever he was using and whoever he was using.  God’s love broke through.  I believe that God’s love was even more real and deeper during Jay’s season of numbness.  

Years later, Jay continues to cultivate an understanding of love and grace.  His legacy, friendship, and love for others bears so much fruit.  Honestly, I’m standing here the person that I am in many ways because of Jay. Jay’s presence and example…and his reception of God’s love and how that flowed through him, continues to shape me, even 25ish years later.

Jesus was and is present with each of us.  It’s hard, I know, especially in this season of disruption to recognize that…but when we begin to move towards understanding ourselves, asking the really hard questions and confronting the things in our lives that prevent us from experiencing the depth in knowing who we are and who God, we can begin to truly be present with ourselves, others, and God.  We begin to experience love.  

I had a different spiritual director for a long time, Todd Long, before my present spiritual director, Father Richard Bollmer. Both of them have been great reminders to me of what it means to practice being present with my stuff and with God and others.  Also, making sure that I take time to go and meditate, unplug, rest, and simply be either at home, in my office, or in special places like the Abbey of Gethsemani in KY.

One of the disciplines that they have encouraged me with is to cultivate loving presence through “obedience”.  Jesus, in this morning’s passage commands us to love God.  An act of obedience is to love, and to love well.  As we do that, we begin to understand deeply that Jesus is truly our friend and that leads to other friendships.

Friendship means a lot to me.  I married my best friend 22ish years ago, I have lots of friends in this city and around the world.  I am committed to folks and I want and need that commitment from them.  As your pastor, I have made a commitment in my vows to be your friend.  And, in your vows when you called me here, you committed to be my friend.  As I’ve stated before, church is not a business, and it’s not just a family, it’s a family business with deep roots.

As I practice friendship, sometimes in beautifully messy ways!  I find that our friendships leads towards common good and growth.  Many of my friends in this city and around the world are all working towards seeing goodness happen in communities with the church being at the center of that…being a place of generosity and momentum towards others and each other.  

We trust each other, deeply.  Many of these friends speak for me and I for them.  That trust is also happening here and we’re seeing the fruit of it in many ways already.

Sometimes we may think that we’d like to simply shirk away from friendship, from being present.  Yet, as we read this morning, God says to us, you didn’t choose this friendship, I chose you.  I think that says so much about God…a practical takeaway from what I’m sharing is this…YOU are loved, God is present with you, cultivate that understanding, and know that God desires for the best for you…and for this church.

I think that’s why I’m so confident about what we are about at Fleming Road UCC.  I don’t know what the future holds, I don’t know what church will look like after this pandemic, but I know that we are here, present with one another and that we are together in this and will grow and change.  We will move towards a great story…Jesus says again in this week’s passage that he will give us whatever we ask for!  It’s interesting that Jesus said this in last week’s passage and now again this week…And, here we are, we are in this liminal space, this threshold in culture, and as a church, and as persons!  We live in “apocalyptic” times…folks often think that means the end of the world, all of it…no, it’s simply a term that says that some things are ending in order to make room for something new to emerge..over time.  And, in God, and in God’s love, we can place our faith in that it will be good for us and for others.  

Believe it…accept it.  Receive this love and bear fruit!

And, remember these words:

All you need is love (All together, now!)
All you need is love (Everybody!)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)

Jesus embodies this love, Jesus is here, present with you through his spirit the Holy Spirit, that connects all of us and all of this…and ultimately keeps us firmly in the Presence of Jesus even as Jesus is present with us.

May we love one another and our neighbors (which means everyone) well!

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly I tell you, all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever– ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:10-18 TNIV) 

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26 TNIV)

Here we are!  Another week of staying at home and doing all that we can to “suppress the curve”!  I’m so glad to be here and be a part of the conversation and journey of this pandemic season that is so crazy, unique, scary, and also full of potential growth with you and our church and neighborhood!  I believe that God’s agency, God’s Spirit is moving in and through this church and our neighborhoods, and it’s going to be good, great even, to listen with you to figure out what God is up to and to be moved in the direction that God has us going in.  

At our basic level, we all of have dreams of what it means to be great don’t we.  If you are like me, then when you were a kid, you had some big dreams to someday be great…maybe to be an astronaut or president…So, today I’d like for you to remember back to when you were a child in elementary school.  What do you remember?  What were you dreams?  What did you believe in?  

I remember playing in my grandfather’s backyard, it felt safe and I could have some great adventures while I singlehandedly slayed dragons, won the Battle of the Bulge, defeated the bad guys.  Even in these very dangerous adventures, I believed I was safe and I had the power in my imagination to change the world.

Now, fast forward to middle school…what do you remember?  What were your dreams?  What did you believe in?  

I remember being bussed to an inner-city school.  My parents were both strong believers in public education as a school principal and teacher.  I was not going to be going the route of my friends who were pulled out of school and sent to private schools.  The Jones’ were “team players”.  In sixth grade, I had my eyes opened to a world that was very different from mine.  People stole things, people felt powerless and would want to pick a fight with me.  I had teachers who seemed to mean well, but were overwhelmed.  I saw national guardsmen on my bus with their guns.  Yet, I wasn’t bitter.  I thought it was simply part of my life.  I adapted, and years later, I realized that I received an amazing education that year that was more valuable than most academic endeavors. I saw the inequities in society and knew that I wanted to stand for something more: equality, inclusion, and working towards the common good.

Later, when I went back to my suburban school, going through pre-adolescence, my dreams simply became to survive and get to high school.  

What do you remember about high school?  What were your dreams then?  What did you believe in?

I remember thinking it would be great to be a rock star and somehow sing about God and the issues surrounding the world around us.  Then, in my sophomore or junior year of high school, I heard this band called U-2 and their charismatic singer, Bono.  He was set on changing the world (and still is!), and I wanted in on it and I wanted to be great like Bono.   

The disciples in today’s Scripture had similar aspirations, they wanted to do great things.  Their dreams, their beliefs, were tied up in wanting to make a difference and in following Jesus.  Well, Jesus had some GREAT news for them to hear, for them to believe. 

This passage is a part of John’s writings called the “Farewell Discourse” found in John, chapters 14-17.  I’d encourage you to read them all when you get home…not right now though…  Jesus is setting the stage for what is to come after he is crucified and resurrected.  The disciples are a bit confused, they’ve got some questions.  Where we take up this discourse in vs. 10, Jesus is asking them if they believe that he is in the Father.  This is a wonderful passage that points directly to Jesus being in the Father and vice versa.  It gives foundation to our understanding of the Triune nature of God, the Trinity.  Jesus is saying that he is one with the Father and he speaks, not with his authority, but with the Father’s authority who lives in him, and Jesus lives in the Father, they share space, they mutually indwell within each other.  Jesus also, in his humanity, shares space with us and in his humanity is showing us how we should live and the work we should be about as we participate in God’s actions, in obedience to the Father.  

That’s hard for me to completely understand.  Jesus has an intimate oneness in his relationship with the Father and Jesus is one with us in our humanity which allows us to share in God’s love for each other and the world around us.   We are one in Jesus as it says elsewhere in Scripture, because of this oneness, we are connected together by the very power of God.  

I have to believe that something is happening here at Fleming Road UCC, in our community, in me, in our relationships, something very good, and hard though, especially as we live into this season of disruption that seems will be with us for a while.  

I believe that my coming to Fleming Road UCC was such a unique calling.  It’s a church in my neighborhood wanting to be community engaged.  The timing of the conversations with our church started right before I left for India for three weeks.  While in India, I had a growing sense that my next call would be as pastor of this church.  I was filled with excitement, but also lots of questions and not knowing what to expect or what this church would be like.  Yet, I believed.  And, it’s proven to be a great call 2 1/2 years into it.  Filled with ups and downs, yes, but so good.  And, now, we are in the midst of a pandemic, which is a struggle for all of us, but so glad we are in this together.  

Jesus is asking in this passage:  Do you believe?  The Greek word in this text for believe is a great word πιστεύw it means  1. believe, believe in, be convinced of, give credence to; 2. believe (in), trust in a special sense, with God or Christ as object; Have confidence; 4. think, hold, or consider (possible).  It is used 3 times alone in vs. 10 & 11.  In vs. 11, the word “believe” is used as an imperative, giving it a sense of command and urgency.  The writer of John is trying to drive home a point, do you believe?

The writer goes on to say that if you believe, then you will do even greater works than me.  This is where we come to the word “great”.  What does that mean to do greater things than me?  The key here is to understand what Jesus means when he says “they will do even greater things than these..”  Jesus is communicating to his disciples, and to us, that we have a new identity that is wrapped up in him and our understanding of what it means to be truly human.  There is a new power at work that will enable his followers to do great things.  What are some of those works?  Taking care of those who are impoverished, healing disease, causing the lame to walk, preaching release to those held in bondage, being a true friend and good neighbor.  Jesus says that to be great, those are the types of things that we need to be about because that’s what he was about.  When read in that context, we begin to understand vs. 14, which says that anything we ask in Christ’s name, he’ll do it.  In other words, God’s purposes will always win out and those purposes are consistent with his character.  As humans, we share in those characteristics and purposes because we share in Christ’s humanity.  Our identity does not lie in what roles we play in life such as being a doctor, engineer, parent, pastor, runner, or whatever…our identity lies in Christ and it shapes our roles and actions.  Because of Jesus’ identity with us and our identity with him, we can be great and change the world…not only on global issues, but in our own communities, and even in the lives of those we see every day.  We can all be great to someone!

Now, we can’t do this on our own.  God’s Spirit is all around us, even living inside of us as it says in verse 17, animating us, prompting us, changing us.  The “world”, or the systems that tend to dominate this world that are based on the pursuit of fame, money, individualism, self-centeredness, narcism, etc. can’t understand truth, they can’t understand the reality of God’s Presence.  The writer of John makes it clear earlier in this book, in John 3:17, that Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it.  To turn those systems upside down with a new reality of God’s Presence with us and in us, transforming us all…and he wants us, the church, to reflect his Presence in our lives.    And we can have confidence that Jesus will not let go of us, ever.  He is with us and will not leave us orphans.  We are not alone.  

Jesus wants to teach us ALL things and reminds us of how he has carried us.  When I remember my past, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness.  God has kept God’s promises as demonstrated through Jesus and throughout our lives as the Spirit of God inside of us points us away from ourselves and to Jesus and the world around us.  That not only helps me to understand my past and to understand what it means to be my true Self…and it gives me confidence for the present and faith for the future.  

You’ve been given the gift of God’s presence in your life.  Allow yourself to not settle for simply looking at the gift or only bringing it out on special occasions, but allow yourself to get in a place to see Jesus at work in your life and in the lives of others.  As someone passionate about running, I tell folks all the time that they have the gift to run, but unless they exercise that gift, they’ll never know how good they can be.  Exercise your faith through prayer, finding a small group Bible Study, starting a neighborhood gathering or even a prayer group (virtually or outside 6′ apart…during this season), getting together with a spiritual director, serving others, being in worship with others, finding a small group of folks to pray with and hold you accountable.  Even if it’s online during this season, it’s still good!   The conversations that we’ve had online these past few months have been amazing!

When I was younger, I wanted to do something great.  Now I realize that doing something great is wrapped up to my identity in Christ.  It may not mean changing the entire world over night, it may mean being great for just one person or being a great neighbor.  We are his body as the church and called to build community with others and to be good neighbors by loving well ourselves, God, and those around us.  God’s power is living inside of us, reminding of us our identity it Christ, carrying us and changing us as we remember and focus on the amazing gift of his Spirit, and in the lives of those around us.   Live in Jesus and have confidence that his Spirit is living in you and wants to transform the world with his love through you!  Believe!  

Jesus the Good Shepherd

10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

What a week we’ve had!  What week is it now in the pandemic?  I know that as we emerge from this particular phase of our “stay at home” guidelines and restrictions, that there is so much that we still have to adapt to, isn’t there?  We have to find new ways of being almost every week as this season continues!  And, I know that we have had to do that as a church community as well.   It’s been quite the ride, yet, every week has been full of life and deepening of friendships, both old and new! 

Our passage this morning tells us to listen to the voice of the Shepherd.  During this time, we’ve had so many voices to listen to in our culture:  government voices ranging from the local to the federal, scientists, political leaders, clergy folk, neighbors, friends, family, news outlets…all sorts of folks often saying conflicting things…in the midst of those voices, it’s been interesting to see who we hear and what we hear.

Overall, I feel like we’ve been able to listen well, especially to one another, and hear a collective voice that speaks towards deepening friendship, safe practices, authenticity, and growth as persons and as a church.

Beyond the pandemic, before, during, and after, we still hear other voices that try to pull us in so many directions…it can give us whiplash!  But, in the midst of it all, we try to cultivate a deepening awareness of recognizing the voice of God and God’s love for us in the depths of ourselves, in others, and in the world around us.

Last Sunday, in our sermon conversations, so many folks commented on how they have seen and heard God’s beauty all around them during this time of staying at home, in simple things:  zoom calls, walks in their neighborhoods, phone calls, and in the slowing down.  

It can be hard to train our ears for the voice of the Shepherd, of God, in our lives, even in a time of pandemic.

One of the things that we have been doing is trying to train our dog, Leo, to listen to our voices.  He’s a smart dog, an Australian/Pointer mix.  We even have one of those dog collars that sends him signals when we give commands.  It’s been quite the journey!  And, it’s been hard for us to get everyone in our house on the same page in training him.  But, he’s learning.

Another thing about Leo, as a shepherd, he stays close to us…all of the time.  He wants to make sure that we are OK.  He knows us now.  

Our gospel lesson talks about sheep and shepherds.  Obviously, the metaphor worked well in an agrarian society like first century Palestine.  We are the sheep, Jesus is the shepherd.  Jesus is leading us through whatever walls that divide us or prevent us from pastures that give life and nutrients.  Sheep need lots of different fields, throughout a day, shepherds take their sheep to different fields in order for them to graze on fresh food, to have open spaces.  Jesus wants us all to have life, abundant life, and he wants to lead us to better fields.  

We may want to stay in worn out fields…we produce a lot of smelly and messiness as we consume so much in those old fields.  Our relationships with each other are filled with craziness at times, we don’t always follow or lead each other well.  There are also dangers around us and we need to be led to different fields.  Dangers that come as thieves to us such as deep and chronic depression, loneliness, selfishness, pride, or addictions, or folks not being the best version of themselves, or fully understanding themselves or others.  Those thieves can come in the middle of darkness as it says in John 10:10 that kill and destroy the lives that we were called to live.

Yet, Jesus tells us that he has come to give us life.  When we slow down, or get caught up in recognition of good things around us and the origin of that goodness, we can recognize the voice of the true shepherd, the voice of Jesus who has entered in the fields of our lives, who walks with us and towards us…walking through the messiness to call us towards new fields, new adventures.  

We often recognize the voice of Jesus through others.  Maybe we literally hear words from Jesus through others such as a speaker, or maybe even a preacher.  Or maybe we recognize the voice of God through something we read, or a song we hear.  Maybe it’s listening to our neighbors.  Or, maybe it’s seeing someone else practice charity through actions or giving themselves away.

We know it when we see it and hear it though, especially as we train our eyes and ears to see and recognize the true shepherd. 

Friends, we have said it before, we are living in a new place with church.  This pandemic has moved us into ways of being…there never is a true “normal” because life is always evolving,  life always teaches us something new, and this pandemic is no exception.  It has reminded us that some of the old forms simply don’t work anymore.  

The world is crying out for us, the church, to be an example of goodness, of the good shepherd, to be reflections of Jesus’ actions and to reflect and amplify the voice of the Shepherd who is calling us towards him, towards abundant life, towards being one flock.  This shepherd has laid down his life for us, yet in doing so, has overcome all things that steal abundance from our lives and is creating something new and beautiful as he leads us into new fields, filled with expansive pastures and relationship.

So, let’s listen to the voice of the Shepherd, let’s love each other well, and let’s play in the fields of Cincinnati, and the world and be the diverse, yet unified flock that God has marked us out to be…we can do this, we can believe in each other as God does with us, trusting each other, loving each other, and changing the world in the process.