What kind of church, promise, and God?

No matter if it is difficult, a working understanding of this third part of the promise must be operating or else the first and second parts lose their focus.

Lands and descendants are not ends in themselves; rather, they are the building blocks of the web of relationships which God intends for us to have with God and everyone else.

The Genesis narratives say that the Spirit of God pushed back the waters of chaos so that there would be space for his people.

Then Abraham is called out, not because he is especially deserving, especially wise, or even especially pious.

It is just because God made a choice of one person with whom to begin his work.

600 years later, Isaiah summarized this with his purposeful picture of all the nations being called together at Mount Zion, where they will worship the Lord God and serve only him.

That is God's intent, and he takes it upon himself, the promise to see that this will happen.

This is the meaning of the strange ritual in Genesis 15, the cutting of the animals in half and the vision of the smoking fire-pot passing between them.

Makers of a covenant would walk between the halves of the sacrificial animals to pledge that if they did not keep the covenant, may it be with those persons as with the slain animals!

Notice that Abraham is not requested to walk between the halves: in his vision, it is only the smoking fire-pot which mysteriously passes through.

This is a visible symbol for the presence of God himself.

God gives the covenant to Abraham as a gift.

God makes the covenant with Abraham.

God intends to keep it, and will do what he needs in order to accomplish it.

With all this in mind, now we turn to our Lord Jesus.

He is the one who lives out God's promise fully in our sight.

His express intention to gather us together fits very well with the promise to Abraham and the vision of Isaiah.

It stands upon them and fulfills their intent in ways that many were not willing to hear.

So that in Holy Baptism we are called as his people, who are given place which is the body of Christ, the church, a web of relationships far more important than mere geography,

and sent out with a missionary task to say “Jesus is for you” to all who will listen.

We are to be a blessing” to everyone around us.

Just like Israel of old, we, too, would like to talk about people and place without blessing.

And what kind of church results when we do so?

--One who sing “Jesus loves me this I know” with a superior smile without at the same time saying “and he intends to love you, too” is is =n a religious club, not the church.

--One who says “My, this is a beautiful place” without at the same time asking “How can we use it to entice others to listen to Jesus?” is enjoying a museum, and not the church.

--One who says “The only thing which matters is feeding and sheltering people” without at the same time making available the bread of Life and the shelter of this company, is in a service club and not the church.

--One who says that the world is full of evil without at the same time confessing that the world is God's gift to us, is in some depressing organization other than the church.

You see, we need to hold all three parts of the promise together: land, people, and being a blessing.

Together they provide the setting and experience of life as God's gifts given to us with purpose.

What more of an answer to the so what? question could we want?

The implications are all encompassing:

1)Our first task is worshiping Jesus as Lord, no matter what the cost.

In the naming of the saints old and new each and every Sunday, we hear regularly just how costly it can be.

It is proper to say “thank you” for such a gift.

2)The church will be visible, a people to which others can point and say “See how they love one another, and us:

--they keep their promises,

--they tell the truth

--they care for the poor.

--and thereby show the amazing power of God to create community.

3)The church will not withdraw from the world, and will not be surprised when it encounters hostility of those who claim to be guarding a separation of church and state.

4)The church can cooperate with other organizations and movements against hunger, violence, and other inhumanity, but will announce them as only one of the results of its proclamation of the gospel.

5)The church will suffer, even as her Lord has suffered.

It will not be the same in all times and places, but let's be clear that receiving and holding onto these good gifts of God will be resented, misunderstood, and a cause of hatred, even unto death.

6)The church will be victorious, because her Lord is already victorious.

No power can ultimately stand against Jesus, not even the power of death.

No power can withstand Christ's resurrection, not even a hesitant and fearful church.

God's promises will be be fully true and completely realized, in his good time.

What good gifts they are!

And for what good purposes are they given!

Let's begin our joyful response:

Praise the Lord, rise up rejoicing. [LBW#196]

By this Eucharist declaring

Yours the final victory. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.