Sermon Ephesians
1:15-23 May 13, 2018 Ascension/7th Sunday Easter
Press On, Dear
Sisters
It is always a joy to hear
uplifting words of praise. Today’s letter from Paul to the Ephesians is one
such letter. Listen to the words and let us see how God moves within us…
Some of you who were around in the
1970s might remember a pop singing group called the Carpenters. They had a song
out that was a real hit. It became the go to song for couples to have sung at
their wedding. Marriage was just the beginning, it was the kick-off to a long
life together.
The words went like this:
We've only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
(We've only begun)
Before
the risin' sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing
horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
And
when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing
horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is that kind of song. It is a
hymn, proclaiming the death, resurrection, and now the ascension of Christ as only the beginning for the
followers of Jesus, for the church. The cross might be where Jesus died, but
the hope of people of faith lies, not in his death, but in the fullness of his
being-his birth (his incarnation), death, resurrection, & ascension. Paul writes it’s the future hope and the present
reality of those who believe.
Paul makes what we might call a
‘prayer wish’ for the readers of this letter. He make a prayer wish for the eyes of their heart to be opened,
for the riches of Christ’s glorious
inheritance be among the saints, and for the immeasurable power of Christ who fills all in all be in them.
I find that prayer
wish so powerful and so comforting. Isn’t that what we all would like for
ourselves and for those we love?
In the story of our life and our
journey of faith we are met with crossroads and as we enter into the unknown of
those experiences, we discover it is a new beginning and the words, ‘we’ve only
just begun’ echo through our first few steps of this new adventure.
The words of this letter to the Ephesians are timeless. We
need those prayer wish words of Paul to fill our lives.
How do we find answers
to those age old questions that linger in our heads, or perhaps our children
ask us and we have no clue how to answer. One such question about our future
hope is, “If all of us go to heaven when we die and people from the beginning
of time are there, including gramma and grampa, isn’t it really crowded; how would we find them?”
It sounds like a funny question that we would brush
off-because who among us knows the answer? But, I’m sure we’ve all wondered
about things such as these. The questions that come to us that stump us, "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?"
It’s the sort of question mothers and fathers get
as they are trying to tuck the children in to bed at night. It’s the sort of
question we struggle with as we come home from the funeral of a friend. We
have a need to be comforted about the future and we have a need to be assured
here and now about our present life.
I think women through the ages have
given us a ray of sunshine as we witness how they have coped and been
strengthened through all kinds of adversity.
In the book Dance of the Dissident Daughters, Sue Monk Kidd
describes her awakening to the God she thought she had known all her life. She
enters into a journey about her faith, religion, and life as a woman. She
becomes shocked, disenchanted, fearful, and finally at peace with her discovery
of who God is in her life.
She recognizes the power of women to stick together
through so much. She says this, “Solidarity is identifying with one
another without feeling like you have to agree on every issue. It’s unity, not
uniformity. It’s listening without rushing in to fix the problem. It’s going
deeper than typical ways of talking and sharing—going down to the place where
souls meet and love comes, where separateness drops away and you know these
women because you are these women.”
She urges women to “Press
On, Dear Sisters” Press on in life, press on in faith, press on in all that
encompasses women, press on through all things and know that no matter what, we
are not alone, we will stick together.
The stories of the strength of women in Scripture are filled
with those who have led a people, who have fed a crowd, and who have challenged
God, and carried God.
But, this prayer wish from Paul is for the church men
and women, old and young, rich and poor, of all nations and tribes. Paul
encourages them through this prayer for insight and vision. At every crossroad of our life we need
the eyes of our hearts to be opened.
Our hearts are seat of knowledge and wisdom. May the
days, months and years ahead begin with the eyes
of our hearts opened so we can have the hope of our calling; so we can
experience the riches of Christ’s
inheritance; be filled and live with the immeasurable greatness of his power.
On
this Mother’s Day I think of all my sisters in the world.
I
think of all the women who are powerhouses of strength,
forces
to be reckoned with;
who
have challenged and been challenged in the workforce,
who
experienced motherhood, daughterhood, and sisterhood.
I
think of the prayer warriors,
the
casserole makers,
the
card writers,
the
stay at home woman,
the
go to work woman,
the
everything to everyone woman.
I
think of how as women,
daughters
of God,
we’ve only just begun,
and
yet,
we’ve
been so far.
And
I pray the prayer wish
for
all of you
as
Paul did
and
I say Press On, Dear Sisters,
Press On.
Amen.
Resources:
NIB Ephesians; Dance of the Dissident Daughter; Working Preacher.
