July 16, 2023: May God’s words be spoken, may God’s words be heard. Amen.
Today’s gospel is one that I am sure most of you have heard before. Jesus tells the people about a sower who scatters seed that fell everywhere – on rocky ground, in weedy places, and in some good soil too.
When I was young, it seemed to me that the farmer in this story is just plain silly – I mean, did he flunk farming school? Why throw those seeds around like that? Certainly those listening to Jesus, people living off the land, would think the farmer foolish at best and reckless at worst.
We often hear that the soil is a metaphor for each of us as followers of Jesus – that we need to be good soil – receptive to God working in us – that we may grow in faith. And that is fine and true. But let’s look at this from another perspective.
Before we do, I want to tell you what I was up to this past week. I attended an Episcopal Church revival in Baltimore. Yup – you heard that right – a revival of the Episcopal Church. It was called “It’s All About Love – A Festival for the Jesus Movement.” And the sermon at the opening service offered by our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, raised the proverbial roof off the place. No surprise there. I have been blessed to be present when he has been preaching a number of times, and I am always inspired.
Now, I will post a link to the full video of his sermon when I post mine…. Come to think of it – maybe that isn’t a good idea. That man can truly preach. It might not be my smartest move to have a link to his sermon within my own, but it is a risk worth taking. (The link is posted at the end of this sermon)
Anyway, just a reminder – that he was the preacher at the marriage of Prince Harry and Megan back in 2018 – and he preached about love – a lot. And during this sermon at the revival last week, Presiding Bishop Curry said “A few years ago, some of you may know…I was at a wedding. It was a small family affair… But after the service was over, I got on the plane, the flight to come back. And I can’t tell you how many times it happened in those first couple of weeks when someone would say,… I didn’t know Christianity was about love.”
When he said that, you could hear an audible gasp in the room.
“I didn’t know Christianity was about love.”
Good Lord, what on earth are we doing then?
As Bishop Curry continued, he told us: “I heard it over and over. I’m not exaggerating, over and over again. And I realized that Christianity needs a revival. Christianity itself needs a revival, a revival to the teachings of this Jesus for whom love was at the very center of those teachings.”
YES!
Jesus is all about love.
We must be all about love too.
Folks, if this parable of the sower teaches us anything it is that God’s love is all quite literally showering down on our heads – thrown about everywhere for all people. God doesn’t hold back that love from anyone. The love falls everywhere. You know, I imagine God almost dancing about – tossing seed with abandon from a never emptying pouch – all over the fields of the world – all over creation – and smiling and singing – cartwheeling even… letting the wind – the Holy Spirit – take the love where it is needed… good rich soil, and rocks, and weedy places… everywhere…and on everyone. And we, the soil, have a chance to absorb that love, to grow in it and by it. But then we should do as plants do – spread that seed everywhere ourselves.
The thing is – as followers of Jesus, we are to model him – to be like him in the world. And the very life of Jesus was about one thing and one thing only – love. He preaches about it, commands us to offer it to everyone, and was willing to die on the cross for it. And the radical message of Jesus in our gospel passage today is that God’s love has no boundaries – it is for poor and rich, women and men, gay and straight, male and female, republican and democrat, all races, all cultures, all countries, all faiths – everyone. That is a powerful message – a radical message – a message the world needs today.
So at that revival last week, attendees learned about becoming better evangelists – spreading the good news of the love of Jesus – for all people, and for all of creation. There were workshops on racial reconciliation, creation care, and of course – evangelism. Evangelism workshops is where I spent most of my time, and where we will as a parish spend time together as we enter the fall this year.
Folks, we needed this revival. We all need this.
We, the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement – we need a revival!
A revival of our hearts, our minds, our very souls.
We need a revival to set ourselves on the path of our purpose – to be the evangelists we are called to be.
To be the people of Jesus and his gospel of love.
Because for far too long, some who claim to follow Jesus, have spread seeds too – not of God’s unconditional love – but of hate and exclusion. Many of these folks have even taken on the label of Evangelicals. Now, that comes from the Greek word εὐαγγελίζω, which means “to announce good news.” I don’t know about you, but saying some people are worthy of God’s love, and others are not – to exclude, to hate -that isn’t good news at all. Nope – that isn’t about love. That isn’t about Jesus. Folks, that’s about power.
Now, in an earlier part of Bishop Curry’s sermon he quotes that renowned theologian… Jimi Hendrix. If you don’t know who Jimi is, you either didn’t live through the sixties, or you did, and you don’t remember it (for reasons we won’t get into now). Anyway, Jimi is perhaps one of the greatest guitarists of all time, and Bishop Curry said “I don’t know if Jimi was actually consciously doing a riff off Jesus, but the Spirit was moving – and he may not have even known it…[anyway] Jimi said it this way:… “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace.”
[“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace.”]
Then the world… will know peace.
Then there will be justice.
Then truth will be told in public squares.
Then we will learn how to lay down our swords and shield down by the riverside and study war no more.”
Amen Bishop….well, and Jimi too. Amen.
My friends, we’ve got some serious work to do. Because evangelism isn’t for power, it is for love. We must re-take our fundamental roles as evangelists for the gospel!
Evangelists for Jesus!
Evangelists for God’s all inclusive love!
That is how the power of love overcomes the love of power!
That is how the world will know peace!
Look, we have our struggles post-pandemic– like many parishes across the Episcopal Church, across all of Christendom. Our in-person attendance is down, and the financial outlook is not what we hope for…but as Bishop Curry continued, he said: It dawned on me…—don’t you worry about the parochial statistics; don’t you worry about all the facts and figures. If we love God and love our neighbor and love ourselves, we will work our way even out of our misery. Don’t you worry about it now. It is all about love. All about love. All about love.”
Bishop Curry is right…let that go.
Let that go, because Jesus is calling us!
Calling us to be that voice for the voiceless.
Calling us to serve the ones others cast aside.
Calling us to be the evangelists we were meant to be!
Calling us to love with abandon.
To love – because there are far too many who need to hear the true good news – that God loves everyone, no exceptions.
Love – because there are far too many who live in fear, poverty, and the chains of oppression.
Love – because there are far too many who hear the word Christian and think of hate rather than love, dogma rather than compassion, closed rather than open doors.
Love, because being a follower of Jesus is all about love.
All about love.
All about love.
Amen.
For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible):
Below is a link to a video of the revival sermon of the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church:
Presiding Bishop Curry’s Sermon
The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
July 16, 2023
Pent 7, Proper 10 – Year A – Track 1
1st Reading – Genesis 25:19-34
2nd Reading – Romans 8:1-11
Gospel – Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
