Easter 6B, Acts 10:44-48; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17 

St. Paul’s, Smithfield, NC

5/6/2018; Jim Melnyk: “Therefore People”

Yesterday afternoon representatives from 13 different sponsoring Johnston County churches, along with participants from as many as 7 additional congregations, gathered at 417 East Hinton Street in Clayton.  We gathered together to dedicate the Habitat for Humanity House that has become the home of Rebecca Morgan and her children.  As most of you know, this Johnston County Habitat for Humanity Faith Build began on a frigid Saturday morning in January, when 41 people gathered in a parking lot to begin building the walls that would later become the Morgan’s home.  It was 22 degrees outside with a wind chill in the lower teens – but our sense of purpose and the pounding of nails kept us warm

Those of us from St. Paul’s, along with everyone else, could have said, “Geez, it’s just too cold out to build.”  In the months leading up to the hammering of the first nail any or all of the churches involved could have said, “It will cost too much money.”  They could have said, “We’ll never get enough volunteers.”  Rebecca Morgan could have said, “I’ll never get approved, why bother with applying?”  Any one of us involved – or all of us – could have said, “What’s the point?  What difference does one house make, anyway?”

But the partners in the Johnston County Faith build are a gathering of what theologian Henry Joel Cadbury once called “therefore people.”  Cadbury, the late Professor of Divinity at Harvard, and a Quaker theologian, once said in a Friends Meeting for worship, “There are two kinds of Friends in our Society, and two kinds of people in the world: there are therefore people, and there are however people.  Therefore people say, ‘There are children going to bed hungry in our community, Therefore…’ and they proceed to devise and define the ways in which they can meet the need in their community.  However people make the same beginning statement, ‘There are children going to bed hungry in our community,’ but they follow that statement with, ‘However…’ and they explain why nothing can be done about it” (Synthesis, 1994).  A friend remarked earlier this morning that he’s heard it called, “Yeah, but…”

Our churches gathered together began to understand how many of our neighbors like the Morgan family live in sub-standard, unaffordable, housing.  We chose, therefore, to do something about it.

Our lessons from today’s readings are about being therefore people.  They’re about followers of Jesus “living a therefore ethic” (ibid).  In our lesson from Acts the early followers of Jesus are confused when the Holy Spirit comes upon a number of Gentiles hearing Peter preach the Good News of God in Christ.  Peter, who has struggled with what to do about Gentiles seeking Christ, has his heart transformed.

Basically Peter says, “The Holy Spirit has come upon these people, therefore, how can we not invite them into the waters of baptism?  How can we not welcome them in the name of Jesus Christ?  Peter had lived much of his ministry with Jesus as a “however person.”  He was good at saying, “Yes, Lord, however….”  Peter could have continued being a “however person” saying, “I see, and I understand, however, they are not among the circumcised – they are Gentiles – they are outside our accepted understanding of who is in and who is out, so we must exclude them.  Peter chose to be a therefore person instead.

The author of today’s Epistle was a therefore person as well.  Writing toward the close of the first century he begins his work with a powerful statement of faith: “We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life…so that you also may have fellowship with us…. [Therefore,] Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God…. Beloved… God loved us so much [therefore]; we also ought to love one another” (1 John, part of chapters 1 and 4).  The only “howevers” offered by the author come when we, as followers of Christ, fail or refuse to love one another.  It’s only when we choose not to love that we are we found lacking in God’s eyes.  Therefore – therefore – we know in our hearts we should be therefore people.

In John’s gospel, as Jesus moves through the final night of his mortal life with his friends, he models “thereforeness” to them in hopes that the idea will settle deeply within their hearts.  Jesus leaves his disciples with three commandments on this last night.  “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).  Therefore – and here’s commandment one – therefore, when I am gone and you break bread together and drink from the cup – remember who I am.

The Greek word we translate as “remembrance” is anamnesis – it means more than “remember” – it means to make present in the here and now.  Therefore, when I am gone and you break bread together and drink from the cup, remember who I am, and how I am with you always, how I am fully present with you in this sacrament of love and grace, and give of yourselves as I have given of myself. 

“I do not call you servants any longer,” says Jesus, “but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (15:15).  Therefore – and here’s the second commandment - Therefore, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have set you and example, that you should do as I have done to you” (13:14-15).

“I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another” (15:17).  Therefore – the third commandment of that last night – Therefore, look for ways to show that love – not just to those who fit our particular safe images – but, instead, extend your love to all people, rather than looking for ways to withhold from others the love I have for you – the love I have for all.

“Nevertheless, just because we ought to be therefore people doesn’t mean that we [will always be able to live into the power] to live thereforely.  The ‘howevers’ of life always lie close at hand.  And ‘however’ can disguise itself as cleverly plausible alternatives, or quite seductive paths away from the Good News of God in Christ (Synthesis, 1994).  “However” is a word I heard all too often as I was growing into adulthood – and a word I still hear all too often today.  We know all people are equal, however…. We know that racism, or sexism, or ageism is wrong, however….  We know children being murdered by assault weapon wielding lunatics is wrong, however… We know unfair wages, unsafe or unaffordable housing, or any form of discrimination is wrong, however… however… however!

Professor “Cadbury exhorted his Quaker community, especially its leadership, to try the ‘therefore-however’ exercise by continually coming up with need statements derived both from their faith community and the wider community in which they lived” (ibid).  That sounds like something we can do here at St. Paul’s – it sounds a lot like what we do at St. Paul’s already – though we’ve probably not put it in those terms – the terms of however and therefore. And if we take a moment to listen to the words of our Eucharistic prayers we might be surprised at the number of "therefores"  we come across.

We can certainly name needs at St. Paul’s.  We can certainly name needs in the wider community.  There are older parishioners who live by themselves who could use companionship – or at least someone checking in regularly to make sure they are okay.  Do we respond with “however” or with “therefore?”   There are people in Johnston County who have no faith community, sometimes not by choice - but because no one wants them in their pews.  There are folks who go to bed hungry.  We can make the lists… we can respond with “however” or with “therefore.”  We have options.  We have choices.  And it may be a tough exercise to complete – but we don’t have to get there overnight.  We learn to be therefore people by saying, “Therefore!”  We learn to love one another as ourselves by loving.

I know we like to think of following Jesus as a beautiful walk along the shores of Galilee, or a time when only one set of footprints marked the sand because Jesus was carrying us close to his heart.  But following Christ – being Christ in this world – taking a stand – living into our Baptismal Covenant – being therefore people – is as risky as it is thrilling.  The part about “No one has greater love that this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” that’s not just Gospel hyperbole.  That’s Christ-like love. 

“I am giving you these commands,” says Jesus, “so that you may love one another.”  Therefore… therefore… therefore….