Community and life
The texts this week led me in a different direction than I think I have ever gone for this Liturgical week. The most “obvious” directions to go are usually following/obeying the Law (Psalm 1), how the apostles worked with the Holy Spirit to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15-17, 21-26), eternal life (1 John 5:9-13), or perhaps Jesus praying for us (John 17:6-19). I was more than willing to go with any of those but the same Holy Spirit who helped the apostles pick Matthias nudged me in the direction of community.
These are not the first texts many would choose to talk about community. It isn’t that there are other “better” texts but rather other, more familiar, texts about community. There are some advantages to being young but when it comes to preaching and listening I think most of the advantages come to the . . . not-young. I am now solidly in the not-young category and closing in on being old. When I was younger I’m not sure I would have listened to, or perhaps not even noticed, the Holy Spirit. Whatever sermon I would have preached “then” would probably have been okay but it wouldn’t have been the sermon the Holy Spirit led me to. I’m okay with not being young when it lets me listen better.
As always, let me know what you think of the sermon as you are willing and able.
Blessings,
