{"id":3110,"date":"2021-03-14T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/?p=3110"},"modified":"2021-03-15T14:34:45","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T18:34:45","slug":"love-outlasts-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/2021\/03\/14\/love-outlasts-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Outlasts Death"},"content":{"rendered":"
Service in Commemoration of Lives Lost in COVID <\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Click here to hear the full service<\/a><\/p>\n

John 3: 14-21<\/a><\/p>\n

Click here to hear just the sermon<\/a><\/p>\n

Frontispiece<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For a full year, we have been worshipping in diaspora, our sanctuary empty.\u00a0 We have by grace and the work of WBUR and many others continued to broadcast our service around the globe, come 11am on Sunday.\u00a0 For the sustained efforts of those at every turn who make this service possible and available, we are endlessly grateful.\u00a0 Today we turn our minds and hearts to those who have died in this last year, near and far, and, especially, to their loved ones, perhaps including you, who bear the losses to this day.\u00a0 If you have lost someone this COVID year, our sermon and liturgy today here are meant especially for you.<\/p>\n

One of the great challenges and difficulties of the last year is found here.\u00a0 Across the country and indeed around the world, we have not been able fully to gather, to assemble, to worship in person, at the hour of death.\u00a0 We have lost loved ones without the ability or capacity to face the losses in full in the full company of the church, the church militant, even as we give over our loved ones to God and to the church triumphant.\u00a0 Later on, later this year, some of this we will again be able to do, even as, in the breach, to some small measure, at gravesides and in small circles, we have done so a bit in the last year.\u00a0 But we should be frank, candid with one another, and with ourselves, that this particular labor of love is an unfinished labor, just now.<\/p>\n

We have not yet been able to grieve, in church, the loss of our loved ones.\u00a0 We have not yet been able to remember in public, in full, in sermon, in eulogy, the manifold gifts and graces of their lives.\u00a0 We have not been able to share the acceptance together of their deaths, by singing them home, singing them on to that greater light and farther shore.\u00a0 We have not been able, as the body of Christ, the fellowship of love, the assembly of believers, to join our voices in real time, in affirmation, in affirmation that love outlasts death.\u00a0 Today, we make a start, or a further step, in grieving, remembering, accepting and affirming.\u00a0 There will be more, many more, times and occasions, with which to continue the work, in the months ahead.\u00a0 And it is work, good and honest work.\u00a0 Mourning is work.\u00a0 It takes time, energy, attention, focus, investment, prayer and love.\u00a0 Conclusively, to mourn means for you to need to do something in mourning.<\/p>\n

As a son, you may have buried my mother.\u00a0 As a brother, you may have remembered and eulogized your siblings\u2019 mother.\u00a0 As a pastor, you may have given over parishioners, sisters and brothers in Christ, one by one.\u00a0 In a University community, you may have faced and mourned the losses of students, faculty, staff, alumni, relatives and others of the University community.\u00a0 As an itinerant Methodist preacher, you may have had to sing alone \u2018Blessed be the Tie that binds\u2019, rather than, by custom, gathering around the casket of a fellow preacher, to sing the hymn with others in ministry.\u00a0 As an American, you may have wept at the stories of those taken, young and old, rich and poor, black and white, conservative and liberal.\u00a0 And, as a child of God, you may have lamented without ever fully grasping the depth or breadth of such lament, the deaths of others, other children of the living God.\u00a0 And I may have, too.<\/p>\n

Wherever you are, whoever you are, in your time of loss, in your year of mourning, this morning as we face our mourning, we feel for you, we are sorry for your bereavement, we reach out with invisible hands to hold you in an invisible embrace, and listen with invisible ears as you utter your prayers of lament.\u00a0 Whatever else may be, at least hear this, you are not alone, you are not alone, you are not alone.<\/p>\n

Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that\u2019s how the light gets in. (L Cohen)<\/em><\/p>\n

So, this morning, in this liturgical sermon, in this homiletical liturgy, we call you forward to join together:\u00a0 To grieve. To remember. To accept.\u00a0 To affirm.<\/p>\n

To Grieve<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We call you forward to grieve.<\/p>\n

Jesus meets us today in love and with love.\u00a0 His appearance, in word and music, utterance and hymn, takes the form of honest grief, honesty about grief, good grief.<\/p>\n

Out of all manner and mixture of feelings, grief, usually unnamed and unspoken, can bring us to worship.\u00a0 We do not come usually or specifically to church to grieve, unless, perhaps in attendance at funeral or memorial services.\u00a0 We do not say, slipping into the pew, today I am here to grieve, in grief, grieving.\u00a0 Grief is bigger, miles higher and longer than that, beyond depiction, beyond description.\u00a0 Yet alongside us, walking alongside us, come Sunday, it may be, paces grief, our grief.<\/p>\n

Grief is a kind of sacrament.\u00a0 It has a mysterious cast and quality to it, something well afar from our own control, like the grace given us in the Gospel, in that way.\u00a0 Nor is it enough for the preacher to utter the word \u2018grief\u2019 for us to greet grief ourselves, of a Sunday morning, on personal terms.\u00a0 Here is where memory may come in.\u00a0 The memory of a partially remembered verse, or homily, weeks later, may trigger something that then allows you to say to yourself, Well my goodness, that is what this is, this mid-winter something alongside me:\u00a0 it is my grief.\u00a0 <\/em>You don\u2019t have to count Citizen Kane<\/em> your favorite or only favorite film to recognize the cavernous, celestial, capacious range of grief.\u00a0 Grief takes years.<\/p>\n

Robert Hass says: \u00a0the movement of grief has something in it of the desert\u2019s bareness and of its distances. the movement of grief has something in it of the desert\u2019s bareness and of its distances.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here is our affirmation, in grief, our affirmation in mourning:<\/p>\n

It is enough that faith knows<\/p>\n

That Jesus stands by me<\/p>\n

Who patiently draws near His passion<\/p>\n

And leads me too along the arduous path<\/p>\n

And prepares for me my resting place<\/p>\n

It is enough that faith knows<\/p>\n

That Jesus stands by me<\/p>\n

Who patiently draws near His passion<\/p>\n

And leads me too along the arduous path<\/p>\n

And prepares for me my resting place<\/p>\n

Let Us Ring the Bells of Grief<\/em><\/p>\n

To Remember<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We call you forward to remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is no small matter whether one habit or the other is inculcated in us from early childhood; on the contrary, it makes a considerable difference, or, rather, all the difference.\u201d (repeat). (Jonathan Edwards).<\/p>\n

Remember, real religion involves religious affections. Give some consideration this morning to your own religious affections. \u00a0Your experience. \u00a0Your dispositions, inclinations, predilections, and affections.\u00a0 Remember.<\/p>\n

Just before our gospel reading today, Nicodemus, thrice mentioned in John, has departed. \u00a0\u00a0You remember his interview with Jesus. \u00a0He asks about being born from above. \u00a0He asks about resurrection life. \u00a0He asks about spirit. \u00a0In the nighttime interview, Jesus answers him: \u00a0You must be born anew. \u00a0Your religion, your religious affection, counts on this. \u00a0Our gospel today takes the same theme further.<\/p>\n

God is love. \u00a0Or Love is God. \u00a0Eternal life is trust in God who is love. \u00a0The doorway to eternal life is trust. \u00a0The doorway to eternal life is trust. <\/em>We learn this in our experience. \u00a0This trust is a gift, God\u2019s gift. \u00a0With open hands we receive the gift of God. \u00a0\u00a0We do not achieve or earn or create this trust. \u00a0It is given to us. \u00a0The gift comes wrapped, belief and trust and faith and knowledge come gift wrapped in meaning, belonging, empowerment\u2014in the beloved community.<\/p>\n

To make sure the hearer and reader of his gospel get the full measure of his point, the author of John uses a great old word, judgment<\/em>. \u00a0KRISIS in Greek. \u00a0You hear our own word, CRISIS, there. \u00a0Until John, more or less, judgment was reserved for the end of time, the eschaton, the apocalypse. \u00a0John, as is resonantly clear here, says something different. \u00a0Judgment is not at the end of time. \u00a0Judgment is now. \u00a0Judgment does not await the arrival of the Son of Man on the clouds of heaven, or the millennial reign, or wars and rumors of wars, or signs of the times. \u00a0No. \u00a0The critical moment is now. \u00a0John has replaced speculation with spirit. \u00a0John has replaced eschaton with eternal life. \u00a0John has replaced Armageddon with the artistry of every day. \u00a0John has courageously left behind that to which most of the rest of the New Testament still clings. \u00a0John has replaced then with now. \u00a0What courage! \u00a0The upshot of this change, as recorded in our Scripture today, is the near apotheosis of experience. \u00a0And as an ineffable mystery, (you) shall learn in (your) own experience, Who He is<\/em> (Schweitzer).<\/p>\n

In other words, the ancient near eastern apocalyptic, of heaven and end of time judgment, still present in various religious traditions, as we have tragic and sorrowful occasion to see in our own time and struggles with violence, is replaced. \u00a0In your experience. \u00a0This is the judgment. \u00a0The light has come into the world.<\/p>\n

As my grandmother used to ask, \u2018Are you walking in the light?\u2019<\/p>\n

Likewise, we notice that the letter to the Ephesians, written by a student of Paul, makes a complementary affirmation. \u00a0By grace you are saved through faith (he writes this twice, or an editor has added a second rendering). \u00a0The phrase, both in its repetition and in its cadence, seems clearly to be a prized inheritance for the Ephesians. \u00a0God is loving you into love and freeing you into freedom. \u00a0God first loved us. \u00a0You are not made whole by your doing. \u00a0You are God\u2019s beloved, and so, by being loved, by divine love,\u00a0 you are made whole, made healthy, made well, \u2018perfected\u2019. \u00a0\u00a0Both in our successes and in our failures, we truly depend upon a daily, weekly hearing of this promise and warning. \u00a0In our experience, we are given to trust God. \u00a0Our response in actions will then forever be overshadowed by real love, by God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n

Let us ring the bells of remembrance<\/em><\/p>\n

To Accept<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We call you forward to acceptance.\u00a0 We pray for a measure of acceptance.\u00a0 We pray for a measure of acceptance.<\/p>\n

Gracious God in whom we are all interrelated, interdependent and one in humanity<\/p>\n

Thou whose grace embraces all, and in whom violence to our brothers and sisters is violence unto each of us<\/p>\n

We grieve for, remember and honor those whose lives were lost in this last year<\/p>\n

Give us grace to accept the reality of these losses<\/p>\n

Give us grace to accept<\/p>\n

Especially we pray for the communities of faith across the country, and around the globe<\/p>\n

In these troubling and tumultuous times when bigotry and prejudice breed inhumanity to one another<\/p>\n

In this time of challenge and struggle, of tumult and destruction<\/p>\n

May we find our way, Your Way, amid conflict, unrest and violence<\/p>\n

Teach us your ways, God of refuge and strength, the ways of love and peace<\/p>\n

Make us tender hearted and loving toward one another as your mercy rests upon those whose lives have been deeply altered by death or injury<\/p>\n

Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea, You are our God of refuge and strength, a present help in time of trouble<\/p>\n

Let us ring the bells of acceptance.<\/em><\/p>\n

To Affirm<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We call you forward to a moment of affirmation.<\/p>\n

We rely in affirmation on the voice of the Apostle, Paul:<\/p>\n

To bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations<\/em><\/p>\n

I am not ashamed of the Gospel.\u00a0 It is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.\u00a0 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.\u00a0 As it is written, \u2018the righteous shall live by faith\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.<\/em><\/p>\n

Therefore, since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ\u2026Suffering produces endurance, and endurance character, and character hope, and hope does not disappoint us because of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by faith through the Holy Spirit.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hope that is seen is not hope.\u00a0 Who hopes for what he sees?\u00a0 We hope for what we do not see, and wait for it with patience.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018What then shall we say to this?\u00a0 If God is for us, who is against us?\u00a0 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?<\/em><\/p>\n

Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?\u00a0 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.<\/em><\/p>\n

For I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewal of your mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

Let love be genuine.\u00a0 Hate what is evil.\u00a0 Hold fast to what is good.\u00a0 Love one another with mutual affection.\u00a0 Outdo one another in showing honor.\u00a0 Never lag in zeal.\u00a0 Be ardent in spirit.\u00a0 Serve the Lord.\u00a0 Rejoice in your hope. Be patient in tribulation.\u00a0 Be constant in prayer.\u00a0 Contribute to the saints.\u00a0 Practice hospitality.<\/em><\/p>\n

And, we rely in affirmation upon our own personal creed, whispering or quietly saying, wherever we are today, our shared affirmation, responding, \u2018and we do\u2019:<\/p>\n

If we believe that life has meaning and purpose<\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that the Giver of Life loves us<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that divine love lasts<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that justice, mercy, and humility endure<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that God so loved the world to give God\u2019s only Son<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that Jesus is the transcript in time of God in eternity<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that all God\u2019s children are precious in God\u2019s sight<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe grace and forgiveness are the heart of the universe<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe that God has loved us personally<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

If we believe in God<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust God over the valley of the shadow of death<\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust that love is stronger than death<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust the mysterious promise of resurrection<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust the faith of Christ, relying on faith alone<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust the enduring worth of personality<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust that just deeds, merciful words are never vain<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust the Giver of Life to give eternal life\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust the source of love to love eternally<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust that we shall rest protected in God\u2019s embrace<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we shall trust in God<\/em><\/p>\n

And we do.<\/em><\/p>\n

Let us ring the bells of affirmation.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Coda<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

And let us act as well.\u00a0 In grieving let us reach out by visit or voice to another who knows grief.\u00a0 In remembering let us write out for another generation some central memories of our lost loved ones. In accepting, let us take the silent time of silence we need, in prayer.\u00a0 In affirmation, let us invite another to the faith of Christ through fellowship with His people, attendance in worship at his church, and the commitments of tithing and service that are His salt and light.<\/p>\n

And let us act as well.\u00a0 In grieving let us reach out by visit or voice to another who knows grief.\u00a0 In remembering let us write out for another generation some central memories of our lost loved ones. In accepting, let us take the silent time of silence we need, in prayer.\u00a0 In affirmation, let us invite another to the faith of Christ through fellowship with His people, attendance in worship at his church, and the commitments of tithing and service that are His salt and light.<\/p>\n

-The Rev. Dr. Robert Allan Hill, Dean of Marsh Chapel<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Service in Commemoration of Lives Lost in COVID Click here to hear the full service John 3: 14-21 Click here to hear just the sermon Frontispiece For a full year, we have been worshipping in diaspora, our sanctuary empty.\u00a0 We have by grace and the work of WBUR and many others continued to broadcast our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2679,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3110"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3114,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3110\/revisions\/3114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}