I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WAITING THIS MORNING…
NOW I KNOW SOME FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY GOOD AT WAITING FOR THINGS… THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, TO GROW ASPARAGRAS & THEY ARE WILLING TO WAIT FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO HAVE ASPARAGRAS GROW – SLOWLY - BEFORE THEY GET TO EAT IT…
THERE ARE OTHER FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY GOOD AT WAITING TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT… IT TAKES A LOT OF PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE TO GET REALLY GOOD AT PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT…
THERE ARE OTHERS AMONG US HERE WHO ARE GOOD AT WAITING AS THEY LEARN HOW TO PLAY GOLF, TENNIS, SOCCER, BASEBALL, OR BASKETBALL… IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME & PATIENCE TO LEARN HOW TO DO THOSE THINGS.
THERE ARE OTHER FOLKS WHO HAVE TO HAVE PATIENCE AS THEY LEARN HOW TO COOK, HOW TO DO WOODWORK, HOW TO USE A COMPUTER, HOW TO READ OR WRITE, HOW TO DRIVE A CAR… LIFE SOMETIMES TAKES A LOT OF WAITING…
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT SOMETIMES I JUST HATE TO WAIT…
LIKE CHRISTMAS MORNING – DOES ANYONE REALLY LIKE TO WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING?
OR HOW ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE REALLY HUNGRY, DO YOU LIKE TO WAIT FOR FOOD WHEN YOU ARE REALLY HUNGRY?
I HATE TO WAIT FOR STRAWBERRIES & TOMATOES TO REALLY TASTE GOOD EACH YEAR – I GET IMPATIENT WITH HAVING THE STRAWBERRIES & THE TOMATOES TASTE LIKE CARDBOARD! … I CAN’T WAIT FOR A REALLY GOOD STRAWBERRY OR TOMATO…
I CONFESS THAT I TEND TO GET IMPATIENT WAITING FOR SPRING TO ARRIVE… SOME YEARS I GET REALLY TIRED OF WINTER & WANT SPRING TO JUST BE HERE FOR AWHILE…
HOW ABOUT WAITING FOR SUMMER VACATION? IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE WHO, LIKE ME, GETS IMPATIENT FOR SUMMER VACATION? FOR SOME OF YOU WHO ARE STILL IN SCHOOL NOW, I’M GUESSING THAT SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE GETTING IMPATIENT FOR THE END OF SCHOOL… AM I RIGHT?
SOMETIMES I HAVE A HARD TIME WAITING FOR THINGS…
JESUS SEEMED TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT WAITING… JESUS SEEMED TO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF PATIENCE… HE HAD TO TELL HIS DISCIPLES OVER & OVER AGAIN THAT THEY NEEDED TO GROW THEIR FAITH IN GOD…
JESUS REMINDED HIS DISCIPLES REPEATEDLY ABOUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED THEM & THAT HE, LIKE GOD, WOULD TAKE CARE OF THEM - LIKE A GOOD SHEPHERD TAKES CARE OF HIS FLOCK OF SHEEP – AND IT WAS HARD FOR THE DISCIPLES TO TRUST JESUS… JESUS KNEW A LOT ABOUT WAITING…
JESUS REMINDED HIS DISCIPLES OVER & OVER AGAIN THAT IT WASN’T GOING TO BE EASY, THAT NOT EVERYONE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HE HAD TO SAY… EVEN AT THE LAST SUPPER WITH HIS DISCIPLES, JESUS GENTLY REMINDS THEM THAT THEY NEED TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER… THIS WASN’T THE 1ST TIME HE HAD SAID THIS! JESUS HAD TO DO A LOT OF PATIENT WAITING… JESUS HAD TO DO A LOT OF TEACHING – OVER & OVER AGAIN - & HE HAD TO TRUST THAT THE DISCIPLES WOULD REMEMBER WHAT HE HAD SAID AFTER HE HAD TO LEAVE THEM…
HOW PATIENT GOD MUST BE TOO! GOD MUST BE VERY PATIENT WITH US…
WE HUMAN BEINGS SEEM TO BE PRETTY SLOW TO LEARN SOME THINGS…
FOR MORE THAN 2000 YEARS SINCE JESUS WALKED THIS EARTH WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER… AND MAYBE – SOMETIMES… ON RARE OCCASIONS… WE DO GET IT RIGHT!
IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER…
IT TAKES PATIENCE TO LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER…
IT TAKES WORK & SOME INTENTIONALITY TO LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER…
JESUS REMINDS US ALL THAT WE MUST LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER…
JESUS KNEW THAT WE COULD LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER… HE KNEW THAT THIS WAS NOT AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK. CHALLENGING, YES! EASY, NO!
JESUS KNEW THAT IF WE HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER THEN THINGS COULD CHANGE HERE ON EARTH…
AND THE WRITER OF REVELATIONS KNEW THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DREAM & HOPE FOR A WORLD WHERE GOD DWELT AMONG US & WHERE GOD WOULD MAKE ALL THINGS NEW…. JOHN THE DIVINE KNEW THAT THIS WORLD COULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF WE EACH LOVED ONE ANOTHER…
WE GATHER HERE EACH SUNDAY TO BE REMINDED THAT LOVING ONE ANOTHER BEGINS RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN HEARTS – WE CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER IF WE LOVE OURSELVES 1ST & THEN IF WE LOVE OTHERS IN OUR OWN HOMES & OUR OWN FAMILIES…
WE CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER BY LOVING AND CARING FOR THOSE WE WORK WITH… WE CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER BY LOVING THOSE WE ENJOY RECREATION WITH…
WE CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS BROTHERS & SISTERS IN THIS FAITH COMMUNITY… WE CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS WE ENCOUNTER THE WIDER COMMUNITY - HERE IN CONNECTICUT AND BEYOND…
WE GATHER HERE THIS SUNDAY IN FRONT OF THIS BANQUET TABLE, IN FRONT OF THIS TABLE OF BLESSING - A TABLE THAT REMINDS US OF GOD’S LOVE, GOD’S FAITHFULNESS, & GOD’S ETERNAL PATIENCE WITH US…
WE GATHER AS A CHURCH FAMILY FOR A SYMBOLIC MEAL WHERE WE TAKE INTO US THE BREAD OF LIFE & THE CUP OF BLESSING – THAT IT MIGHT FILL US AND NOURISH US FOR THE TASKS THAT ARE OURS TO DO…
WE COME TO THIS TABLE WITH JOHN THE DIVINE’S VISION OF A WORLD FILLED WITH GOD’S LOVE & A REMINDER FROM JESUS THAT IT IS UP TO EACH OF US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER….
MAY WE CONTINUE TO LEARN TO WAIT AND TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER… AMEN.