Often I go back and review past bulletins and sermons for ideas to refresh and offer anew. In many of those reviews, one encounters words encouraging a fledgling little community to go forward, to seek the Lord’s will—in their lives, but also within this, His little local church.
Belief is at the core of this. Let me start with an old story.
In an interview with a Russian monk, a woman asks what is from the world’s perspective a very logical and simple question. How are we to understand the resurrection of the dead? Such things don’t happen in the world.
We’ve heard of people who have died and been resuscitated. But that’s different from resurrection. Resurrection by our Savior promises a new life in heaven, eternally near to Him.
The Russian monk was not even slightly put off guard by the woman’s question. His answer was simple and direct. If God created the world out of nothing, if God established all the laws of nature, what could be impossible to Him? He added, Is it more difficult to resurrect life than to give it? It’s all in what you believe.
I wonder how often we consider what we’ll encounter after we die. It should be a component of every day of our lives. Am I closer today to the perfection to which my Lord has called me than I was yesterday? Have I taken steps today to reconcile myself with someone who might be at odds with me? Have I prayed for my enemies? And the most important question—If God calls me today, have I done everything I should have done to be ready to stand before Him?
Today’s Gospel lays at our feet the commandment, Do unto others… Before we look into our own standing with respect to this commandment, we must first recognize a couple of things. First—God has the power to do as He wills. Next—He always wills for us that which is best for our salvation, that which will secure a place for us near to Him for eternity. This is why He chose to take on my flesh. This is why He voluntarily chose to die on the Cross for us. This is why He resurrected Himself first from the dead, that I and you and all who believe might be able to follow where He has gone first.
“Knowing” that I believe is therefore essential to my place in eternity. How do I “know”?
Most assuredly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:53)
We are all here today to make this commandment of our Lord the central part of our week. Today we eat His Body, we drink His Blood, and He faithfully carries us through the coming 6 days to be strengthened once again by Him.
All because I Believe.
Remember that little community we began this piece with?
On any given Sunday as we began, attendance at Liturgy would be around 20 people.
Ten years later, amongst a group of faithful, Liturgy would be attended by about 25 people.
Now ten further years later, amongst a group of faithful, Liturgies are attended by 45 or more people. We prayed for a building, and to the faithful the Lord granted one. We prayed for growth, and amongst the faithful the Lord has blessed that request. He has blessed it to the extent that we’re looking for ways to reconfigure our worship space to make it more comfortable for larger groups of faithful.
How is all this possible? I don’t know! What I know is that together we believe, and in that firm faith, the Lord has blessed us beyond our wildest expectations of only a few years ago.
Think of what more He can accomplish in a little place like St. Herman’s—if only we continue to believe! Because with Him, all things are possible.
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