“To Be One” – A Sermon for the 7th Sunday of Easter

Sometimes, I think that if Jesus were to come back, he would weep. It’s not just that the world continues to be fraught.  I don’t think he ever imagined a time the world would be free from danger and evil.  But, he hoped that his followers would live in such a way – united with God and united with one another – that we would be a sign of God’s great love in the midst of the world’s brokenness. 

Instead, some of the people who most loudly shout the name of Jesus    seem to do so with hatred and violence in their hearts, fomenting not unity, but division. 

Knowing that he was facing his death, knowing that he would be leaving his disciples behind in a dangerous world Jesus prays: 

“Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Even Jesus, it seems, does not have all of his prayers answered.

But notice that Jesus is not making this prayer in private.  He offers it so that the disciples can hear it, so that his disciples – including us – can fulfill it. 

Lately, I have been utterly dejected and disgusted by the divisive, reckless, destructive behavior of many of our federal government’s leaders. I know I am not alone in this. (And I know that some of you are not troubled.)  But, I worry, as I know many of you do, about the destruction of democratic norms, presidential morality and comportment, including willful ignorance and hubris, which may have implications for the future of our children and grandchildren for the rest of their lives. All given a green light and applauded by some who call themselves Christian.  It is almost too much to bear. 

But, the message of today’s scripture is even more consequential (pause) – no matter what goes on in the world – we still can be one with God and each other.  No matter how the evildoers of the world behave, we can choose to embrace our oneness with God and each other.  The evildoers of the world can not take that away.

But,  it is up to us to consciously and intentionally live in such a way that our relationships with God and each other are nourished and can grow.  If we allow ourselves to simply be tossed about by the latest news and trends,  left to our own devices, we can not presume that we will have the spiritual fortitude to maintain our sanity and well-being or to build a future with hope.

To develop our spiritual fortitude, we need to be united with God and with each other.  We will never be able to fix all that is wrong with the world.  But, we can create what Margaret Wheatley calls “islands of sanity.” We can choose to live in the way that Jesus calls us to live: as beloved of God, whose mission is to embody God’s compassion, God’s presence in the world. 

So, let’s take a spiritual inventory. Here are a few questions.  

How well do you feel connected to God, to the Holy One of your understanding?   

Do you have daily and weekly spiritual practices that nurture a sense of being in God’s presence? The presence of the holy? (pause) 

How well do you feel connected to others, part of a community that strives to live as God’s loving presence, as compassion in the world? 

Given all the trouble in our world – which many of us are overly tuned into – it is imperative that we are part of some kind of intentional spiritual community of prayer and service that can ground our lives.  This could take the form of a primary relationship, family, prayer or meditation group, service or community group, a church. No matter the size or form,  what is essential is that we unite with others who also are intentional about nurturing a connection to God and striving together to serve others. This is how a sense of oneness with God and others grows.

After graduating from the University of Vermont, I was excited to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and serve as an assistant to an Episcopal priest with a storefront ministry in downtown Seattle.  A few weeks before I left Burlington, a friend and I watched a documentary about runaways in Seattle.  It painted a picture of a city that was dangerous and even depraved.  I was shaken to the core.  Terrified.  What had I gotten myself into? 

As it turned out, I didn’t stay in that position long – I was not ready for that kind of work.  A new friend, Sr. Bernie, suggested that I consider working at the St. Martin de Porres Shelter.  She founded this shelter that served 200 men over the age of 50 each night in a former Department of Defense warehouse on the waterfront. At first, it was also intimidating.  

I had never been around so many late stage, chronic alcoholics and mentally ill men.  Each night before 6 p.m., two staff members drove in a shuttle bus down to the Alaskan Way viaduct, under a dark highway overpass, to meet the men who would be staying at the shelter.  We allowed inebriated men to get on the bus, but they were not allowed to bring in bottles.  Unsurprisingly, fights would sometimes break out on the line and in the shelter.  My bachelor’s degree in religion had not prepared me for this or for what life would be like night in and night out in a shelter for homeless men. At first, it was intimidating. I felt keenly the brokenness of the men’s lives and the dangers of the street.

And yet, I’ve never felt closer to God and more connected to a Christian community than I did in those years.

Why?

Once a week, after the shelter closed at 7 a.m, a group of staff met in the home of the shelter director, Joan Clough, for the practice of Lectio Divina—a Benedictine form of contemplative prayer. Lectio Divina, which is also the inspiration for our Thursday night prayer on Zoom- allows for times of silence and intimate sharing.  

On those precious mornings, we might spend nearly two hours engaged in this spiritual practice together.  Sitting in Joan’s living room, I felt a palpable sense of the presence of God. I also felt close to my colleagues. Lectio Divina, as folks who participate on Thursdays can attest, enables people to get to know each other deeply within what feels like a spiritual sheepfold.  After Lectio, this group of staff – who grew into friends – would go to Mass at the Cathedral of St. James and then to lunch.  Every week.  

It was a formative experience of feeling One with God.  One with others.  One in mission. One in love.

Because of our weekly staff gatherings, we were spiritually fortified do some of the most demanding work I have ever done in my life, and to do it with grace. It didn’t mean that we were free from misunderstandings, disagreements, or differences of opinion. But, we approached our work spiritually, making a commitment to foster our relationships with God, each other, and the men in our care. 

Over time, rather than feeling intimidated or afraid of the men who came to the shelter, I could experience God present in them.  

My years at St. Martins were foundational.  But, you don’t have to work at a shelter to build a life rooted and grounded in prayer, service, and community.  

Those of you who are blessed to live with a partner,  family or friends can make a commitment to pray together and serve others together, to build up your faith and unity.  

Every group that meets in this church can share in some form of prayer or spiritual practice together, while also making a commitment to serve the community – all of which will build faith and unity. 

A good example is the SeaCoast team… not only do they visit residents and offer creative worship services together there, they make a point of getting together at other times – all of which builds faith and unity.   

There are people in this congregation – Brittany Betts, Greta Bro, and others – who have participated in spiritually grounded, transformational, communal acts of service around the world that have deepened their felt connection to God and others. 

At the potluck following worship, you will have a chance to hear about some of the exciting plans we have for the 300th anniversary of the church coming up in 2028.  As we contemplate the future of this church, may we be inspired to be increasingly intentional about our commitment to the kinds of spiritual practice and service in the world that God calls us to love so that we can fulfill the prayer of Jesus: “that we may be one.” Amen.