Death to Earthly Things, Rising in Christ

The New Revised Standard Version The New Life in Christ

The New Life in Christ

3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

Another morning, waking to gun violence.

2 years as a pastor, there have been too many Sundays to count that I’ve woken and wondered at how to say anything in the face of such utter horror and violence. Too many times.

The truth is it could be every week. This is our world.

Gun violence — murdering and harming others who bear the image of Christ. All bear the image of Christ, whether Jew or Greek, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free. Rich poor, black, white, brown, American, Mexican, Palestinian, Israeli, drug dealer, drug addict, CEO, unemployed, immigrant, policy maker, pastor, priest, imam, rabbi, atheist, and faithful. We all bear the markings of our Creator and therefore every single life is precious and sacred. To kill is to harm the sacred.

This is not only about gun violence — it is sown in the seeds of hatred. Of a nation where we are infected with a history and present of White Supremacy. Of nationalism over belonging, ideals over personhood.

How long, O Lord.

Standing in front of your closet or dresser, its easiest to put on comfortable, worn clothes. Even if they’re dirty, ripped, don’t fit.

Or to stand there and say, “I just need to go back to bed.”

It is so in us to live in these toxic practices, these ways of death. To remain inert.

But we must not, we must move, we must put on a new self, newly clothed in God’s lovingkindness and wisdom.

The New Revised Standard Version The New Life in Christ

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

So…what can we do?

Put away all the selfish, earthly, divisive practices — we have no time for this stuff.

Be clothed in Christ, the new self, grounded in God’s love alone.

Put away the other stuff — stop it, we have no time for it.

Be renewed, wait no longer.

Lament.

Seek Peace.

Act Justly.

The Church’s hospitality

The Church must continue to be a place of refuge. Of safety. We must do

A great welcome to all who gather. A space to come to the table.

And a requirement — you cannot keep this up. You must get rid of all of this death. We will not let you keep it. So you are welcome, but you must know that what is death in you must die.

You may not feel the responsibility of the gun violence, for the racism, for the struggles at the border, for our nation’s malicious, slanderous, self-seeking ways.

We come to God to confess what we must. To say you are without sin is to call our Lord a liar, to deny the power of the resurrection. So what must you confess, what must you put to death?

Come all who are weary and heavy laden and find rest. Come and eat, come and be filled.

We can offer bread of life and a cup of salvation. And we can do so in defiance of the powers which murder, maim, harm, and disgrace the promise of hope.

I call heaven and earth to witness you today: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse — therefore choose life!

Prayer from Presbyterian Outlook editor Jill Duffield

Enough, Lord God, enough.

Rend our hearts and restore your goodness and mercy in our land. Through you, all things are possible, and yet we fail to claim your power to transform chaos into order, war into peace, and anger into action. We pray yet again, Lord God, yet again for your children cut down in a hail of gunfire, for families devastated, communities decimated, our country reeling from self-inflicted wounds of hate. We beg your forgiveness for our unwillingness to address the soul-sickness of our nation, the idolatry of guns and our infatuation with violence and anger and hatred. Comfort those who mourn. Heal the hurting. Strengthen the helpers. Grant courage to your people that we may not just say enough, but do all we can and everything required to stop the killing in our streets.

Amen.