Gospel: John 17:20-26
Grace and Peace to you from God our Creator, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen
“Why aren’t you Christian?”, someone says to me. “I’m Lutheran,” I say… and I of course know I’m Christian… but for some folks, it’s not that simple. For some folks, the idea of a denomination is silly. Why would a religion divide itself on lines that don’t need division? Well, why do we baptize babies? Why do we commune every baptized Christian instead of only members of our church? Why do we have an empty cross instead of Jesus up on there? Why do we have an altar up here? Because there are lines in the sand that need to be made to distinguish ourselves. To identify ourselves. As it says in the United States’ Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” We hold these realities as identifying principles. We draw these lines because this is how we differentiate ourselves, and claim our uniqueness. We are Lutheran. We are members and participants in a worship of a congregation which claims itself as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. For some people, none of that says the word Christian. “Why aren’t you just Christian?”, they ask. “I am”... I say… but what does that really mean?
People may not know what the usefulness of denominations is. In that case, I like to have them imagine a tree, like a family tree. As we are all part of the same Christian family tree. Then, I like to pull out a piece of paper, draw a bunch of lines on it, and point out that all these other denominations are part of the same tree that says Christian. We all hold certain truths to be self-evident. Those creeds we say every Sunday? Those are ways in which we claim our Christian identity. The wine and bread we consume every couple Sundays? Those are ways in which we claim our Christian identity. The practice of pouring water on babies and other folks’ heads? Those are ways in which we claim our Christian identity… That cross behind us… That is our cross to bear. Our reminder of the resurrection. Of the promise. Of the hope of a new life to come.
Right before the passion narrative, Jesus is praying with his disciples for the life of the church - past, present, and future. That the Church in which is about to form because of his death and resurrection and God’s grace… will be unified. But, then in the course of human history is divided, but in essence, still unified. First off though, there it is, right there. What Jesus is doing right there in the text - that is something that holds all Christians together. Christians pray. This prayer echoes Jesus’ earlier prayer to his father, the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. Christians pray the Lord’s prayer in many forms, many languages. Of all the churches in all the world… Christians pray. Christians celebrate life together in worship and service to others. Christians remember the life of their Messiah. Christians pray.
Prayer is a powerful thing. Prayer is a unifier in the room, when all other points of unity are out the window, prayer brings people together. Now, there are some denominations that don’t allow others to pray for them. Some don’t allow women to pray. But usually, prayer is a unifier. In our fellowship hall, there are old Swedish Psalmboks. Prayer unites us in the present, all around the world, in different languages and in different contexts. Prayer unites us with our ancestors. Prayers are throughout the bible, not only in the New Testament.
For all of human history, we have had a need to thank the Creator, ask for presence from the Creator, and pray for hope from the Creator. For all of human history, we have known there are things beyond our comprehension, beyond our skillset, beyond our knowledge, that only the Creator of the universe can possibly understand or deal with. The need to ‘Let Go, and Let God…’ has been, and will continue to be a constant need for humanity. Prayer unites us with the past, present, and future Church.
So, what does the future Church, look like? As I stated in the beginning of this sermon, some people have a hard time recognizing that any name other than Christian… can be Christian. Any denomination, division, or way of expressing ourselves… other than the word, Christian… is a denomination, division and way of expressing ourselves… too far.
For instance, I’m a human being, as much as you and every other human being on this planet, is exactly that. A human being. We can all unite on the fact of our existence. That we have blood running through our veins, with a heart or other medical device pumping that blood… and a brain on top of our shoulders. We all experience humanity differently, and yet, we are all indeed, human. We have different words that describe us, different ways of expressing ourselves. We own these words, know these words, and gain power from these words.
Likewise, I love music. I play guitar, occasionally piano (by ear, but after a while… it starts to hurt) and I can rightfully call myself a musician. I have musicality. It is a God-given talent that I can share by using my God-given voice or a guitar, or maybe other instruments. I love music. This love is part of my identity, my existence. Singing or playing guitar… is a way of expressing that love. That part of my identity. By expressing that part of my identity, I can hold power by calling myself a musician. I gain acceptance in some circles. Other people may enjoy my presence as a musician, one of the expressions of all that make me a human being. I do not stop being a human being by calling myself a musician. I am both. I can be both. You can too. All of us have words that describe who we are as human beings. That make us unique. That help us express that very holy expression of God-given existence. And all of us are necessary as different parts of the body of Christ.
Some of us have professions - words that ‘profess’ our jobs, our vocations, our callings as human beings. When meeting people for the first time, usually the second piece of information, after the first words of our expression - our names - usually the second piece is what we do. Well, we do lots of things. We live, we breathe, we work, or we don’t work. What people mean when they ask what you do - is what your profession is. What do you profess as a reason for existing on this planet we call home?
Some of you are celebrating Mother’s Day today, while others may celebrate Father’s Day in a month. Some of you are or were teachers, lawyers, farmers, bankers… whatever words we use to describe ourselves, we are all united in Christ, by Christ’s love. Whether we are musicians, or not. Whatever words you use to describe yourself, you are still you. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than you.”
We use words that help describe how we interact in this world with each other. And, for some on this planet, we use the word Christian. We profess, as Christians, that we know of a man who lived a long time ago, named Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Humanity… lived on this earth - preached, taught, helped, healed, fed, served, walked, suffered, died… and rose again. Christians across the globe can agree with all of those core realities. This Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah - died, and rose again three days later, to save us all, from ourselves. That man that lived so long ago - died for you and me, to save us all from ourselves through the Grace, Love, and Mercy of God…
We can profess, as Lutherans - one of those words we use to describe ourselves - That there is a God that loves you, me, and everyone. God loves us, and there is absolutely nothing that we can ever do to stop God from loving us. We can profess as Lutherans that the Word is a living Word - one that was inspired from God, and informs our daily lives to this day, and for the world to come.
Jesus was praying with his disciples before his death that the world he lived in, the Church that was to be formed with him, and the words of unity in which he spoke - would hold true for all of time. That all of us, as human beings, as Christians, could come together under the truth of his death and resurrection. There may be points of disagreements between denominations, or even with people inside denominations, or even the same congregation, or even families. There may be lines that divide us, and ultimately, that’s okay. We have words that describe who we are, how we feel about things, that allow us to interact with the world. Words give power to people, movements, ideas. Jesus the Christ is the Savior of the world, and we describe our profession of that faith in him as Christian. We are Christians. Whatever other word you use to describe your faith, does not discount the ability that you believe in the truth of God’s son crucified and risen.
It is this truth we profess as Christians, and it is this truth that Jesus is asking us to unite around. For we are all in one mission. To show and live out the grace, love, and mercy of God through Christ. That is our calling as Christians. That is our cross to bear. That is how we identify. That is how we must live out our lives, in service to God and to one another. In the words of Martin Luther, This is most certainly true. Amen.
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