The text is below the audio…
But first a hymn… Come Thou Fount of every Blessing
(There is also a hymn at the end of sermon text)
1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
mount of God’s redeeming love.
2 Here I find my greatest treasure;
hither by thy help I’ve come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
3 Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
bought me with his precious blood.
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
4 Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
“Mutual Love” Sunday Sermon. 6/28/20. Alan Neale.
Trinity Church, Newport RI
This past June 24th was the 43rd anniversary of my ordination that took place in the massive and impressive Exeter Cathedral. This is a favorite season for ordinations (sometimes called Petertide) and Bishop Jim shared with us, last week, that he was ordained at the same season.
Actually the readings for the day of my ordination were for “The Beheading of John the Baptist”, thankfully these readings were not chosen… though maybe sometimes I have “lost my head” in parish ministry!
It is fascinating for me to reflect on my two terms of ministry at Trinity Church. In 1991 (January 1) I was called to serve as one of two associate rectors. I was asked to assist in general parish duties but, in particular, to begin and develop a “singles’ ministry” that was later named “Archipelago”.
Later in 2015, I received a call again (thanks to Rector Anne Marie Richards) to serve as assistant priest, again to assist in general parish duties but this time, in particular, to develop a wedding ministry. 1991 – singles, 2015 couples… what variety parish ministry offers!
Interesting, both “tenures” ended with my leaving involuntarily. I carry no ill-will but only sadness that what Alan wanted could not happen; but we are often constrained by realities that we cannot change and then we must learn again the beauty and health of submitting to the will of the Lord. As we read in I Samuel 3:18 “It is the Lord, let him do what seems good to him”. This is not “feeble giving up” but rather “functional giving in”; in the Christian life… surrender is the key. And with all my heart I pray for God’s blessing on this faith community and for Fr. Tim Watt as he begins a new ministry as Rector.
In large part, it is hard to leave this community because I, and Wendy, am so very grateful for what we have received in welcome, support, patience, kindness and… Bishop Jim Jelinek, what a precious gift it has been to work alongside Bishop Jim and now to count him as friend.
But to the Scriptures.
John 21:15-19
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
v. 17 “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
As I said earlier, I believe that a readiness to submit to the will of the Lord is the key to healthy, functional, mature Christian living both for the individual Christian and for the community of faith. Some of you will remember the vigorous and outspoken Andy LaVarre who was an active, devout member of Trinity until his tragic death some two years ago. At the end of most conversations, Andy would remind me, “Alan, submission/surrender is the key”.
It wasn’t easy for Simon Peter to surrender to the Lord. First, it was difficult because of his very nature. The man who would rush ahead of the disciples when he saw the Lord, the man who galloped into the empty tomb like a bull in a china shop of delicate and potent spiritual truth, the man who dared to rebuke Jesus, the man who generally spoke first… and thought second, well third! But second, in this passage, it is difficult for Simon Peter to surrender to Jesus because he, Simon Peter, had to accept that Jesus truly, truly, truly loved him with all his flaws. Of course, you realize that the three questions of Jesus must have resonated deeply in Peter’s heart and caused him to remember his three-fold denial of Jesus. No wonder we read (v.20) that Peter felt hurt that Jesus asked him a similar question three times. And the word John uses for “hurt” suggests grief, vexation, sorrow, deep emotional pain even the pain of childbirth.
It takes Christians, it takes Churches, sometimes a long time to process this glorious truth – that despite the realities of our weaknesses, sins, rebellions the greater reality is this… Jesus loves us still. This is the bedrock of spiritual vitality, authenticity and integrity. As Bill Wilson writes in Step One (AA’s Twelve Steps) “we admitted we were powerless… and our lives had become unmanageable”. Dear friend, dear Trinity Church, it is required of you all, of me, for our spiritual health that we surrender to this truth – knowing our weaknesses, sins, rebellions Jesus loves us.
You know that different words for “love” are used in this Gospel passage; one suggests a love based on knowledge, reason, appreciation and the other… a love based on affection, suggesting that we cherish the one loved.
“Lord, you know everything… and you know that I love you.”
I hesitate to say this, but of course I will, I believe Episcopalians do not find it easy, second nature, default setting to think of loving their Lord with a warm affection, a tender love. Yes we love the Lord our God (well, nearly) with all our mind and strength but… with our heart?
But here we must surrender and submit… and it’s never, never, never too late to begin again.
A prayer: “Lord, your love embraces all that we are and you love us still, thank you! Help us to know you more fully that our love may welcome you into our lives anew as Christians and as a Church. Good Shepherd, pray for us, protect us, feed us, lead us. Amen”
1 Come, labor on.
Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain
while all around us waves the golden grain?
And to each servant does the Master say,
“Go work today.”
2 Come, labor on.
Claim the high calling angels cannot share;
to young and old the gospel gladness bear.
Redeem the time; its hours too swiftly fly.
The night draws nigh.
(3 Come, labor on.
Cast off all gloomy doubt and faithless fear!
No arm so weak but may do service here.
Though feeble agents, may we all fulfill
God’s righteous will.)
4 Come, labor on.
No time for rest, till glows the western sky,
till the long shadows o’er our pathway lie,
and a glad sound comes with the setting sun,
“Well done, well done!”