A Life Worthy of the Calling

A Life Worthy of the Calling 

Ephesians 4:1-16

I had the choice of manna in the Old testament lesson, the assurance that God provides all that we truly need from day to day... to Jesus' words in the Gospel..

"I am the bread of Life, those who come to me will never hunger and those who believe in me, will never thirst." and I said to myself.. this says it all no matter what birthday we celebrate this year. But then when I looked at the second lesson, it wouldn't leave me alone. The message was just too obvious.. St. Paul writing from prison to the church at Ephesus begs them and us to lead a life worthy of the calling to which each of us were called in our baptisms. And then Paul proceeds to tell us what that Christ like life looks like. Phrase by phrase this powerful text gets us to examine our own lives. Are these qualities that might describe you? Humility, Gentleness, patience, making allowance for other’s faults out of love, peacemaker, one who works for unity? I know I have a lot further to go toward those attributes than my friend, Pastor Don.. he must have been born with them! Paul's appeal to unity continues One body, One spirit, One hope of your calling, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father of us all who is above all and through all and in all! As Eugene Peterson the writer of The Message translation puts it.. "Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness." But in our Oneness we are unique in that each of us was gifted by the generosity of Christ just the way God in love wants us to be! As some of you know the expression from that long ago Bethel Bible Study.. "Blessed to be a Blessing".. We have been Gifted to be a Gift, giving ourselves in service to others in the name of Christ. Paul lists some of the gifts.. that some should be Sunday School teachers, some Youth Workers some Church Musicians, some Church secretaries, some Custodians.. oh, isn't that the list in our lesson? Speaking of custodians, I remember the time folks we were getting ready for a fish fry in the gym and someone announced that the custodian had left for the day and the toilet had run over.. guess who grabbed a mop? The guy who preached to over 600 on a Sunday and still found time to write those personal notes to folks on their birthdays, if they were ill or having an anniversary.. No wonder the late Bishop Paul Moeller, that's before Bernie was Bishop, Before Ken Priebe.. Dr. Moeller described Pastor Don as having a "love affair with his people".. and then he added.. in the best sense of the term.. "Love affair". These stories became deeply entrenched in my impressionable young mind.. I arrived here at a mere 24 and physically left at 28.. but Don and Divinity have never left me. As Paul says, The gifts God gave were that some should be pastors and teachers.. Don, you have been both pastor and teacher to many of us and you've done just what we are called by Paul to do.. "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, a process that is on-going in us and thru us until we meet our Lord face to face. The big word is sanctification.. We are called to keep on growing and never stop growing, equipping others to become all that God wants them to be by our encouraging words and loving support. In the last couple of weeks I've used Divinity in an illustration.. one that Rachel and Nathan and others can identify with. I have a little praise band.. when I say little I mean that the oldest kid in it is going into the 7th grade and biasedly I tell you that they are good... and in a small town like Salem where I live, they even made the front page of the newspaper.. ok so it's no Plain Dealer. I told them that in three years I want them to go to the Youth Gathering in Detroit and sing on one of those stages in the convention center.. and I told them and the congregation about the New Wind and how we traveled to the youth gathering in Kansas City in 79 and also how we did exchanges with Pastor Terry's then Michigan group called the Agape Singers. I just didn't tell them how big the New Wind was! I took a look at the Divinity website and a smile came to my face as I read who the President of the congregation is.. I believe my first memory of Doug was as an upper high school or early college student. Saints that I had the joy of knowing with names like Pat and Ron and David are smiling on him too.. And Don I know that a beautiful saint named Arlovina is smiling down on you, your beautiful family and all of us today. In closing, I must tell a golfing story.. Moses and Jesus were in a threesome playing golf one day. Moses pulled up to the tee and drove a long one. The ball landed in the fairway, but rolled directly toward a water hazard. Quickly Moses raised his club, the water parted and it rolled to the other side, safe and sound. Next, Jesus strolled up to the tee and hit a nice long one directly toward the same water hazard. It landed right in the center of the pond and kind of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and chipped the ball onto the green. The third guy got up and randomly whacked the ball. It headed out over the fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street. It bounced off a truck and hit a nearby tree. From there, it bounced onto the roof of a shack close by and rolled down into the gutter, down the drain spout, out onto the fairway and straight toward the aforementioned pond. On the way to the pond, the ball hit a stone and bounced out over the water onto a lily pad, where it rested quietly. Suddenly a very large bullfrog jumped up on a lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth. Just then, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green, the frog squealed with fright and dropped the ball, which bounced right into the cup for a hole in one. Moses turned to Jesus and said, "I hate playing with your Dad." I know someone who plays in their foursome.. I'd be honored even to be his caddy! Amen