4 Lent B March 11, 2018
Luther Memorial Church Seattle, WA
The Rev. Julie Hutson
Numbers 21: 4-9 + Ephesians 2: 1-10 + John 3: 14-21
Grace and peace to you from God who creates us, Jesus who saves us, and the Holy Spirit who walks with us. Amen.
When a congregation has an intern, one of our tasks together, with Vicar Laura, is to help her learn and grow as a preacher. So, Laura, even though you aren’t the preacher today, I’m going to offer you this piece of advice. Nothing makes folks tune out faster from a sermon than this phrase: “When I was in seminary”. It’s a little bit like saying to your kids “when I was your age.”
Today, though, I really must tell you about when I was in seminary. Because our guest today, Joe Newberry, is the brother of my dearest friend from seminary, the Rev. Amy Newberry Fauquet. I have so many Amy stories and I would like nothing better than to tell them ALL to you today. And although that would be pretty entertaining, I think it would put a strain on my heart. And maybe Joe’s too. Plus, this is a sermon, not a time for personal story telling. But…
When I was in seminary…..
I had a professor who I was absolutely certain treated me unfairly. I was positive that she judged my work with a harder eye and a harsher red pen than she did the other students. I was an A student. I worked very, very hard. And yet, she would regularly return my papers to me with entire sections she wanted me to re-write. She would question my conclusions when, in my humble opinion, she would let the questionable opinions of some of my classmates just slide. And worst of all…every single time our class was divided into groups for group work she would put me in a group with the biggest slackers in the class; meaning, of course, that I did more than my share of the work.
One day, as I sat at lunch with Amy, I had had it. I’d had it with this professor and with my slacker classmates. I was complaining, maybe as much as the Israelites were complaining in the first reading this morning. And Amy listened and nodded and finally looked me square in the eye and said “Well, honey, sometimes it’s just an EGR situation.”
EGR? I asked. What do you mean? Extra Grace Required….she said.
Grace is the thread running through our readings today. Extra grace. The grace of YHWH who created a way for the Israelites to be saved from the poisonous bite of the snake. The grace of YHWH who, in spite of people who complained bitterly and without making any sense…after all, they complained about the taste of the food they did not have…the grace of YHWH in showing mercy to those difficult and stiff necked people.
In Ephesians we are reminded of the richness of God’s mercy and the depth of God’s grace in so much that even when we were dead through our own mistakes, through our own sins, we were made alive with Christ. This passage that is so foundational to what we as Lutherans believe it means to walk in the world as Jesus’ followers: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
For by grace we have been saved. Extra grace….rich, extravagant grace.
And then we get to the Gospel reading. This passage from John’s Gospel is so familiar. At least one verse of it is: For God so loved the world as to give the only Son, so that everyone who believes may not perish but have eternal life. And the real grace follows that verse: Indeed, John writes, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through the Son.
Surely, certainly, God could have condemned us. Could have seen us for what we are: insecure, thoughtless, complaining, fearful people and God could have just said: Enough. Enough with all of this, I’m going to have to come to earth myself and point out every way you’ve fallen short. And why not? We have become so much less than what God had intended. Neglectful of Creation. Judging one another. Not trusting in the promises of God and trusting instead in our own ability to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. As the writer of John’s Gospel points out: we’ve become a people who love evil, who love doing the things we know better than to do. And we have become a people who too often condone those things that demand that we stand against them, or look away or remain silent when what is happening demands that we stand up for what is right.
But instead of sending condemnation and wrath our way….God sent Love itself.
Oh beloved community, is there a better example of grace than this? That God loved us so much…and not just “us”, but ALL of us…the whole world of us….that God sent Love into the world, not to condemn us as we certainly deserved, but to save us? Such Glory.
I learned so much sitting at lunch that day with Amy. EGR….extra grace required. It’s become something that I hear her whisper in my ear from heaven where I am certain that she sits at God’s right hand, edging out Peter and James and even John. When people or circumstances tie me up in knots, EGR helps. Because we never know the burdens carried by those around us.
Certainly, if ever a congregation needed to remember this mantra…EGR….it would be us, now. So much transition as we follow Jesus’ call to us to care for others. While the housing is being built we contend with parking and funny smells and noise. EGR. Yes. EGR.
And beloved children of God, most days the people we need to show that extra grace to? They look back at us when we look in the mirror. We can be so hard on ourselves. We have such high expectations of ourselves. We expect so much of ourselves. Oh dear ones….show yourself….no….shower yourself with extra grace. Know that it is what God offers to you over and over again. Because as much as God loves the whole world….so much that God would send Love…God’s very son….God’s very self…..that’s how much God loves you. And you are worthy of that love. Every step and every time along the way. EGR applies to you, too.
The world feels scary right now. And we are so short sighted we’ve forgotten that this isn’t the first time and didn’t things eventually right themselves. But I don’t recall a time in the past several decades that I’ve witnessed this much division, this much tension, this much hatred, and this much fear.
So if there was ever a time that called for extra grace, I believe it is this time.
Of course, this is the beauty of grace and love….they are not finite. They are not a pie chart with just this much in existence. Grace and love multiply when we share them. There’s always extra grace.
I want to finish the “when I was in seminary story”, the story of the unreasonable professor and my dear friend Amy. During our senior year of seminary we were assigned a final project in her class. We were to present the projects and of course, I was assigned to go first. I had done my work thoroughly and well. I was confident in what I was offering. But when I sat down at the end, my professor rubbed her chin and tapped her pen on the desk and she said “Well. That was fine work.” I exhaled. Amy smiled at me from across the room. Vindication at last. “Except…”
Except? Except what?
“Except it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
As I breathed in and out slowly, trying to gather my thoughts to respond, Amy rose from her chair. She looked the professor square in the eye and said “We all know that that presentation was exactly what was required of Julie. It wasn’t just fine work, it was her best work. You have asked more of her for the entirety of her seminary career and she has given you stellar work and shown you nothing but respect. Her classmates and I reject your exception.” And with that she sat.
Sometimes the extra grace comes from standing up for what is right.
Beloved community….may your cups be filled with extra grace in these and all days. May your truest companions accompany you with support and love. And may the grace of God and the love poured out come through you into the world.
Thanks be to God….and let the church say…Amen.