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    Oct 05, 2014

    One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism - World Communion 2014

    Passage: Ephesians 4:1-6

    Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

    Category: Special Event

    Keywords: world communion, faith, baptism, saul, christianity

    Did you ever have a song stuck in your head that you couldn't get rid of? The thought of one Lord, one faith, one baptism is like that. All Christians today are celebrating the Lord's Supper and wouldn't it be great if we could all look at everyday life with the same unity? Hear about Saul of Tarsus and how Christianity doesn't always fit into a nice, neat package.

    One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism


    17 Pentecost – World Communion    October 5, 2014
    Ephesians 4:1-6

    Have you ever had an ear worm? Who knows what I’m talking about? I’m not talking about an actual worm but one of those songs you just can’t get out of your ear. For days – you wake up singing that song in your head, even in the middle of the night. You become aware of it in the middle of class or in the middle of a meeting. It’s just driving you nuts!

    As I was writing this sermon, I developed a sort of ear worm – but I decided to call it a heart worm. Here I was working on this sermon, using the scripture that was just read, and in the meantime I was asked to tell a biblical story for another service and – BAM! – that scripture wormed its way into this sermon!

    So, I’m going to tell the other story and then leave you with a few connecting thoughts that I pray will become your heart worm for the week! Hmm – that doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it!?!

    Saul of Tarsus was an angry man.

    • Called to defend the faith
    • Righteous – knew the law!
    • Protect the faith from those hooligans that followed Jesus.

    Today was a big day! Up early for his trip to Damascus…

    • Appointment with the high priest
    • Letters – authorized to arrest anyone of the Way

    Saul had no idea what lay ahead on this day that started like so many days.

    Gathered his posse and started on his journey

    Suddenly – what’s that!?!

    Light so overpowering that he was knocked off his feet!

    And a voice –

    Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

    Who are you, Lord?

    I am Jesus – the One you persecute.

    Imagine the confusion – the looks on the faces

    Saul AND the posse must have been terrified

    Who could exhibit such power to make light rain down from heaven!?!

    Instructions from the Voice

    Listened, stunned – how could they not follow the instructions?

    Go into the city and you will be told what to do.

    The light faded and the posse stood around Saul –

    No one could speak, and as Saul weakly tried to get to his feet, everyone realized that he could not see.

    Was this the effect from the light?

    Is he just dazzled by the brightness?

    No – wait! Why, then are WE able to see?

    So they led Saul to the city – so terrified that he could not eat or drink. For 3 days he wasted away, cowering in a corner.

    There was another man who lived in the city –

    Ananias woke to a vision

    On this day he, too, was called
    Unafraid, he, too, heard a Voice:

    Go to the street called Straight to find a man who is
    praying. He has seen you in a vision. You are to go in to
    him, lay hands on him, and he will regain his sight. His
    name is Saul from Tarsus.

    Whoa!?! Now Ananias was afraid.

    Saul!?! But he’s the persecutor! He’s looking for people just like me –
    and NOW he has arrest warrants! You can’t be serious!

    Ananias went courageously, to confront this man who came breathing murder and vengeance.

    He found Saul in his corner and told him that he had been sent by Jesus to heal him.

    Scales fell off – filled with the Holy Spirit
    Baptized
    Ate and drank and regained his strength.

    Today is World Communion Sunday, and it’s a celebration that I have always loved. Somebody preached one Sunday many years ago using an image that has always stuck with me – that for a 24-hour period, the Christians of the world, no matter what their particular expression of Christianity, circled the globe with the Lord’s Supper – with that defining expression of being with Christ and celebrating God’s amazing gifts to us.

    One Lord, one faith, one baptism. This all just fits into a nice, neat little package that I honestly love. Christians should not only believe in all of that, but being Christian makes it so – right? I really do like for people to just get along!

    The problem is, we don’t. It’s that simple. We don’t always see things the same way – so then what? We can be just like Saul – now maybe we don’t go around persecuting or murdering, but I’ve heard more than one murderous threat in the name of defending the faith – and just to be clear, I am not alluding to jihadists but to Christians who just don’t see eye to eye.

    Saul saw his persecution of the church as a mission to keep the faith pure. But when those scales fell off of his eyes, he saw things differently and the epistle we read this morning offers a major clue into just how differently he saw them.

    So on this World Communion Sunday, I have to step back and ask myself when I have assumed that someone was less Christian because they didn’t see things as I do? When have I judged another person’s practice of faith because they didn’t follow the disciplines that I understand are central? When have I dismissed another expression of faith in Christ because it wasn’t like mine? When, indeed, have I harmed the body – destroyed the bond of peace, instead of contributing to make it whole? When have I used my gifts to the harm the Body instead of using them so we, together, show who God is. So now, I’m handing it off to you -- your heart worm for the week. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism – we are the Body, and I pray we can make it so!