Sermons
Visit this page when you need inspiration from Pastor Michelle Fountain's sermons.
Gospel: John 15: 9-17 and Acts 10: 44-48 For four years now, I have been on a journey. It may seem like a strange one to you because the ultimate destination of the journey turned out to be right here at the United Church of Ludlow, where you called me to be your pastor two and a half years ago. But that learning journey began with my calling to greater service in the church and has continued, despite my early call. On my life’s journey, I was sometimes moving too fast or not listening closely enough to hear God speaking to me, but God’s call eventually became clear in the spring of 2020. It was a literal “I’m calling” felt in every part of my body as I sat at my desk watching a recorded worship service from Grace Congregational Church during the COVID lockdown. There was no question who the “I” was or what my response would be. While there were some moments of “but, but?” and “how?” mixed with some trepidation, I knew that I would figure it out because I was finally in a place to hear God who was reaching out to lead me on this journey. But, like Dante on his metaphorical, instructive journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, I needed a guide and the Southwest Association of the United Church of Christ’s Pastoral Preparation Program, fondly known as PPP, quickly became that guide, walking with me on this intellectual, spiritual, and physical journey. Actually the program did not just have one guide but multiple guides, all ordained, practicing ministers in the Southwest Association of the United Church of Christ who would share their wealth of knowledge about the Bible, Theology, Church History, Preaching, Sacraments, Pastoral Care, and even church bylaws. They gave us guidance reminding us to “let the Bible interpret the Bible” and emphasizing Jesus’ three tenents of ministry: going to a quiet place, engaging with others and ministering. They reminded us to always practice resurrection. A shared journey is so much better than a solo one, even with multiple guides so, like the disciples whom Jesus instructs to love one another, this PPP journey included fellow travelers, each with his or her own talents and stories to share along the way that enhanced that journey. Why do you think Jesus told the disciples to “love one another as I have loved you”? I think it is because Jesus really is the personification of God’s love and he knew its power and thus, knew that without his physical, loving presence with them on earth, they were going to need to lean on one another for support, to fortify one another with love and acceptance just as Jesus had done for them. He also tells them that they are not his servants but his friends, because he has told them everything about God and it is now their turn to tell others. In order to get moving in ministry, to bear lasting fruit, they needed to lovingly support one another. That has been true for my Pastoral Preparation Group as well. We began four years ago with 13 travelers in this PPP program meeting the first year briefly on monthly Zoom sessions, but that rapidly shrank to 6 who moved to learning together one full day a month for the past three years. Next month we will officially complete our journey. Our paths have all been different and I know that, among us, there are different views on politics, vaccinations, justice and many other topics. However, we all agree on one thing: Jesus Christ is our savior, our compass and model in all that we do. Like the disciples, we have learned to love and support each other despite our differences knowing that we are unified in sharing God’s love for all people and, ultimately, we have a lot in common. We have also all been called from our different walks of life to be more than just PPP students. We have each been called, even before we completed this licensing journey, to serve churches in some way. Let me tell you about my fellow travelers. Karen is a retired social worker, a therapist who helped others for many years. She actually went through the online program of the New York School of Ministry and was already a licensed minister when we started this journey, but she wanted to continue learning so she joined our class. During this program, she was called to be the Interim Minister at her church - Fairhaven Congregational Church and, recently, she has been called to be the pastor at Shrewsbury Community Church. John is also retired and he, like most of us, began this program not knowing where it would lead, thinking maybe it would just enhance his ability to preach when his pastor was gone. However, he began helping out at the South Wallingford Church, a small congregation that wanted to keep going, and has since been called as their pastor. Vicki is a writer who lives in Brandon. Over the course of these four years, she has helped out in a number of churches in her area and has been preaching regularly at the United Methodist Church in Brandon hoping that she will be called there. Andris was a truck driver in Los Angeles when our journey began but he was thinking he wanted to move his family to Vermont to be closer to his parents (note that his father is the Rev. Dr. Steven Berry who is one of our primary guides on this PPP journey). He says he never thought this road would lead to ministry, he just wanted to learn more. When he got to Vermont, he not only joined our course, he joined the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, worked on some farms and played music at a variety of venues as he considered what was next for him. Last fall, he realized he was being called to ministry and he is now the ¾ time minister of the East Arlington Federated Church. Joy is a radio disc jockey in Manchester. She works full time and is on the air five hours a day, five days a week. During the course of this journey, she has preached in a number of different churches from South Wallingford to Rupert, helping out as needed. She is still waiting for God to direct her call. On June 1, we will each share our stories, answer questions, and lead a worship service for Southwest Association pastors at the Mercy Ecology Retreat House in Benson. This will complete our PPP journey, but not our learning or serving journey. We have supported each other through many challenges over the years as we try to live Christ’s commandment to “love one another”. While this commandment was given to the disciples, it was not limited to them. Jesus knew that it started there. The disciples had to love one another to provide the support and foundation to begin their ministry to love and teach all others, just as Christ did. Our Acts scripture today emphasizes that. Peter was speaking not to the Jewish people but to the Gentiles when the “Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised (Jewish) believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he baptized them in that moment. Jesus is God’s gift of love for ALL people. My classmates and I in the PPP have certainly learned that. This week we can also celebrate that the United Methodist Church’s General Conference held in Charlottesville, North Carolina, voted to repeal their ban on LGBTQ clergy and marriages. They are living Christ’s message to love one another. While the message to love one another was given by Christ to his disciples, aren’t we all disciples? We do not have to be exactly the same, vote exactly the same way or think the same things to love one another. The message of love is universal. How would the world be different If we could follow Christ’s model to love and support all of God’s children, all of God’s creation, across our differences? I think at minimum, it would result in a more peaceful, sustainable world. At best, it would mean living into our Church’s new vision statement: welcoming everyone, celebrating diversity, nurturing spiritual growth, working towards peace and justice, and thus serving our community, nation, and world. Amen. Pastor Michelle Fountain
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
August 2024
Categories |