Readings for Proper 9C:
Galatians 6:1-18
July 8, 2007
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia: So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” [Gal. 6]
In today’s reading from the letter to the Galatians, Paul counsels the churches on how to live together in community by embracing the spirit of Christ. Paul thought of the church as an extended family and believed that its members should take responsibility for one another. He based his theology on the great commandments to love God and love one’s neighbor. How do we form communities of faith today that are affectionate, caring, and supportive? What does it mean to hold members accountable for their behavior? What is required of a person offering godly admonition? Today I will complete my three-part sermon series on Paul’s letter to the Galatians by talking about life together in the Church. But first, let’s do a quick review of the context in which the letter to the Galatians was written.
Paul was a learned rabbi: disciplined, zealous, and hard working. He lived in first century Palestine and was highly respected in his field. He had never personally met Jesus but became obsessed in persecuting those who followed him. On his way to “round up” and imprison Jesus’ disciples in Damascus, Paul had an earth-shattering experience of the risen Christ; one which transformed his heart and his thinking. From that experience, Paul began to realize that following the letter of the Law did not and could not transform him into a loving and generous person. Instead, it made him rigid, prejudiced, and blind to the good news in Christ. He realized that it was only through God’s grace and by living in the spirit of Christ, that new life was possible. So he surrendered himself to Christ, became a missionary, and used his gifts to build up Christian communities throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
In the year around 50 A.D., Paul established churches in Galatia, a province of Asia Minor, located in what is now Turkey. He taught the congregations that they were no longer subject to the Jewish Law, which included circumcision, purity codes, and a legalistic approach to religion. Instead, they were to surrender their life to God (heart, mind, and body) and live in the spirit of Christ. It was this spirit, not the law, that would lead them to experience the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
A few years later, rival missionaries came to Galatia to dispute Paul’s new teachings. They told the people that in order to be Christian, authentic people of Abraham, they must be circumcised and obey the Jewish purity codes. This caused a great disturbance within the Galatian community and resulted in divisive factions within the various churches. (This is similar to what is happening today in the Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality, as foreign missionaries come into the United States to chastise us for not following certain purity codes.) In today’s reading, Paul tries to heal the divisions by offering some counsel on how to form loving communities of faith. This is done, not by following “the Law,” but by living in the Spirit of Christ. Knowing that not all members of the churches were living in the spirit, Paul decides to offer some guidelines on how members are to relate to each other and order their lives. This is what today’s reading is all about.
The first time I was invited to be an integral part of a community that was guided by the spirit, was when I was an 18-year-old student nurse, working in Appalachia with the Mennonite Voluntary Service. I was assigned housing in a small two-bedroom cottage with three other nurses. We were there to provide medical services to those in need. These Mennonites reflected the love and grace of Christ and generously opened their small home to me for the summer. As I remember, there were no household rules; only the understanding that we would respect one another, share in the household burdens, and support one another in our life in Christ. For me, that meant that I respected their religious practices which included abstinence on a number of fronts. Since we often worked different shifts, it meant that I was quiet when others were sleeping. Since there was only one bathroom, it meant that I was brief in my dealings.
For my Mennonite roommates, it meant that they were patient with my rough edges, my limited world experience, and my passion to try everything that life had to offer. They worked hard to make sure I had the opportunities that I had come to experience. Though I was never in charge of cooking, I did my share of cleaning. The months passed without conflict and with much joy and camaraderie. Prayer, Bible study, and mutual affection: this formed the core of our family life together. And because we were being nurtured from this core, our gifts of service naturally flowed freely and with abundance. No laws, a few guidelines, living in the spirit. This is what Paul advised his newly formed congregations to embrace. Let’s take a closer look.
To live under the guidance of the Spirit is to live in a relationship of interdependence. This means that we share one another’s burdens. It means that we support one another as we go through difficult times. And because we bear a certain responsibility for one another, it means that we cannot casually allow other members of the family to go astray, act out, or to adversely affect the peace and good order of the community. So Paul advises the Galatians to correct erring members with gentleness and humility.
There has been much written in recent times about the lack of character and civility in relationships. This has affected community life on all fronts: in the schools, in commerce, in churches, and in the government. Parents, educators, legislators, and students around the country have for years bemoaned the lack of respect and civility in our society. Rudeness, crudeness, and thoughtlessness abound. From the boss who publicly chews out his assistant, to the student who disrespects her teacher, to the sports fan who yells obscenities at the ballgame, to the driver who cuts in and out of traffic, to the parishioner who threatens to leave when he doesn’t get his way, all show the need for godly admonition. Many Christians would find it offensive to be held accountable by their brothers and sisters in faith. But the church community is the one place where I believe we can help each other develop character, strengthen morals, and gain insight into our rough edges without falling apart or feeling attacked. If not here, then where? To be corrected does not mean that we are bad or that our children are bad. It only means that we have forgotten who we are; marked as Christ’s own forever.
Admonishing another person should never be done in anger or out of frustration but rather from a place of compassion and good will. It must be done in gentleness and with love and never in a way to cause public humiliation. It must be done only for the good of the community and not for selfish gain. When we begin to trust and love one another, we can accept admonition as a way towards wholeness rather than becoming defensive or hurt. We live in an image-conscious age that encourages us constantly to compare ourselves with others and to worry over how we appear in the eyes of others. This fosters the defensive posturing that corrupts our relationships with others. It also hinders us from our goal to please God first and foremost so that we can maintain the integrity of our life with God. Living under the guidance of the spirit also requires us to engage in personal accountability and self-examination: When have I not loved with my whole heart? The community of faith is where we can practice loving our neighbor, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knowing that all of us fall short of the glory of God.
I am still learning how to live in the spirit and to form community in a way that reflects the sacrificial love of Christ. One of the ways I grow into my baptismal covenant is by practicing the daily spiritual discipline of prayer. Each morning I begin with the prayer found on the cover of the Forward Day by Day booklet. Please join me in saying this prayer as a community of faith committed to mutual affection:
O God: Give me strength to live another day. Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties. Let me not lose faith in other people. Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spirit of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness. Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them. Help me to keep my heart clean and to live so honesty and fearlessly, that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity. Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things. Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth. Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness; and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls; in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
| Updated July 12, 2007 |
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