WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.580 So, good morning to you. 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:05.759 My name's Tommy. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:06.799 I'm the rector here. 00:00:07.780 --> 00:00:14.419 Normally at Advent, we follow the lectionary, but we are taking a few weeks this fall to 00:00:14.419 --> 00:00:21.120 focus on these passages, some of which you heard read this morning, that help us, help 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:28.560 define our vision for the kind of community we want to have in our church, and more specifically, 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:30.979 what care looks like in our church. 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:36.259 So, we're laying out our vision for congregational care at Church of the Advent. 00:00:36.879 --> 00:00:43.239 And so, we're asking this question of how can we ensure that every member and regular 00:00:43.239 --> 00:00:50.159 attender in our community is known, is loved, and can get the care and support they need 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:50.980 when they need it. 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:53.820 So, there's a very practical side to this. 00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:57.719 We've developed a care plan that we're going to be rolling out in the next couple of weeks. 00:00:57.719 --> 00:01:03.100 But along with that, we thought it would be valuable just to reflect on Scripture together, 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.340 to remember that this isn't just a strategy that we have in our church. 00:01:07.379 --> 00:01:10.900 It's actually God's vision for how His church should function. 00:01:11.060 --> 00:01:15.000 And so, we're wanting to reflect on what that vision is. 00:01:15.620 --> 00:01:20.560 And we began last week with the fact that the church is a spiritual family. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:27.400 If we want everyone to be cared for well, if we want the kind of community where everyone 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:32.340 is known, loved, and cared for well, then what that means is that we have to operate like 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:33.320 a spiritual family. 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:41.140 So, we can't just outsource care to a few trained professionals, although they have a role to 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:41.760 play in this. 00:01:42.240 --> 00:01:43.920 Care has to be the work of the whole church. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:46.519 So, that's what we talked about last week. 00:01:46.939 --> 00:01:50.400 This week, we're going to look at the next piece of this, which is, 00:01:51.579 --> 00:01:57.599 how do we think about care as it relates to suffering and adversity in the church? 00:01:58.200 --> 00:02:03.820 Some people, I think probably a lot of us might assume, that if you are in a truly caring community, 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:08.060 that means you're going to be in a community where there's no pain or suffering. 00:02:08.060 --> 00:02:14.000 Because all the needs get met, all the issues get worked out. 00:02:14.340 --> 00:02:19.699 But as we're going to see this morning, a good care plan, and I think a biblical care plan, 00:02:20.060 --> 00:02:26.219 recognizes that some forms of adversity are not only unavoidable, but they're actually necessary. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:30.980 They're actually necessary in order for us to flourish. 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:35.960 So, that may be an odd thing to talk about when we talk about care, but it's a very important 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:36.960 thing for us to recognize. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.599 So, we're going to look at our text this morning, and we're going to ask two questions. 00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:44.200 Why is adversity necessary? 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:48.500 And then, how does that shape the way we care for one another? 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:50.140 So, let's pray. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:57.860 Our Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning asking that you would be true to your promise 00:02:57.860 --> 00:03:05.560 to be with us, that you would speak through your written word to us, that by your grace, 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:11.199 you would give us the ability to sit under your word and to receive what you have for us, 00:03:11.259 --> 00:03:18.140 that you would open our hearts, that if there are those here who have become too complacent, 00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:25.939 that we would be stirred up, that we would be challenged, Lord, through your word. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:33.199 If there are those here who are facing great adversity, who are suffering, that you would comfort us, 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:37.019 Lord, that you would do your work in us through your word for your glory. 00:03:37.239 --> 00:03:38.479 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:48.399 So, our primary passage that we're looking at in terms of our care plan is this passage in Galatians chapters 5 and 6. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:53.339 Paul's describing what a spirit-filled church community looks like, 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:58.240 and the main theme of this passage is in chapter 6, verse 2. 00:03:58.420 --> 00:04:01.259 The main idea that Paul's working out here is this, 00:04:02.060 --> 00:04:06.560 bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:08.640 That's the main idea. 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:11.539 A caring community is one, a spirit-filled community is one, 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.819 where people are regularly bearing one another's burdens. 00:04:15.480 --> 00:04:19.699 And the word burden means something that's too heavy for a person to carry alone. 00:04:19.699 --> 00:04:24.579 In other words, these are trials and hardships that we can't face alone. 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:30.120 The kinds of situations that require you, that demand that you reach out for help. 00:04:31.219 --> 00:04:35.519 Now, I want you to notice this morning, we're going to talk more about burdens in the coming weeks, 00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:40.819 but I want you to notice that the command that Paul gives is not to eradicate burdens altogether. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:45.599 I mean, that would be a very practical and very effective care plan. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.019 Eradicate all burdens. 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:48.339 But that's not what he says. 00:04:48.339 --> 00:04:51.459 The command is that we bear our burdens together. 00:04:51.799 --> 00:04:54.699 The assumption being, burdens will always be there. 00:04:55.659 --> 00:04:57.579 They are an unavoidable part of life. 00:04:59.719 --> 00:05:04.060 Now, you know, suffering wasn't originally part of God's created world. 00:05:04.379 --> 00:05:10.679 But after human beings rebelled against God, suffering became an inevitable part of life. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.979 It's part of what it means to live in a fallen world. 00:05:13.980 --> 00:05:19.220 Some forms of suffering are the result of the natural world not functioning as it should. 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:20.759 Natural disasters, disease. 00:05:22.140 --> 00:05:27.540 Some suffering is the result of human evil and injustice that we commit against one another. 00:05:28.819 --> 00:05:36.040 Some suffering is suffering that we bring on ourselves as a result of our own inward brokenness. 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:39.140 But suffering is inevitable in all of its forms. 00:05:39.139 --> 00:05:44.000 And so if you look at the New Testament writers, they all assume that suffering is going to be a part of life. 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:45.879 And they write about it pretty extensively. 00:05:47.379 --> 00:05:56.159 But what's amazing is to see not just the fact that they talk about suffering, but the way they talk about suffering. 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:02.580 That's the thing that really begins to stand out as unique in the Christian community. 00:06:02.700 --> 00:06:07.020 The Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 5, we rejoice in our sufferings. 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:11.380 Now, what kind of crazy fool would say that? 00:06:12.200 --> 00:06:19.340 Well, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 00:06:19.820 --> 00:06:22.500 Knowing that, I rejoice when I suffer. 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:30.339 The Apostle James writes, the very opening of his letter, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:31.819 Why? 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:36.560 Well, you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 00:06:37.399 --> 00:06:43.620 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.959 Both of these apostles are talking about suffering as a source of great joy. 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:50.420 And we say, why? 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:51.839 Is this masochism? 00:06:52.500 --> 00:06:57.800 No, it's because they understand this crucial truth. 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:02.779 That the road to maturity passes through adversity. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:10.199 The road to maturity passes through adversity. 00:07:11.339 --> 00:07:15.100 They don't rejoice in the adversity itself. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.319 That's masochism or sadism. 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:19.680 They're looking down the road. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:20.240 They're looking down the road. 00:07:20.860 --> 00:07:26.819 And they're rejoicing in the long-term impact of adversity on their character. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:32.860 They understand that through this adversity, they are becoming something. 00:07:32.860 --> 00:07:43.180 So qualities like endurance, resilience, steadfastness can only be found on the far side of suffering. 00:07:43.180 --> 00:07:50.060 Some of those virtues that we might desire for ourselves can only be found on the far side of suffering. 00:07:50.060 --> 00:07:53.699 So Paul and James are rejoicing because they realize, I'm on the right path. 00:07:55.339 --> 00:07:56.660 I'm on the right path. 00:07:56.660 --> 00:08:01.080 Now, to some degree, this is common sense, I think. 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:10.000 Anything in your life that you want to improve probably means you're going to have to go through some short-term discomfort in order to get there. 00:08:10.060 --> 00:08:11.660 If you want to get fit, you have to exercise. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:15.360 If you want to get good grades, you have to put in the work and study hard. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:21.120 If you want to lose weight, you're probably going to have to deal with your cravings as you shift your diet. 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.100 The same is true spiritually. 00:08:24.960 --> 00:08:27.980 But for some reason, I think that we can tend to forget that. 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:32.320 You know, when John Quincy Adams, you may have heard this story. 00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:37.759 When John Quincy Adams was 12 years old, his father wanted to take him on a diplomatic trip to France. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:45.039 And that's going to involve at least a month sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in a leaky boat. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:54.799 And then two more months traveling by mule across Spain and over the Pyrenees Mountains to finally get to France. 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:57.179 There was a lot of risk involved. 00:08:57.740 --> 00:09:01.299 The possibility that they would not survive the trip was very real. 00:09:02.019 --> 00:09:03.860 And John did not want to go. 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:08.879 So, his mother Abigail writes him a letter. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:10.919 And here's what she says in the letter. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:20.340 It is not in the still calm of life or the repose of a Pacific station that great characters are formed. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:26.419 The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:31.019 Great necessities call out great virtues. 00:09:31.019 --> 00:09:40.899 When a mind is raised and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, 00:09:41.939 --> 00:09:46.059 wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman. 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:49.039 She knew the risks. 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:52.019 She loved her son dearly. 00:09:53.699 --> 00:09:56.679 She knew that if he went, there was the risk of harm. 00:09:56.819 --> 00:09:59.379 She knew that if he went, there was the risk of death. 00:09:59.379 --> 00:10:05.080 But she knew that if he stayed behind, there was also a risk. 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:12.080 The risk that the great virtues in him might never be called forth. 00:10:13.379 --> 00:10:23.360 The risk that those virtues, those qualities that would emerge in him and transform him into the man that he had been created to be, 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:29.139 that those qualities might remain dormant, that his character might remain half-formed. 00:10:29.139 --> 00:10:32.899 And in her mind, that was the greater risk. 00:10:34.899 --> 00:10:40.159 How many parents do you know today who would think like this about their children? 00:10:40.819 --> 00:10:43.019 We're like, oh, don't get too close to the water. 00:10:45.019 --> 00:10:47.779 You know, put on a hat when you go outside because you're going to catch cold. 00:10:47.779 --> 00:10:50.519 And she's like, you might die. 00:10:52.539 --> 00:10:53.480 You might suffer terribly. 00:10:54.100 --> 00:10:55.259 I might never see you again. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:59.120 But this is a shot for you to become the man that you were born to be. 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:02.059 It's a completely different perspective. 00:11:03.379 --> 00:11:07.959 This whole approach to adversity, I think, sounds crazy to many modern Western ears. 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:16.360 And that's because these days we tend to assume that the best life or the most joyful, happiest life is a life that is totally safe. 00:11:17.019 --> 00:11:19.860 That by definition, a happy life is a comfortable life. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.800 It's a life that is free from all forms of adversity. 00:11:23.800 --> 00:11:26.259 But we need to ask, is that actually true? 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:30.180 Is that based on an accurate understanding of human nature? 00:11:30.179 --> 00:11:38.500 You know, there's a book that came out recently, and a little nod to Deborah who told me about this book. 00:11:38.659 --> 00:11:41.919 It's called The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. 00:11:42.979 --> 00:11:48.379 And he basically says that in the West that we tend to assume that comfort equals happiness. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:58.059 So we've worked very hard to remove as many discomforts and inconveniences as we possibly can from our daily lives so that we can be happier. 00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:02.739 So the question we need to ask is, 2023, are we any happier? 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:16.839 According to the research, even though our lives are a lot more comfortable, even though we have conveniences that people 100 years ago could never even imagine existing, 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:19.319 turns out we're not any happier. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:23.359 In fact, the book would argue we are worse off. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:29.180 As he puts it, our sheltered, this is a quote from him, 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:39.759 our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, under-challenged lives are actually a leading cause behind many of our most urgent physical and mental health issues. 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:44.019 So let's just give one example of this. 00:12:44.100 --> 00:12:49.360 Let's consider one of the mildest forms of adversity we might face. 00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:50.820 Boredom. 00:12:50.820 --> 00:13:00.440 Some of us hate, as a kid growing up with ADHD, you know, in the 80s and 90s, I hated to be bored. 00:13:01.140 --> 00:13:02.720 Boredom is a form of adversity. 00:13:03.660 --> 00:13:08.040 For all of human history, we have been forced to contend with boredom. 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:16.439 Our brains had to fill in gaps of time when we weren't being actively engaged or stimulated. 00:13:16.599 --> 00:13:23.599 You're waiting in the bushes for the animal that you've been stalking all day to come by, and you just have to wait. 00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:24.259 Right? 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.019 You're waiting for the dough to rise and proof. 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:30.699 You're waiting for the fire to be hot enough to cook on. 00:13:30.700 --> 00:13:32.040 And you have to wait. 00:13:32.700 --> 00:13:34.900 And your mind has to fill in that time. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:43.820 And boredom was a good thing because it's an urge that says you need to go do something productive. 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:50.320 But in 2007, the first iPhone came out. 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:52.700 I'll never forget. 00:13:53.340 --> 00:13:54.780 It came out, I think, in June. 00:13:55.520 --> 00:13:57.280 Laura and I got married in July of that same year. 00:13:57.720 --> 00:13:59.879 And I remember she had a Blackberry. 00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:00.879 We used to call them Crackberries. 00:14:01.460 --> 00:14:03.860 And I had, and I needed a new phone. 00:14:03.980 --> 00:14:06.000 And so I went out and bought the first iPhone. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.700 And I remember sitting at home that night, and we're both looking at our devices. 00:14:09.899 --> 00:14:12.259 And she had had to replace her Blackberry, and I got an iPhone. 00:14:12.419 --> 00:14:15.679 And she kind of laughed and said, oh, what is that toy that you got? 00:14:16.139 --> 00:14:19.220 And I said, well, I think it's actually pretty cool. 00:14:19.539 --> 00:14:21.539 And then we started looking at it and comparing. 00:14:21.779 --> 00:14:24.440 And the next day, she went out and returned her Blackberry and got an iPhone. 00:14:24.899 --> 00:14:25.320 Why? 00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:29.659 Because I remember it was like something magical. 00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:32.899 It's like we had never had anything like that. 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:35.279 It was entirely new. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.399 And we had no idea the impact that that was going to have on our world. 00:14:39.939 --> 00:14:44.399 But with the birth of the iPhone, boredom became a thing of the past. 00:14:45.699 --> 00:14:46.579 No more boredom. 00:14:47.860 --> 00:14:51.899 Now we never have to face a single moment without stimulation. 00:14:53.079 --> 00:14:55.639 So when we're sitting in a stoplight, we can send out texts. 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:58.779 When we're standing in line at the grocery store, we can knock out some email. 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:01.399 When we're walking to the metro, we can listen to a podcast. 00:15:01.659 --> 00:15:03.500 When we're going for a run, we can listen to music. 00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:07.539 When we're driving somewhere, we can make phone calls or listen to an audio book. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:10.159 When we're sitting on the toilet, we can scroll through Twitter. 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:12.600 You know you do it. 00:15:14.659 --> 00:15:19.240 Remember when Elon Musk admitted that he posts at least 50% of his tweets from the toilet? 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:22.279 He admitted that like a year or two ago. 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:24.419 That's basically what Twitter is. 00:15:27.379 --> 00:15:31.299 Next time you get angry at a tweet, just think, that probably came from the toilet. 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:35.659 People all around the world tweeting at one another from their toilets. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:36.279 That's Twitter. 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:40.259 But we have eliminated boredom. 00:15:40.419 --> 00:15:44.139 And the question is, are we any happier now that no one has to be bored ever? 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:48.139 And obviously, it hasn't made us happier. 00:15:49.139 --> 00:15:55.079 If you want to know why you constantly feel exhausted, depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, 00:15:55.199 --> 00:15:58.000 it's probably at least in part because we are never bored. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:02.000 It turns out we need a certain amount of boredom. 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:10.279 That our brains need a certain amount of unstimulated downtime to process and to reset. 00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:15.340 Research study after research study into creativity, they'll take two groups of people. 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:18.100 One group spend an hour scrolling the news. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:20.960 The other group, they just have to sit in a room and do nothing. 00:16:21.179 --> 00:16:23.720 And then after that hour, they give them a creativity test. 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:29.320 Again and again and again and again, that group that sat with nothing to do, far more creative. 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:37.220 There's something about the brain having times to lay fallow that is incredibly generative when it comes to creativity. 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:44.300 Now, this is an example of a very minor and almost humorous form of adversity. 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:46.420 But it's something to reflect on. 00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:50.300 How often do you have times where you are bored? 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:53.639 The next time you go for a walk or a run, I would suggest don't listen to anything. 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.920 Just be alone with your thoughts and with the Lord. 00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:04.299 Now, let's go to the other end of the spectrum in terms of suffering and adversity. 00:17:04.600 --> 00:17:05.480 Joni Eareckson Tada. 00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:11.720 Smart, athletic, 17-year-old girl getting ready to start college. 00:17:11.980 --> 00:17:14.860 Her whole life laid out before her, all the potential in the world. 00:17:15.620 --> 00:17:17.700 One day, she's swimming in the Chesapeake Bay. 00:17:18.140 --> 00:17:21.180 She dives in, not knowing how shallow the water is. 00:17:21.180 --> 00:17:22.519 She breaks her neck. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:25.600 Ever since that day, she's been paralyzed from the shoulders down. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:35.039 For a long time after, she struggled with despair and depression and hopelessness like any of us in this room would. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:41.139 She really struggled to understand how she could believe in a God who would let something like that happen. 00:17:42.139 --> 00:17:47.879 But then she began to dig deeper and deeper into God's word, and her faith began to grow. 00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.180 And she spent years thinking and praying about evil and suffering. 00:17:52.180 --> 00:18:01.620 And she began to realize this, as she says, because God reigns over all, nothing happens outside of God's control and plans. 00:18:02.060 --> 00:18:09.320 Even if we can't grasp it this side of eternity, our sufferings have a place in God's plans. 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:13.039 Which means we don't suffer in vain. 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:25.119 Even though God created a world without suffering, even though suffering is the result of our rebellion against God, 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:33.720 even though it is evil in His sight, God can still use suffering to accomplish His purposes. 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:39.339 Suffering has a place in God's plans. 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:41.779 That doesn't mean that God likes suffering. 00:18:43.880 --> 00:18:47.620 One of my favorite quotes from Joni is she says, 00:18:47.620 --> 00:18:52.299 Sometimes God allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves. 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:56.819 Sometimes God allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves. 00:18:56.819 --> 00:19:04.799 So she begins to discover the same truth that we see in Paul and in James, 00:19:05.899 --> 00:19:07.419 in people like Abigail Adams, 00:19:08.139 --> 00:19:14.579 that God can use suffering and adversity to grow us into the men and women that He calls us to be. 00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:19.700 The road to maturity passes through adversity. 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:25.159 And of course, the greatest example and proof of this is the cross. 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:33.980 Because through His suffering, Jesus accomplishes our salvation and makes possible the renewal of all things. 00:19:34.100 --> 00:19:35.259 And we look at that and we say, 00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:38.900 If God can do that through the suffering of Jesus, 00:19:39.560 --> 00:19:42.560 imagine what He can do through the adversity in my life. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:46.200 So we say, 00:19:46.339 --> 00:19:48.759 Why is suffering necessary? 00:19:48.919 --> 00:19:55.200 Because God uses it to form us into the men and women He created us to be. 00:19:55.899 --> 00:19:57.779 As Joni Erexatata says, 00:19:58.259 --> 00:20:02.940 Suffering provides the gym equipment on which my faith can be exercised. 00:20:04.879 --> 00:20:07.339 So when you're facing suffering and adversity, 00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:09.500 you're in a gym. 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:11.960 And in many ways, the church is like a gymnasium. 00:20:14.099 --> 00:20:17.039 We'll talk more about that image in the coming weeks. 00:20:17.180 --> 00:20:20.200 But we're all in here facing our various forms of struggle and adversity. 00:20:20.539 --> 00:20:21.799 But it's like a gymnasium. 00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:25.480 Where we're helping and supporting and spotting one another. 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:28.920 As we confront these burdens, 00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:31.019 as we hold them and lift them up. 00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:35.740 And we are being formed and strengthened as we do this together. 00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:40.539 So how does this shape the way we care for one another? 00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:42.519 Our second question this morning. 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:47.700 Does this mean we should just let people suffer? 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:53.420 Does this mean that when I see somebody and they're facing hardship in their life, 00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:53.680 I say, 00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:56.400 Well, this is good for you. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:00.800 No, absolutely not. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.259 I mean, all through his earthly ministry, 00:21:02.420 --> 00:21:04.420 Jesus, who knew this better than us, 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:07.360 did whatever he could to alleviate suffering. 00:21:08.120 --> 00:21:09.220 He fed people. 00:21:09.320 --> 00:21:10.019 He healed the sick. 00:21:10.080 --> 00:21:10.900 He cast out demons. 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:14.420 And then he very clearly called his disciples to do the same thing. 00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:17.640 So we do, whenever possible, 00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:22.300 we do whatever we can to try to alleviate suffering around us. 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:28.299 But what this does mean is that we recognize that there is a sacred mystery within suffering. 00:21:29.419 --> 00:21:31.639 There's a sacred mystery within suffering. 00:21:32.159 --> 00:21:34.619 There's a way in which God is uniquely present, 00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.480 is uniquely active, 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:40.019 is working in the hearts of those who face hardship. 00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:43.960 In fact, you might think of it in a sacramental way. 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:50.879 That God is working spiritual ends through physical means. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.380 In our foundations class, 00:21:52.460 --> 00:21:56.480 just talked about the sacraments this morning in Sunday school. 00:21:57.340 --> 00:22:02.280 And there is a sacramental reality to suffering that we often deny or overlook. 00:22:03.500 --> 00:22:07.000 So what this means is that when we face adversity, 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.860 even though our first instinct is to try to alleviate it as quickly as possible, 00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:14.960 is there a person I can talk to or a pill I can take that will make this go away? 00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:16.360 It's very understandable. 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:20.780 The Christian response to suffering is not just to try to take it away, 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:26.160 but also to ask God what he's doing in it. 00:22:27.340 --> 00:22:30.620 What purposes might we find? 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:36.880 What work of the Lord is happening in my life as I face this adversity? 00:22:37.040 --> 00:22:41.280 What's God doing by allowing this to happen in my life? 00:22:41.340 --> 00:22:45.640 Remember, in John chapter 9, the disciples see a man born blind, 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:50.400 and they assume this is either punishment for his sins or it's punishment for the sins of his parents. 00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:54.180 And Jesus' answer, remember, he says, this is not punishment for sin. 00:22:54.300 --> 00:22:55.540 That's the wrong lens. 00:22:56.660 --> 00:22:59.980 If God actually punished everyone for sin, no one would be here. 00:23:01.020 --> 00:23:03.720 If you all got what you deserve, this is not punishment for sins. 00:23:03.820 --> 00:23:07.620 He says, this happens so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 00:23:07.619 --> 00:23:11.439 And there's a sense where we ask, you know, when we face adversity, 00:23:11.979 --> 00:23:18.119 what works of God might be displayed in me through this experience? 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:20.439 What idols might God be stripping away? 00:23:21.159 --> 00:23:24.539 What things that I was relying on more than God to be God? 00:23:24.859 --> 00:23:27.199 What idols might God be toppling? 00:23:28.159 --> 00:23:31.179 What virtues might God be calling out in me? 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:36.560 How might my faith or my prayer life be deepened through this experience? 00:23:38.180 --> 00:23:40.140 What works of God might be displayed? 00:23:40.580 --> 00:23:43.720 And this particular idea, I think, is helpful. 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:47.259 When there is suffering, we cannot alleviate in the lives of others. 00:23:47.799 --> 00:23:50.000 And I think that's one of the hardest things in the church. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.039 And maybe one of the reasons why we sometimes shy away from getting involved 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:57.000 is because you look at a situation and you think, that's overwhelming. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:59.700 There's nothing, I don't know what I can do to help this person 00:23:59.700 --> 00:24:02.519 or to help this marriage or to help this situation. 00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:03.920 I can't do anything here. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.279 And so it's easy just to sort of say, you know, 00:24:06.340 --> 00:24:08.620 I just don't want to even get involved because you feel overwhelmed. 00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:14.240 Most of the suffering in this church, you can't alleviate. 00:24:15.100 --> 00:24:16.080 The real suffering. 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:19.759 If we could wave a magic wand or snap our fingers, we would, but we can't. 00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:25.039 But what we can do, and what Paul calls us to do, 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:26.960 is to bear these burdens together. 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.799 You know, pray for and with those who are suffering. 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:35.740 That's one of the things that we can always offer as clergy, 00:24:35.859 --> 00:24:38.119 but it's one of the things that anybody in this room can offer. 00:24:38.779 --> 00:24:41.139 I don't know how to fix this in your life, 00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:44.159 but I can pray for you, and I will pray with you if you want to. 00:24:45.619 --> 00:24:48.359 We pray in the midst of our suffering together. 00:24:48.879 --> 00:24:50.500 Be present with people who are suffering. 00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:52.859 Just be present. 00:24:55.339 --> 00:24:57.660 You know, I remember one time I was meeting with a guy. 00:24:57.740 --> 00:24:58.720 He was going through really hard stuff. 00:24:58.799 --> 00:24:59.460 This is years ago. 00:24:59.539 --> 00:25:01.279 They don't go to our church anymore, but I was meeting with him, 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:04.839 and he was sharing just kind of all the stuff that's going on in his life, 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:09.859 and I had some things that I thought were pretty sort of like helpful ideas to offer him, 00:25:10.420 --> 00:25:14.720 and I was kind of like, well, you know, actually had something to offer there, you know. 00:25:14.839 --> 00:25:17.180 And then at one point, I really didn't know what to say. 00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:18.779 He kind of shared some stuff that I just thought, 00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:21.579 and I said, I'm just going to be honest. 00:25:21.740 --> 00:25:24.539 I don't know what to say in response to that, 00:25:24.740 --> 00:25:28.079 but if it's helpful, I can just sit here and absorb some of this, 00:25:28.379 --> 00:25:31.119 just so that you know that you're not alone in it, 00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:33.559 and I could just be, and we just sat there for a while, 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:35.559 and neither one of us said anything. 00:25:35.740 --> 00:25:36.639 We just sat there quietly, 00:25:37.700 --> 00:25:39.240 and then we kind of moved on with the conversation, 00:25:39.379 --> 00:25:42.339 and about a year or two later, he said, you know, 00:25:42.379 --> 00:25:43.680 that time that we met was really helpful, 00:25:45.379 --> 00:25:48.379 and I was expecting that he was going to quote some of the kind of wisdom 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:49.900 that I had dropped on him, you know, 00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:51.280 this thing that you said, 00:25:51.320 --> 00:25:53.880 and he said, I don't remember anything that you said, 00:25:54.520 --> 00:25:58.340 but do you remember that time where we just sat together? 00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:01.040 That was the most helpful thing, 00:26:01.840 --> 00:26:05.280 and I just thought, man, I needed to learn that lesson. 00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:07.700 Sometimes the best thing that you can offer somebody 00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:08.740 is just to sit with them. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.800 You don't have to say anything. 00:26:10.900 --> 00:26:11.220 It's okay. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:12.580 Most of the time, we don't know what to say, 00:26:12.760 --> 00:26:14.120 and most of the time when we do say stuff, 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:17.539 it's probably not the kind of stuff they really want to hear. 00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:21.439 You know, when we listen with compassion, 00:26:21.639 --> 00:26:24.639 you know, resist the urge to kind of fill in that space 00:26:24.639 --> 00:26:26.739 by comparing their experiences to your own. 00:26:27.979 --> 00:26:29.379 You know, they share what they're going through, 00:26:29.459 --> 00:26:30.079 and you say, oh, I know, 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:31.939 the same thing happened to me a couple years. 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:34.679 No, in general, it's not a good idea. 00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:36.159 You're just trying to fill in the space 00:26:36.159 --> 00:26:36.839 because you're nervous. 00:26:38.500 --> 00:26:39.539 Resist the urge to say, 00:26:39.539 --> 00:26:40.960 I'm sure everything's going to be okay. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:44.000 It might not be. 00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:46.399 You have no idea if it's going to be okay. 00:26:47.779 --> 00:26:49.819 We all kind of have to learn that lesson the hard way. 00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:51.339 Chances are when you say that, 00:26:51.399 --> 00:26:52.700 you're managing your own anxiety 00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:55.619 rather than attending to what they actually need. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:57.700 I remember meeting with a woman 00:26:57.700 --> 00:27:00.079 who had been, experienced a lot of abuse, 00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:01.339 and I said that. 00:27:01.399 --> 00:27:01.859 I was very new. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:02.920 It was my first year as a counselor, 00:27:03.420 --> 00:27:04.559 and she got up out of her chair, 00:27:04.639 --> 00:27:05.619 and she came right over to me, 00:27:05.639 --> 00:27:07.799 and she goes, you have no effing idea 00:27:08.639 --> 00:27:09.440 what's going to happen. 00:27:10.139 --> 00:27:11.240 How dare you say that? 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:13.139 It's like lesson learned. 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:15.420 That was the wrong thing to say. 00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:19.000 Be proactive whenever possible. 00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:21.759 It's a great way to bear burdens. 00:27:21.819 --> 00:27:23.519 A lot of times when people are really suffering, 00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:25.399 well-meaning people will come in. 00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:27.200 It's like people come into the kitchen on Thanksgiving 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:29.079 and say, hey, can I do anything to help? 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:31.980 And you're like, get out of the kitchen. 00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:32.759 You know what I mean? 00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:36.680 So people come in, and they say, 00:27:36.740 --> 00:27:37.859 well, what can I do to help? 00:27:37.899 --> 00:27:38.639 And it's very well-meaning, 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:39.520 and sometimes you have answers, 00:27:39.620 --> 00:27:41.259 but a lot of times if you're really facing adversity, 00:27:41.800 --> 00:27:42.700 you're so tired, 00:27:42.820 --> 00:27:44.259 and you have so much decision fatigue 00:27:44.259 --> 00:27:45.500 because you're just treading water 00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:47.100 that you don't have the energy 00:27:47.100 --> 00:27:48.820 to think of how to answer that question. 00:27:49.580 --> 00:27:51.000 And so you're like, I want you to be able to help, 00:27:51.040 --> 00:27:52.500 but I just don't know what to tell you to do. 00:27:52.600 --> 00:27:53.780 I just, I don't have the energy 00:27:53.780 --> 00:27:55.020 or the clarity of thought right now. 00:27:55.019 --> 00:27:56.200 I'm just trying to survive. 00:27:57.099 --> 00:27:59.099 And so if you can be proactive, you know, 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:03.279 sometimes identify things that would be helpful 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:03.799 and do them. 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:06.680 Hey, has anybody set up a care calendar for you yet? 00:28:08.059 --> 00:28:10.319 I'll bring you something to put in your freezer tomorrow, 00:28:10.460 --> 00:28:11.740 and then I'll set up a care calendar. 00:28:13.480 --> 00:28:15.039 Offer to take their kids to the park 00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:15.900 for a couple of hours. 00:28:17.180 --> 00:28:18.259 Hey, we're going to the park anyway. 00:28:18.379 --> 00:28:19.180 Can we pick up your kids? 00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:20.740 We'll have them back by the afternoon. 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:23.539 Offer to come help straighten up their house. 00:28:25.120 --> 00:28:26.560 You know, even if your house isn't dirty, 00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:27.539 even if you're a clean person, 00:28:27.820 --> 00:28:29.279 if you're going through a lot of stuff, 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:32.640 just having a clean space to be in 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:34.060 can be just tremendously, 00:28:34.560 --> 00:28:36.580 bring your anxiety down. 00:28:37.080 --> 00:28:38.019 So sometimes if somebody's saying, 00:28:38.100 --> 00:28:40.160 hey, can I just come like help clean your kitchen, 00:28:40.299 --> 00:28:40.860 do all your dishes? 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:42.360 I love to do that kind of thing. 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:44.600 Some of you love to organize and clean. 00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:45.140 You get great, 00:28:45.360 --> 00:28:47.380 you have this kind of Marie Kondo gene in you, 00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:48.480 and you love that kind of stuff. 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:49.380 And if that's you, 00:28:49.420 --> 00:28:50.700 and you can offer that to somebody, 00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:51.559 blessings. 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:54.240 I don't know anybody who would turn that down. 00:28:55.120 --> 00:28:55.819 Well, maybe, 00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:57.299 but you shouldn't turn it down. 00:28:58.279 --> 00:28:58.440 Right? 00:28:58.480 --> 00:28:59.059 Be proactive. 00:29:00.180 --> 00:29:01.799 So these are some of the practical ways 00:29:01.799 --> 00:29:02.940 that you can bear burdens 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:05.220 with somebody else who's suffering, 00:29:05.480 --> 00:29:07.099 and even if you can't fix it, 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:07.940 can't alleviate it. 00:29:08.339 --> 00:29:09.380 You're just there with them in it. 00:29:10.500 --> 00:29:11.839 And if we take everything 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:13.660 that we have said this morning to heart, 00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:16.640 the vision is that we begin to build 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:18.360 a culture here at Church of the Advent 00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:20.539 where we simply accept that suffering 00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:21.879 is a normal part of life. 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:24.519 And that's a big deal in the church. 00:29:26.179 --> 00:29:28.679 We want a culture where we can talk openly 00:29:28.679 --> 00:29:31.179 about our struggles, 00:29:31.639 --> 00:29:34.199 talk openly about mental health challenges 00:29:34.199 --> 00:29:36.659 and issues which often in the church 00:29:36.659 --> 00:29:38.859 feel like they need to be sequestered off 00:29:38.859 --> 00:29:40.759 where you just don't bring that to church. 00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:42.579 That's like your private life. 00:29:43.319 --> 00:29:44.699 We want a culture where we can talk 00:29:44.699 --> 00:29:45.599 about that stuff openly, 00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:48.359 where if people are depressed or suicidal 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:49.879 or struggling with various issues, 00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:51.599 they feel like they can talk about that 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:52.279 and it's not gonna be, 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:54.399 we're not gonna try to pray it out of you that day, 00:29:54.439 --> 00:29:55.379 although we'll pray for you. 00:29:56.199 --> 00:29:57.399 We're not gonna demonize you, 00:29:57.480 --> 00:29:58.439 pathologize you, 00:29:58.639 --> 00:29:59.039 judge you, 00:29:59.139 --> 00:30:00.359 condemn you as having weak faith. 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:01.460 We're gonna assume, 00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:02.559 oh, that's part of what it means 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:03.859 to be a Christian in a broken world. 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:05.539 We struggle with this stuff. 00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:09.559 A culture basically where it's okay to not be okay. 00:30:10.740 --> 00:30:12.519 That would be the vision that we have. 00:30:13.180 --> 00:30:15.000 This is a church where it's okay to not be okay. 00:30:16.299 --> 00:30:18.379 Because a community like that is a living to, 00:30:18.539 --> 00:30:21.059 a community where everybody looks like they're okay 00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:21.680 all the time, 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:23.000 what's that a testimony to? 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:25.180 That's a testimony to our excellence. 00:30:26.379 --> 00:30:28.839 But a community where it's okay to not be okay, 00:30:29.259 --> 00:30:30.559 where we openly talk about 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:32.019 and share our struggles with one another 00:30:32.019 --> 00:30:33.059 and where we bear them together, 00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:35.119 that's a testimony to God's greatness. 00:30:36.200 --> 00:30:38.720 It's a testimony to the truth of the gospel, 00:30:39.139 --> 00:30:40.899 the truth that we can trust God 00:30:40.899 --> 00:30:42.420 even in the face of adversity 00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:44.539 because the cross shows us 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:46.799 not only that God was willing to suffer 00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:48.079 with us and for us, 00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:50.180 but that one day he will bring an end 00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:52.879 to all suffering once and for all. 00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:54.379 And so we can talk about it knowing 00:30:54.379 --> 00:30:56.000 this is life now, 00:30:56.639 --> 00:30:58.859 but one day every tear will be wiped away 00:30:58.859 --> 00:30:59.720 and it will not be so. 00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:01.099 Let's pray. 00:31:01.099 --> 00:31:06.219 Lord, we thank you that of all the gods, 00:31:06.379 --> 00:31:07.219 all the religions, 00:31:07.959 --> 00:31:11.199 all of the gods who condemn suffering, 00:31:12.139 --> 00:31:14.779 you're the only God who suffered. 00:31:16.379 --> 00:31:19.059 And so you're a God who can actually offer us comfort. 00:31:20.179 --> 00:31:22.539 That when you call us to bear one another's burdens, 00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:26.079 you do it as a God who has borne our burdens. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:30.119 A God who's still in our midst, 00:31:30.419 --> 00:31:31.439 bears our burdens. 00:31:34.399 --> 00:31:37.059 I pray that we would recognize the sacred mystery, 00:31:37.439 --> 00:31:40.240 the sacramental reality within suffering, 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:42.900 and that even as we seek to alleviate it, 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:45.640 we would be open to what you might do through it. 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:48.500 That if the road to adversity, 00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:51.900 to maturity does indeed pass through adversity, 00:31:52.059 --> 00:31:54.240 that you would be with us in that adversity 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:58.059 and that you would produce in us that maturity 00:31:58.059 --> 00:32:00.720 through which we would more clearly reflect your image. 00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:03.940 And we pray this in your son's holy name. 00:32:04.180 --> 00:32:04.380 Amen. 00:32:04.380 --> 00:32:04.480 Amen.