WEBVTT 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:01.540 Good morning. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.000 All right, today we're going to start with a little lesson in Anglicanism. 00:00:08.120 --> 00:00:08.700 That's our tradition. 00:00:08.859 --> 00:00:10.460 Church of the Advent is an Anglican church. 00:00:10.859 --> 00:00:17.120 If this is your first time or first experience in an Anglican church, compared to other traditions, 00:00:17.260 --> 00:00:20.920 you might notice a lot of scripture being read during this service. 00:00:21.219 --> 00:00:27.359 We read three, sometimes four scripture lessons in a worship service, plus a lot of the liturgy, 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:33.479 the prayers, songs, the things we say and sing are filled with scripture. 00:00:33.579 --> 00:00:36.079 So it's really Bible-based. 00:00:36.899 --> 00:00:41.100 So how do we determine what scripture we read during a worship service? 00:00:41.259 --> 00:00:49.239 Well, there's a three-year cycle of scripture lessons that most Anglican churches use together. 00:00:49.879 --> 00:00:54.640 So if you were to tune into other live streams of Anglican worship this morning from right 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:59.939 where you're sitting, you might find at this exact moment, like the same scripture readings 00:00:59.939 --> 00:01:01.980 being read as were read this morning. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:06.760 This is called the lectionary. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.840 This is the organized table of readings that we do. 00:01:09.960 --> 00:01:10.939 It's three years long. 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:17.900 And each year is organized according to the liturgical calendar, which we have a representation 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:18.819 of up here. 00:01:18.819 --> 00:01:23.639 So the calendar year starts on the left, the season of Advent. 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:26.699 This year, Advent starts on December 3rd. 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:28.979 It's the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. 00:01:29.579 --> 00:01:32.079 Advent lasts about four weeks. 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:34.899 It's about expecting and awaiting the birth of Jesus. 00:01:35.619 --> 00:01:37.959 And then Christmas is December 25th. 00:01:37.979 --> 00:01:41.839 That season lasts for 12 days, ergo, 12 days of Christmas. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:48.820 Then there's Epiphany, which lasts until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent, 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:50.079 which you may have heard of. 00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:52.960 It's a season of fasting and repenting. 00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:58.379 All right. 00:01:59.439 --> 00:01:59.780 How's that? 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.020 Lent lasts 40 days until Easter Day. 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:06.200 Easter lasts 50 days. 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:12.580 Then we have the day of Pentecost, which is about the Holy Spirit being gifted unto the 00:02:12.580 --> 00:02:14.400 church and filling the world. 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:21.099 After Pentecost, we have this other six months of the year, which we call ordinary time. 00:02:21.480 --> 00:02:26.080 Now, ordinary here doesn't mean, like, common or average. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:28.099 Ordinary comes from the word ordinal. 00:02:28.180 --> 00:02:31.099 In other words, like, during this time, we are marking time. 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:35.039 Now, the theme of ordinary time comes right after Pentecost. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.620 It's the work of God's people in the world. 00:02:37.900 --> 00:02:40.099 The Pentecost, God descends on the church. 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:41.659 The Holy Spirit descends on the church. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.139 And the church now has a mission into the world to renew, restore, to proclaim the gospel. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:55.060 Last week, you heard Tommy preach about the Holy Spirit's work through the church's sacrificial 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:56.120 generosity. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:00.859 Today, we're going to talk about the passionate love of God. 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:05.540 We're going to talk about an obstacle we face in sharing that passionate love. 00:03:06.380 --> 00:03:09.260 And we're going to talk about how to cultivate that passion. 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:17.140 So God's passionate love, obstacles we face, sharing that love, and then how to cultivate 00:03:17.140 --> 00:03:18.460 that passion. 00:03:18.660 --> 00:03:20.300 Before we get into that, I'm going to pray. 00:03:20.300 --> 00:03:33.680 We're waiting on you, Holy Spirit. 00:03:34.540 --> 00:03:40.820 Even as you are more present here than we are, we still expect you. 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:43.180 We wait on you. 00:03:43.180 --> 00:03:49.460 We can do such marvelous things in our midst. 00:03:52.099 --> 00:03:58.840 So we would ask, Holy Spirit, for you to unleash your power among us to encourage, to comfort, 00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:01.200 to convict. 00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:06.980 Holy Spirit, remind us that we are indeed sons and daughters of our Father. 00:04:06.979 --> 00:04:09.639 We pray in Christ's name. 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:09.899 Amen. 00:04:13.419 --> 00:04:14.000 All right. 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:23.740 So after God frees his people, Israel, from 430 years of slavery in Egypt, he brings them 00:04:23.740 --> 00:04:24.659 to Mount Sinai. 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:25.659 This is in the book of Exodus. 00:04:26.599 --> 00:04:29.539 At Mount Sinai, God initiates a covenant with his people. 00:04:29.540 --> 00:04:36.800 And this covenant, this contract based on promises, is rooted in God's love for his people and 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:37.920 what he has done for them. 00:04:38.379 --> 00:04:41.420 He says, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:44.040 And then God gives them the ten words. 00:04:45.340 --> 00:04:49.700 These are ten commandments that are Israel's requirements for upholding their end of the 00:04:49.700 --> 00:04:49.900 covenant. 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:54.200 We find that in Exodus chapter 20. 00:04:54.199 --> 00:05:02.019 And after that, he gives them further regulations which amplify and expand those ten words. 00:05:02.459 --> 00:05:06.399 What it means, as we heard in the gospel reading, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, 00:05:06.500 --> 00:05:07.240 soul, mind, and strength. 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:07.639 Right? 00:05:08.039 --> 00:05:12.180 And the second is love your neighbors yourself. 00:05:12.300 --> 00:05:12.639 That's right. 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:20.240 We're going to focus this morning on verses 21 to 24 of chapter 22. 00:05:21.300 --> 00:05:23.459 We're going to hear about loving our neighbors as ourselves. 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:25.599 I'd like to read it again for you. 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:29.279 And as I read, I'm going to ask you, what jumps out to you? 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:32.099 What jumps out to you as I read this? 00:05:33.979 --> 00:05:35.199 How do you feel? 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.639 Think about your feelings as you read and hear. 00:05:38.699 --> 00:05:42.740 How do you feel as you read and hear the thing that jumps out at you? 00:05:42.740 --> 00:05:43.079 Okay? 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:43.759 Ready? 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:52.500 You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you are sojourners in the land of Egypt. 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:56.339 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:03.259 If you do mistreat them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath 00:06:03.259 --> 00:06:03.800 will burn. 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:10.400 And I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows, and your children fatherless. 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:13.740 What jumped out at you? 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.400 And that's probably what jumped out at me. 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:23.680 For many of you, it was the part about God's wrath. 00:06:24.080 --> 00:06:24.240 Right? 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:28.920 How did you feel reading that or hearing that? 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:31.400 Uncomfortable? 00:06:32.860 --> 00:06:33.259 Probably. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:36.040 Now, why did you feel that way? 00:06:40.740 --> 00:06:44.600 I bet one reason is that it doesn't square what you believe about God's character. 00:06:45.980 --> 00:06:50.759 Even if you doubt God's existence, and I know there are some here that do that, and you are 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:53.100 like really welcome here, Church of the Advent. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:07:01.600 Even if you were to doubt God's very existence, you believe that if there were a God, he would 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:02.300 be a loving God. 00:07:03.699 --> 00:07:05.360 And love does not square with wrath. 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:13.300 Well, when we think about it, anger is tied directly with love. 00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:19.480 You love something deeply, and when that something is threatened, you will rush with fury to defend 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:19.699 it. 00:07:19.699 --> 00:07:25.420 Any single folks here who own and love cats? 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:27.680 You know what I mean. 00:07:28.019 --> 00:07:29.039 You really love your cat. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:38.900 Now, imagine dating someone who knew you loved cats, but they make terrible jokes about cats. 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:39.900 Terrible jokes. 00:07:40.900 --> 00:07:43.020 Like, the only good cat is a stuffed cat. 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:44.740 Or, I love cats. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:45.680 They taste like chicken. 00:07:45.939 --> 00:07:48.300 Or, cats would really help me with my punting game. 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:48.879 You know what I mean? 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:52.500 I mean, you would pretty much end the relationship right there, wouldn't you? 00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:54.879 Some of you have already decided to end your friendship with me. 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:58.000 Just because of that. 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:01.519 But you'd be disgusted. 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:03.639 You'd be angry, even. 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:06.740 And that relationship right then and there. 00:08:06.740 --> 00:08:12.699 Parents, when your children are threatened, do you not get angry? 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:15.100 I've told this story before. 00:08:17.280 --> 00:08:23.800 One of my children was on a Little League baseball team, and there'd been a lot of rain right before 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:24.280 the game. 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:29.600 And the right field was just a slab of mud. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:31.460 And he was playing right field at the time. 00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:36.000 And towards the end of the game, we're up by one or two runs. 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:39.399 Ball's hit to my son, and he misses it. 00:08:39.620 --> 00:08:39.980 It's fine. 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:41.360 He misses it a lot. 00:08:41.500 --> 00:08:43.139 So do other right fielders in Little League. 00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:45.779 So he turns around and starts to run. 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:49.059 And he didn't realize that the ball immediately got stuck in the mud. 00:08:49.439 --> 00:08:50.179 He didn't see it. 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:53.019 Partly because the ball's the same color as the mud. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:54.460 Also because he's colorblind. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:56.779 So everything looks the same color of brown. 00:08:56.779 --> 00:08:59.720 He just zooms right past and keeps running and running and running. 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:03.340 And the coach for the other team got really excited. 00:09:04.060 --> 00:09:05.879 Keep going, home run, baby. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:10.040 And what I felt was my son's at my son's expense. 00:09:11.259 --> 00:09:12.100 At my son's expense. 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:18.259 I felt like, I mean, he didn't know it, but it felt like he was taking advantage of, I 00:09:18.259 --> 00:09:20.259 don't know, my son's flaw. 00:09:20.340 --> 00:09:22.120 Something he had no control of. 00:09:22.340 --> 00:09:24.860 And the coaches got together to decide how we're going to rule this. 00:09:24.920 --> 00:09:27.019 Now, if you're a baseball fan, you know how to rule that, right? 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:27.800 It's a what? 00:09:28.420 --> 00:09:29.220 Ground rule double. 00:09:29.220 --> 00:09:29.879 Am I right? 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:31.580 Yeah? 00:09:31.680 --> 00:09:31.879 No? 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:32.399 Come on. 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:38.940 This is the case I made with fury to this other coach after the game. 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:40.940 Because he had called it a home run. 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:42.300 Like, are you crazy? 00:09:43.779 --> 00:09:49.220 So because of my love for my son, maybe because the parents brought a lot of alcohol to the 00:09:49.220 --> 00:09:49.680 game that day. 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:55.000 But because of my love for my son, I went ballistic. 00:09:55.539 --> 00:09:56.120 I went ballistic. 00:09:56.719 --> 00:09:59.620 Now, granted, my loves are disordered. 00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:04.080 And I make idols out of my children, as do a lot of parents. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:10.000 But still, you can see how anger and love can be connected. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:11.000 And I'm like, I'm like, I'm going to do a lot of things. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:11.620 I'm going to do a lot of things. 00:10:11.620 --> 00:10:13.639 We passionately defend the things we love. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:17.419 The more we love them, the more furiously we defend them. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:24.299 And in Exodus 22, God is saying, I really, really, really love the foreigner. 00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:30.059 I really, really, really love the orphan. 00:10:31.579 --> 00:10:32.299 And the widow. 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:34.500 And the poor. 00:10:36.459 --> 00:10:37.939 I love them so much. 00:10:38.179 --> 00:10:39.379 How vulnerable are these people? 00:10:39.779 --> 00:10:43.039 Resident aliens at this time had no ability to own land. 00:10:43.299 --> 00:10:45.219 They had no kinship network to support them. 00:10:45.659 --> 00:10:49.479 Widows and orphans were especially at risk because they lacked the natural protection and 00:10:49.479 --> 00:10:51.339 inclusion that come from the family. 00:10:51.859 --> 00:10:54.139 Widows and orphans had no legal status. 00:10:54.299 --> 00:10:55.019 Or rights. 00:10:55.339 --> 00:10:58.639 But far different from the legal codes of the cultures around them. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:00.359 And you can go online and look at them. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:01.379 Code of Hammurabi. 00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:02.759 The Middle Assyrian laws. 00:11:04.659 --> 00:11:10.859 Israel was to extend care, protection, and inclusion to these vulnerable ones. 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:14.919 So do you remember feeling uncomfortable reading this? 00:11:15.719 --> 00:11:17.120 God is saying, pay attention. 00:11:18.199 --> 00:11:20.159 Pay attention to what I love. 00:11:21.099 --> 00:11:22.759 You cannot love me without loving them. 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:25.179 You know I hate oppression. 00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:27.500 You were oppressed in Egypt. 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:28.740 You know, see what I did to Egypt? 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:34.039 I will come in and rescue those you oppressed in the exact same way. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:40.500 So my question to you is, do you love those that God loves? 00:11:40.500 --> 00:11:42.460 This is a question for us as a church. 00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:47.080 Do we love those whom God loves? 00:11:47.220 --> 00:11:49.379 How much do we love them? 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:56.659 Or differently, is your love for them perhaps merely intellectual? 00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:59.940 Like you know you should love and you know why you should love. 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:06.020 But you lack the passion, the drive to love them like you know you should. 00:12:07.060 --> 00:12:08.960 To love the vulnerable among us. 00:12:09.040 --> 00:12:12.820 The refugee, the immigrant, the disadvantaged. 00:12:13.280 --> 00:12:15.080 Children living in violent environments. 00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:21.080 Those spending their final days and months in a nursing home completely forgotten. 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:27.500 So we know the destination, right? 00:12:28.620 --> 00:12:30.160 We know what we should do. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:32.920 So how do we get there? 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:39.620 Now, two Sundays ago, the missions committee met together. 00:12:40.280 --> 00:12:40.980 We did an exercise. 00:12:40.980 --> 00:12:46.120 We thought, what would be the ideal outcome of a missions committee at Church of the Advent? 00:12:46.860 --> 00:12:50.920 Of a vibrant missions ministry at our church? 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:55.740 And then we asked the question, how do we get there? 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:57.480 And Kat Bryant, she led our discussion. 00:12:57.620 --> 00:13:01.399 She had us draw islands and rocks and boats. 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:07.080 And a lot of us agreed that one of these obstacles to getting to where we wanted to go is apathy. 00:13:07.420 --> 00:13:09.539 And we usually put them on rocks. 00:13:09.539 --> 00:13:13.699 But apathy isn't a rock, is it? 00:13:14.899 --> 00:13:25.559 Apathy is a vast expanse of sun-beaten, windless sea. 00:13:26.939 --> 00:13:28.679 It's not a rock to dodge. 00:13:30.939 --> 00:13:35.959 Having apathy feels like we're stuck in that expanse on our sailboats. 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:40.300 The sun beating down on us, draining our energy. 00:13:41.300 --> 00:13:43.340 While our sails hang limp. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:45.800 Our boats are pointed in the right direction. 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:46.580 We know where to go. 00:13:48.300 --> 00:13:52.340 But we lack the passion, energy, and dynamism to get there. 00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:57.259 There's a disconnect between our head and our hearts and our hands. 00:13:57.259 --> 00:14:00.080 Now, I think this describes the majority of us. 00:14:00.379 --> 00:14:04.500 Because we are all products of our culture. 00:14:05.379 --> 00:14:07.379 And we live in an apathetic culture. 00:14:08.379 --> 00:14:10.460 One that's full of distractions. 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:13.120 It's not that we never get excited or passionate. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.919 But our hearts are alive to the things that don't matter. 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.840 And numb to the things that do. 00:14:19.560 --> 00:14:20.460 Like, I don't know about you. 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:26.740 But in season three of Lost, I stood up out of my chair and say, 00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:29.580 J.J. Abrams, how dare you kill Mr. Echo? 00:14:29.820 --> 00:14:30.860 He was the best. 00:14:31.060 --> 00:14:31.820 He was my favorite. 00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:33.779 He was only on for like a season. 00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:35.480 How dare you do this? 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:37.060 My wife was there. 00:14:37.500 --> 00:14:38.279 It startled her. 00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:46.600 The next day, I found out an older lady from my home church had passed away. 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:47.680 And I thought, eh, it's a shame. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:53.620 I'm not proud of that. 00:14:54.019 --> 00:14:54.940 I wasn't proud of it. 00:14:54.940 --> 00:14:58.820 I realized at the time, like, there is a big disconnect 00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:02.800 between what I should feel passionate about and what I don't. 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.800 The theologian Uche Anasur puts it this way. 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:12.820 We live in a Seinfeldian society. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:17.019 Our culture is a story about nothing. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:20.560 We make a big deal out of trivial things 00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:23.320 and are indifferent to the larger important things. 00:15:23.700 --> 00:15:27.440 Sounds like any episode or any season of Seinfeld, right? 00:15:28.860 --> 00:15:32.019 Sure, we'll get enraged at something unjust we see on the Internet, 00:15:32.019 --> 00:15:34.580 but that's as far as we'll go to do something about it. 00:15:34.580 --> 00:15:38.500 We care on some deep level, but we don't care enough to be moved. 00:15:39.040 --> 00:15:40.240 We know what the good is, 00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:43.520 but often do not find it very exciting or engaging. 00:15:47.639 --> 00:15:51.060 We might reflect the apathy that surrounds us. 00:15:52.120 --> 00:15:53.480 What causes that apathy? 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:58.980 Uche Anasur wrote a book called Overcoming Apathy, 00:15:59.159 --> 00:15:59.980 and it's really helpful. 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.220 It was, like, Book of the Year last year at Christianity Today. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:02.940 Highly recommended. 00:16:03.420 --> 00:16:07.680 He identifies seven reasons or roots of apathy. 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:09.519 There's doubt. 00:16:09.899 --> 00:16:12.220 Unresolved questions we have about God or our faith 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:15.220 can keep us from engaging our spiritual life wholeheartedly. 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:16.480 Grief. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.120 Those who suffer loss live suspended 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:21.820 between a past for which they long 00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:24.080 and a future for which they hope. 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:26.720 Unresolved grief can leave us numb. 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:29.759 Triviality. 00:16:30.680 --> 00:16:34.700 We're bombarded by trivial information every day, all day, 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:37.820 which can move us to stop caring altogether. 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:41.379 Feelings of inadequacy. 00:16:41.379 --> 00:16:44.779 We're constantly sizing ourselves up to others 00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:46.539 and finding ourselves lacking. 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:50.159 And finding ourselves lacking 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:52.519 can often discourage us from doing meaningful things. 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:54.960 A lack of discipline. 00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:58.179 Our minds zigzag through each day, 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:00.500 set on all kinds of things that don't matter, 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:03.360 instead of keeping our minds set ruthlessly 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.259 on the Holy Spirit. 00:17:07.460 --> 00:17:07.980 Fragility. 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:09.880 Our fear of getting hurt 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:11.319 causes us to withdraw from people. 00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:12.120 And ministry. 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:13.180 And things that matter. 00:17:14.100 --> 00:17:15.480 Lastly, a lack of purpose. 00:17:16.080 --> 00:17:18.780 Our daily activities feel directionless. 00:17:19.340 --> 00:17:21.580 And we get carried by the winds of the day. 00:17:25.600 --> 00:17:26.660 If you're like me, 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:31.060 you can name a few of those, right? 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:34.920 The good news is that in the gospel of Jesus, 00:17:36.140 --> 00:17:38.460 God forgives our apathy. 00:17:39.259 --> 00:17:42.120 Despite all the causes of apathy being links in a chain 00:17:42.120 --> 00:17:44.840 that keep us bound and enslaved to it, 00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:46.519 the gospel can set us free. 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:51.559 The Holy Spirit breathes new life and dynamism into our hearts. 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:56.299 So how might that new life grow? 00:17:56.299 --> 00:18:01.519 How can passion and love for the vulnerable grow 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:04.119 where there was once the barrenness of apathy? 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:09.220 How can we share God's love for those whom he loves? 00:18:09.220 --> 00:18:18.120 I'd like to suggest four things to cultivate in order to overcome apathy. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:19.480 Four things. 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:21.420 The first is honesty. 00:18:21.860 --> 00:18:22.600 Cultivate honesty. 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.419 This means confession. 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:30.539 Find somebody, preferably a group of people, 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.119 with whom you can be completely honest. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.299 People with whom you can completely be vulnerable 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:39.740 and find grace. 00:18:40.959 --> 00:18:42.719 Forgiveness and acceptance. 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:47.660 This is how God transforms his people. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:49.819 James 5.16 says, 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:51.700 Confess your sins to one another 00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:55.240 and pray for one another that you may be healed. 00:18:57.640 --> 00:18:59.059 It's natural, I think, 00:18:59.100 --> 00:19:02.360 to be wary of confessing our sins and shortcomings 00:19:02.360 --> 00:19:05.880 because we know that to be completely known 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:10.819 and then rejected or condemned is terrifying, right? 00:19:10.819 --> 00:19:16.359 But to be completely loved without being completely known 00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:19.000 really isn't true love at all, is it? 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:20.519 Superficial love. 00:19:21.939 --> 00:19:25.059 But to be completely known and completely loved 00:19:25.059 --> 00:19:28.200 is what every single human being craves. 00:19:30.099 --> 00:19:31.960 We crave connection. 00:19:33.460 --> 00:19:35.500 But deep connection doesn't happen 00:19:35.500 --> 00:19:38.839 until our faults and flaws are in full view. 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:41.720 Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, 00:19:42.679 --> 00:19:44.819 Those who remain alone with their evil 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:47.539 are left utterly alone. 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:50.319 The more lonely people become, 00:19:50.399 --> 00:19:52.480 the more destructive the power of sin over them. 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:55.539 Sin wants to remain unknown, 00:19:56.439 --> 00:19:59.299 but sin that has been spoken and confessed 00:19:59.299 --> 00:20:02.220 has lost all of its power. 00:20:02.220 --> 00:20:06.339 If we truly want to come alive to God 00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:08.220 and his love for the vulnerable, 00:20:08.579 --> 00:20:11.000 we must be completely honest before others. 00:20:11.420 --> 00:20:14.220 Being partially honest actually hurts. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:15.460 It doesn't help. 00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:18.400 A study found that those who only partially confess 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.819 their faults feel worse 00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:24.039 than those who fully confess or don't confess at all. 00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:25.920 If in our honesty, 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:28.200 we find ourselves concealing things 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:30.740 out of a concern for self-protection, 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:33.160 we only end up hurting ourselves. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.680 The road to renewal begins with honesty, 00:20:38.900 --> 00:20:39.559 with confession. 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:43.240 Again, the author and theologian, 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.440 Uche Anazor, writes, 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:46.240 In the case of apathy, 00:20:46.580 --> 00:20:48.140 confess your indifference to God, 00:20:48.580 --> 00:20:51.019 but also confess how you are guilty 00:20:51.019 --> 00:20:52.620 of immersing yourself in the trivial. 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:53.940 Confess your doubts, 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:55.000 your lack of hope, 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:56.240 your lack of discipline. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:57.079 In other words, 00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:58.720 confess your sinful disposition 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:00.920 and the things that contribute to it, 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:02.140 such as bad habits. 00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:05.839 Generic confession is usually not really confession. 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:07.660 In the case of apathy, 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:09.079 ah, here we go, 00:21:09.259 --> 00:21:11.099 I have to bring my specific contributions 00:21:11.099 --> 00:21:13.180 to my malaise into the light 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:15.839 in order to experience forgiveness and healing. 00:21:16.460 --> 00:21:18.920 And in enduring the pain of confessing to another, 00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:20.700 I'm experiencing the discomfort 00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:24.000 I should be feeling for a holy God. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.339 But I'm also experiencing, 00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:28.779 through the other person, 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:32.519 the mercy of a loving God. 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:36.539 Now, one way to find such people 00:21:36.539 --> 00:21:39.460 at Advent is to join a core group. 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:43.680 Some core groups aren't designed 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:46.259 to be places of complete openness, 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:47.000 that's okay, 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:48.599 but core groups are doorways 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:49.339 into relationships 00:21:49.339 --> 00:21:51.879 with whom you can have honest conversations 00:21:51.879 --> 00:21:52.899 like this. 00:21:53.720 --> 00:21:54.699 And if you're really struggling 00:21:54.699 --> 00:21:55.659 to muster the courage 00:21:55.659 --> 00:21:56.539 to confess to others, 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:58.240 you can confess to a pastor. 00:21:58.679 --> 00:21:58.939 Yes, 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:02.419 Anglicans also have a right of confession. 00:22:03.379 --> 00:22:04.240 As a matter of fact, 00:22:04.299 --> 00:22:06.459 in the season of Lent in 2024, 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:09.359 we will be highly encouraging it 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.619 to come to a pastor and confess. 00:22:12.619 --> 00:22:14.519 We'll be doing our best 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:15.119 to make it possible 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:16.899 for everyone to participate in it. 00:22:17.979 --> 00:22:18.919 It's going to be awesome. 00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:22.699 So to overcome apathy, 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:24.699 we can cultivate honesty. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:25.239 Second, 00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:28.679 we can also cultivate rest. 00:22:30.679 --> 00:22:31.819 Living, working, 00:22:31.899 --> 00:22:33.659 and perhaps raising a family in D.C. 00:22:33.660 --> 00:22:37.360 is an inherently frenetic life. 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:40.060 Too often we exceed our limits. 00:22:41.580 --> 00:22:44.000 We don't say no to our screens. 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:49.120 We fail to set solid boundaries. 00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:53.620 Things cave into our calendar 00:22:53.620 --> 00:22:54.460 out of control. 00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:57.860 We avoid fencing off time 00:22:57.860 --> 00:23:00.519 of stillness and rest. 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:03.900 It can only be from rest 00:23:03.900 --> 00:23:05.799 that a true love 00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:06.839 for the vulnerable can grow. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.799 This was one of the original intents 00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:11.480 of the Sabbath. 00:23:12.420 --> 00:23:14.160 Justice and rest 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:15.720 are hand in hand. 00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:18.139 It's in the fourth commandment 00:23:18.139 --> 00:23:19.660 in the book of Deuteronomy. 00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:20.420 Here we read, 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:21.839 six days you shall labor 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:22.859 and do all your work, 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:23.960 but the seventh day 00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:25.839 is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. 00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:28.379 On it you shall not do any work. 00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:30.380 You or your son 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:31.160 or your daughter 00:23:31.160 --> 00:23:32.080 or your male servant 00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:32.900 or female servant 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:33.920 or your ox 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:34.520 or your donkey 00:23:34.520 --> 00:23:35.600 or any of your livestock 00:23:35.600 --> 00:23:37.120 or the sojourner 00:23:37.120 --> 00:23:38.880 who is within your gates 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:43.640 that your male servant 00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:44.760 and your female servant 00:23:44.760 --> 00:23:46.740 may rest as well as you. 00:23:48.020 --> 00:23:48.960 You shall remember 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.280 that you were a slave 00:23:50.280 --> 00:23:51.280 in the land of Egypt 00:23:51.280 --> 00:23:53.400 and the Lord your God 00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:54.840 brought you out from there 00:23:54.840 --> 00:23:55.760 with a mighty hand 00:23:55.760 --> 00:23:56.620 and outstretched arm. 00:23:56.619 --> 00:23:58.799 Therefore, the Lord your God 00:23:58.799 --> 00:23:59.939 commanded you 00:23:59.939 --> 00:24:01.239 to keep the Sabbath day. 00:24:02.119 --> 00:24:02.739 All right, we cultivate 00:24:02.739 --> 00:24:04.739 honesty, rest. 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:06.759 And thirdly, we can cultivate 00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:09.000 sacrificial generosity. 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:11.139 If you haven't heard 00:24:11.139 --> 00:24:12.579 Tommy's sermon last week 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:13.479 on generosity, 00:24:14.459 --> 00:24:16.259 listen to it soon. 00:24:16.939 --> 00:24:17.679 Find it online. 00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:18.219 Give it a listen. 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:19.139 If you've already heard it, 00:24:19.179 --> 00:24:19.939 listen to it again. 00:24:19.940 --> 00:24:22.720 God says to his people, 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:24.000 put me to the test. 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:25.539 Put me to the test, 00:24:25.580 --> 00:24:26.019 says the Lord, 00:24:26.080 --> 00:24:26.900 and see if I will not 00:24:26.900 --> 00:24:28.000 open the windows of heaven 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:28.539 for you 00:24:28.539 --> 00:24:29.799 and pour down for you 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:30.340 a blessing 00:24:30.340 --> 00:24:31.940 until there is no more need. 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:34.820 If you want to come alive 00:24:34.820 --> 00:24:35.920 to God's purposes 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:36.580 in the world 00:24:36.580 --> 00:24:39.320 or to put it extremely 00:24:39.320 --> 00:24:40.320 crap, 00:24:41.320 --> 00:24:43.180 if you want to come alive 00:24:43.180 --> 00:24:43.840 to God's purposes 00:24:43.840 --> 00:24:44.340 in the world, 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:45.220 to put it extremely 00:24:45.220 --> 00:24:45.779 crassly, 00:24:46.080 --> 00:24:46.640 crassly, 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:48.280 it's not even a word. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:49.880 English matrix? 00:24:50.080 --> 00:24:50.680 Yeah, good, thanks. 00:24:51.180 --> 00:24:51.900 In a crass way. 00:24:52.800 --> 00:24:54.060 You gotta put all your chips in, right? 00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.100 You gotta put all your chips in. 00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:01.020 Which means to be so generous 00:25:01.020 --> 00:25:02.320 that you can really feel it. 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:05.560 Arthur Brooks looks to studies 00:25:05.560 --> 00:25:06.759 and sees that 00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:10.360 charity transforms givers, 00:25:11.360 --> 00:25:13.740 helping them become more humane. 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:16.420 Charity also provides 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:17.160 a sense of meaning 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:18.259 by orienting life 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:18.960 around a purpose 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:19.980 outside ourselves. 00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:21.880 One survey of Americans 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:22.640 shows that those 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.160 who give money to charity 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:26.359 are 43% more likely 00:25:26.359 --> 00:25:28.720 to say they are very happy 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:29.380 than non-givers. 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:30.339 You see how generosity 00:25:30.339 --> 00:25:31.900 and coming out of apathy 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:33.400 into life 00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:34.519 are linked? 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:36.940 In fact, 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:39.460 non-givers are three and a half times 00:25:39.460 --> 00:25:40.900 more likely than givers 00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:42.220 to say they are not happy at all. 00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:45.720 Givers are 25% more likely 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:46.279 than non-givers 00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:47.220 to say that their health 00:25:47.220 --> 00:25:48.380 is excellent or very good. 00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:50.100 While non-givers are twice 00:25:50.100 --> 00:25:50.860 as likely to say 00:25:50.860 --> 00:25:51.360 that their health 00:25:51.360 --> 00:25:52.920 is poor or fair. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:55.440 In biblical categories, 00:25:57.360 --> 00:25:59.360 those willing to lose 00:25:59.360 --> 00:25:59.900 their life 00:25:59.900 --> 00:26:00.740 will gain it. 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:02.019 Those willing to lose 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:02.539 their life, 00:26:02.900 --> 00:26:03.680 their life 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:04.940 will gain it. 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:06.000 That's Luke chapter nine. 00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:08.400 Now, before we move on, 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:08.880 does it matter 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:10.380 what charity I choose? 00:26:10.560 --> 00:26:11.440 I would say, 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:12.760 yes, yes it does. 00:26:12.940 --> 00:26:13.460 If you're a part 00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:14.300 of Church of the Advent, 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:15.580 this means you should be giving 00:26:15.580 --> 00:26:16.340 to Church of the Advent. 00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:19.660 The church is the primary means 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:21.160 that God uses 00:26:21.160 --> 00:26:22.180 to bring about healing 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:23.520 and renewal to the world 00:26:23.520 --> 00:26:24.560 through the authoritative 00:26:24.560 --> 00:26:25.440 proclamation 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:26.420 of the good news 00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:26.960 of the gospel 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:27.700 of Jesus Christ. 00:26:28.360 --> 00:26:29.780 The church is the body 00:26:29.780 --> 00:26:30.280 of Christ, 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:30.840 the body 00:26:30.840 --> 00:26:32.420 with its hands 00:26:32.420 --> 00:26:33.800 and its feet 00:26:33.800 --> 00:26:35.120 going into the world 00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:35.800 to embrace 00:26:35.800 --> 00:26:36.580 and welcome 00:26:36.580 --> 00:26:37.120 the vulnerable. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:40.960 Last, 00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:43.940 cultivate affection. 00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:48.279 Cultivate affection. 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:48.960 Now, I'd suggest 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:49.940 two ways of doing this. 00:26:50.100 --> 00:26:50.560 We're almost done. 00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:52.720 Two ways 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:53.700 of cultivating affection. 00:26:54.100 --> 00:26:54.680 The first, 00:26:55.800 --> 00:26:56.779 choose to spend time 00:26:56.779 --> 00:26:57.620 with passionate people. 00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:00.820 We're profoundly shaped 00:27:00.820 --> 00:27:01.800 by the company we keep. 00:27:03.080 --> 00:27:04.440 One group of people 00:27:04.440 --> 00:27:05.380 I'd recommend you 00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:06.380 spend time with 00:27:06.380 --> 00:27:07.700 is those who are 00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:08.860 in our refugee ministry. 00:27:10.060 --> 00:27:10.620 These folks 00:27:10.620 --> 00:27:11.360 are passionate 00:27:11.360 --> 00:27:12.200 about loving 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:13.840 two particular families 00:27:13.840 --> 00:27:14.800 that our church has adopted. 00:27:15.080 --> 00:27:15.580 Let me tell you 00:27:15.580 --> 00:27:16.340 how passionate they are, 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:16.740 the things 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:18.060 these people have done. 00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:19.240 They've supported 00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:19.720 the process 00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:20.340 for our families 00:27:20.340 --> 00:27:20.800 to secure 00:27:20.800 --> 00:27:22.380 permanent resident status 00:27:22.380 --> 00:27:23.400 in their new home country, 00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:24.259 United States. 00:27:24.840 --> 00:27:26.340 They organized rent support 00:27:26.340 --> 00:27:27.539 that you gave 00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:29.500 with your sacrificial generosity 00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:30.519 that prevented 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:31.340 one of our families 00:27:31.340 --> 00:27:32.320 from being evicted. 00:27:32.420 --> 00:27:33.360 And that family said, 00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:34.740 were it not for your support, 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:35.500 they would have gone 00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:36.160 back to Afghanistan. 00:27:40.600 --> 00:27:41.400 Our ministry 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:42.480 recently persuaded 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:43.640 this family's landlord. 00:27:43.820 --> 00:27:44.500 They went directly 00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:45.340 to the landlord 00:27:45.340 --> 00:27:46.580 to allow them 00:27:46.580 --> 00:27:47.600 to move from their apartment 00:27:47.600 --> 00:27:48.220 with mold 00:27:48.220 --> 00:27:49.140 and flooding problems 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:50.019 into a new, 00:27:50.660 --> 00:27:51.300 clean apartment. 00:27:54.120 --> 00:27:54.900 Our volunteers 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:56.120 spent many hours 00:27:56.120 --> 00:27:57.160 buying a car 00:27:57.160 --> 00:27:58.019 for the mother 00:27:58.019 --> 00:27:58.779 of the other family. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:01.480 Her husband 00:28:01.480 --> 00:28:02.220 is still overseas, 00:28:02.820 --> 00:28:03.700 so she's here alone. 00:28:04.040 --> 00:28:05.220 They helped her buy a car 00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:07.040 that opened up 00:28:07.040 --> 00:28:07.620 new employment 00:28:07.620 --> 00:28:08.580 and family opportunities. 00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:09.460 As a matter of fact, 00:28:09.560 --> 00:28:09.900 they helped her 00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:10.360 get her license. 00:28:11.320 --> 00:28:12.180 And for those of you 00:28:12.180 --> 00:28:14.060 who will someday 00:28:14.060 --> 00:28:15.400 be taking a teenager 00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:18.840 through the horrible process 00:28:18.840 --> 00:28:19.060 of, 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.600 a terrifying process, 00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:21.800 getting them a license, 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:22.059 you know, 00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:23.000 that's 60 hours 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:24.980 that our people spent 00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:27.000 with this mother 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:29.399 getting driving experience. 00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:32.559 They helped negotiate 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:33.319 a medical bill 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:35.159 for an emergency 00:28:35.159 --> 00:28:37.759 that one child had. 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:39.879 they were in the hole 00:28:39.879 --> 00:28:41.000 for tens of thousands 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:41.579 of dollars. 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:42.700 Like, 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:43.480 they took care of it. 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:44.059 They advocated 00:28:44.059 --> 00:28:44.579 for this family 00:28:44.579 --> 00:28:45.379 and got it wiped clean. 00:28:48.019 --> 00:28:48.400 Lastly, 00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:49.240 they're organizing 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:50.059 a coat drive 00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:50.920 and it's gonna take place 00:28:50.920 --> 00:28:51.960 next month, 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:54.140 November 12th and 19th. 00:28:54.299 --> 00:28:55.160 They're looking for new 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:56.359 and like new coats 00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:57.319 that can be brought here 00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:57.740 to worship 00:28:57.740 --> 00:28:58.879 where they will be collected 00:28:58.879 --> 00:28:59.460 and donated 00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:00.400 to refugee families. 00:29:01.019 --> 00:29:01.119 Now, 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:01.900 do you hear how passionate 00:29:01.900 --> 00:29:02.319 they are? 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:03.519 You should hang out 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:05.740 and maybe help them. 00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:08.279 Our refugee ministry's 00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:08.980 love for the stranger 00:29:08.980 --> 00:29:09.700 is infectious 00:29:09.700 --> 00:29:10.539 and they'd love you 00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:11.059 to join them. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:12.299 We also have folks 00:29:12.299 --> 00:29:14.660 that work with DC 127 00:29:14.660 --> 00:29:16.140 and Little Lights. 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:17.180 These are ministries 00:29:17.180 --> 00:29:19.460 that support at-risk 00:29:19.460 --> 00:29:20.299 families and children. 00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:21.480 They'd love you 00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.380 to join them as well 00:29:22.380 --> 00:29:23.220 and catch their passion. 00:29:24.660 --> 00:29:25.299 The second way 00:29:25.299 --> 00:29:26.200 to cultivate affection, 00:29:27.299 --> 00:29:28.319 this is where we're closing, 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:30.660 is to remember 00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:31.640 the profound truth 00:29:31.640 --> 00:29:32.299 that was found 00:29:32.299 --> 00:29:33.460 in Exodus 22, 00:29:33.579 --> 00:29:34.180 verse 21. 00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:36.980 You shall not wrong 00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:37.720 a sojourner 00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:38.660 or oppress him 00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:41.200 for you are sojourners 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.900 in the land of Egypt. 00:29:44.420 --> 00:29:46.140 God's people know firsthand 00:29:46.140 --> 00:29:46.720 what it means 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:47.299 to be a foreigner. 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:49.559 They must access 00:29:49.559 --> 00:29:50.660 their collective memory 00:29:50.660 --> 00:29:51.400 of the bitter taste 00:29:51.400 --> 00:29:52.579 of oppression in Egypt 00:29:52.579 --> 00:29:53.940 and God's gracious 00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:54.880 deliverance from it. 00:29:55.620 --> 00:29:56.940 Their past experience 00:29:56.940 --> 00:29:58.599 shapes their present response 00:29:58.599 --> 00:29:59.940 towards outsiders. 00:29:59.940 --> 00:30:01.840 So this means 00:30:01.840 --> 00:30:03.400 placing ourselves 00:30:03.400 --> 00:30:06.320 within the story of God. 00:30:08.279 --> 00:30:09.160 Did you hear in the psalm 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:10.180 that we read today 00:30:10.180 --> 00:30:12.200 about what it means 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:13.600 to be immersed in Scripture? 00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:14.580 It's like a tree 00:30:14.580 --> 00:30:15.880 by the streams of water. 00:30:17.180 --> 00:30:18.519 Being immersed in Scripture, 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:21.059 remembering our own deliverance. 00:30:21.500 --> 00:30:22.860 This is the fuel 00:30:22.860 --> 00:30:24.620 for loving as God loves. 00:30:26.620 --> 00:30:27.880 Brendan Manning writes, 00:30:27.880 --> 00:30:31.060 next slide, 00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:33.520 the recovery of passion 00:30:33.520 --> 00:30:35.660 begins with the recovery 00:30:35.660 --> 00:30:37.440 of my true self 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:38.640 as the beloved. 00:30:38.780 --> 00:30:39.680 Can we read that together? 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:42.260 The recovery of passion 00:30:42.260 --> 00:30:44.160 begins with the recovery 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:46.000 of my true self 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.040 as the beloved. 00:30:47.380 --> 00:30:47.900 Beloved, 00:30:48.040 --> 00:30:49.620 you were at one time 00:30:49.620 --> 00:30:51.560 strangers and aliens. 00:30:52.360 --> 00:30:53.340 Without hope, 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:54.880 without help, 00:30:54.880 --> 00:30:58.160 until God called you 00:30:58.160 --> 00:30:59.460 out of darkness 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:01.540 and into His marvelous light. 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:05.960 More than just strangers 00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:06.560 and foreigners, 00:31:06.860 --> 00:31:09.380 you were declared rebels, 00:31:10.600 --> 00:31:11.680 adversaries of God, 00:31:11.820 --> 00:31:12.900 fully deserving 00:31:12.900 --> 00:31:14.240 of His wrath. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:16.200 But God shows His love 00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:17.160 for us in this, 00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:18.660 that while we were still sinners, 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:20.500 Christ died for us. 00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:23.339 since therefore, 00:31:24.779 --> 00:31:25.740 this is Romans 5, 00:31:26.339 --> 00:31:27.279 since therefore 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:28.460 we have now been justified 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:29.279 by His blood, 00:31:29.559 --> 00:31:30.200 much more 00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:31.819 shall we be saved 00:31:31.819 --> 00:31:32.420 by Him 00:31:32.420 --> 00:31:33.519 from the wrath of God. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:34.859 For if while we were enemies, 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:36.160 we were reconciled to God 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:37.140 by the death of His Son, 00:31:37.339 --> 00:31:37.900 much more, 00:31:38.019 --> 00:31:39.119 now that we are reconciled, 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:40.480 shall we be saved 00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:41.420 by His life. 00:31:42.900 --> 00:31:43.420 And so now, 00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:44.240 instead of being orphans, 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:45.359 the Father has adopted you. 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:46.940 And you are His sons 00:31:46.940 --> 00:31:47.680 and His daughters. 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:51.360 Are you ready to emerge 00:31:51.360 --> 00:31:52.519 from apathy 00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:53.820 into passion? 00:31:55.240 --> 00:31:56.440 Do you want to grow 00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:57.400 in your love 00:31:57.400 --> 00:31:58.400 for the vulnerable? 00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:00.519 Do you want to grow 00:32:00.519 --> 00:32:01.000 in your love? 00:32:03.060 --> 00:32:03.940 Do you want to grow? 00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:07.080 Confess. 00:32:08.900 --> 00:32:09.480 Rest. 00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:11.580 Give. 00:32:13.360 --> 00:32:15.279 I know that you are beloved. 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:18.379 And in knowing the love of God, 00:32:18.519 --> 00:32:19.180 experience 00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:21.960 the wind of the Holy Spirit 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:23.740 filling your sails. 00:32:24.220 --> 00:32:25.180 In the name of the Father 00:32:25.180 --> 00:32:25.839 and of the Son 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:27.139 and of the Holy Spirit. 00:32:27.639 --> 00:32:27.940 Amen. 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:28.519 Let's pray. 00:32:30.660 --> 00:32:31.440 Holy Spirit, 00:32:32.119 --> 00:32:33.019 this is what we ask. 00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:34.339 For you to fill the wind 00:32:34.339 --> 00:32:35.039 in our sails. 00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:36.460 For you to move us 00:32:36.460 --> 00:32:37.319 and shake us. 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:41.039 Lord, give us a deep love 00:32:41.039 --> 00:32:43.559 for the vulnerable around us, 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:45.079 for those within our congregation, 00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:46.240 for those without. 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:50.139 Help us to remember 00:32:50.139 --> 00:32:51.139 how much you love us. 00:32:51.240 --> 00:32:52.639 Lord, as we come to this table, 00:32:53.399 --> 00:32:54.419 we receive the bread 00:32:54.419 --> 00:32:54.819 and the wine, 00:32:54.879 --> 00:32:55.759 we taste it. 00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:58.419 Remind us of the grace 00:32:58.419 --> 00:32:59.359 you're filling us with. 00:33:00.579 --> 00:33:01.399 Remind us that we are 00:33:01.399 --> 00:33:02.200 sons and daughters. 00:33:03.879 --> 00:33:05.000 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:05.099 Amen. 00:33:05.099 --> 00:33:05.139 Amen. 00:33:05.139 --> 00:33:05.179 Amen. 00:33:05.179 --> 00:33:05.220 Amen.