St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 5B Easter May 3, 2015
The Rev. Martha Kirkpatrick
Acts 8:26-40; Ps. 22:24-30; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
St. Barnabas' Annual Meeting Fully Reliant on God
You may remember that a week after I started at St. Barnabas' last June I left for eight days to attend a retreat program for Episcopal clergy. When I got to my room I found a care package that contained among other things a green plastic frog. In case you're unfamiliar with this symbol (sort of a modern ichthus) F.R.O.G. stands for ... "Fully Reliant On God."
This Annual Meeting day we reflect a bit on where we've been, give thanks for the past year, where we've come, what we've learned, and, in thanksgiving for our friends and companions, we look ahead to where God is calling us to be. And I honestly can't think of any more helpful texts than the ones we've heard this morning.
When I think back, both to the immediate past history that I have shared with you and the longer history that I infer or know second-hand, I see resonating through it today's Gospel and also the reading from 1 John. "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God." And the gospel says "abide in me as I abide in you." Abiding isn't just hanging around. It is an active readiness, steadfastness, and patience, trusting that God is here, at work, even, perhaps especially, when the going gets tough or at least when the wait seems unduly long. The Gospel, that wonderful image of the vine reminds us that the life of faith in community is one where we are "Fully reliant on God." This dependence on God is counter-cultural: our society tends to glorify the achievements of the individual, as if anyone gets anywhere without the help and support from others. "Bearing fruit" in this context is not just about doing things. It is also about habits and patterns of thought. It may be more rightly understood as "manifesting the character of Jesus."1 This image of the vine and the branches speaks of health, support, connection and life-giving abundance that you have provided for each other in Jesus' name.
At our celebration of new ministry last November I gave you a burning bush. Burning bushes attract attention, even some voyeurism, and look like they are going up in flames. But when people paused and took a closer look at what was going on here they could see the presence of God in you. In the past year I've witnessed that myself here over and over again: being guided by the Holy Spirit; Strong lay ministry; active and present pastoral care for each other; opening worship more and more to the presence
1 Sermon Brainwave for Easter 5, www.workingpreacher.org