Sermon Epiphany 4 a

Sermon for Epiphany 4a
January 30, 2011
First Lutheran Church of the Trinity, Chicago
First Trinity Winter Chapel
Rev. Thomas R. Gaulke

Texts:
Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 15 (1)
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12


The poor will possess

The mourning will be comforted

The meek will actually get something

The thirsty and those starving for justice will be filled with it.

But until that Day, until that Time,


we proclaim Christ: Crucified.
We, the Body of Christ, are Christ Crucified.


The merciful won't get walked all over or taken advantage of.

The pure in heart will see God.

The peacemakers will be able to retire.

Those persecuted by the kingdoms of earth, will have the kingdom of God.

But until that Day,


we proclaim Christ: Crucified.
We, the Body of Christ, are Christ Crucified.


Into one body you were baptized, Paul tells the church at Corinth,

Into one body you are baptized, we recall each time we baptize at the font.

But as long as Christ's body remains divided and dividing,

severed by egos, and pride, and dogmatism, and fear,
and all that isn't love,


we, the Body of Christ, proclaim Christ: Crucified.
We, the Body of Christ, are Christ Crucified.


We hear God's call from the prophet:

To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.

But as long as there is corruption,
in our churches and in our cities,

and hate, and prejudice, and all kinds of discrimination and violence

in our world and in our hearts

as long as there is

self-centered-ness that cares not for the love of one's neighbors

but, rather, for the love of exalting one's self at the expense of one's neighbor,


we proclaim Christ crucified.
We, the Body of Christ, are Christ Crucified.


We hear Christ's call
(as we discussed last week)
to a radical
and embracing
and reconciling love

But as long as we, God's creatures,
continue to push one another away,
build walls and fences, and the Dan Ryan between families and nations,
races and creeds,
as long as we endorse hate or fear in the name of the Living God,


We proclaim that God: Crucified.
We, the Body of Christ, are God, the Crucified.


As long as we profess each week, collectively,
(I know some of you are just lip syncing, by the way),
that we believe in the Resurrection of the Body,
or that we at least look for the Resurrection of the Dead,


We proclaim Christ: Crucified
We, the Body of Christ, are Christ Crucified.

But
we, the crucified Body of Christ,
profess that we are not satisfied with the state of things.


We are not satisfied with crucifixion.


We confess our sin
expecting forgiveness and reconciliation.

We confess the brokenness of our world
with the expectation that we are commissioned to participate in its healing
and in its reconciliation.

We, the crucified Body of Christ,
look for the Resurrection of the Dead,
and the life of the world to come,
on earth as it is in heaven.

We, the crucified Body of Christ,
look for the Resurrection of the Dead,
and the life of the world to come,
On earth as it is in heaven.

The kingdom of heaven is among you, Christ says.
The kingdom of God is within you.

Blessed are the poor and the poor in spirit.

Blessed are those who mourn.

Blessed are the meek

and those who hunger and thirst and thirst for justice.

Blessed are the merciful,

the pure-hearted,

the peacemakers,

and the persecuted.


May it be so among you.

May it be so among us.

May it become so in our hearts.


Again, we pray:

May the kingdom of God be built among us,
on earth, as it is in heaven.

Amen.