September 10, 2017 – Romans 13:8-14
Romans 13:8-14
Urban Missionaries of Love – Or, What I did on Summer Vacation
Lectionary 23A – September 10, 2017
First Lutheran Church – Winnipeg, MB
The title of this sermon is, “Urban Missionaries. Or, What I Did on Summer Vacation.”
What did I do?
Well, I went to a tiki convention in San Diego. Really!
Well over a thousand people got together for 4 days to learn about tiki art,
tiki restaurants, the tiki lifestyle, and tiki cocktails.
It was called Tiki Oasis and let me tell you, it was a crazy experience.
Now the thing about it is, for Tiki Oasis everyone wears appropriate clothing.
Namely, Hawaiian shirts and dresses.
Now Tiki Oasis is a big party – so the people come dressed appropriately for a party.
The first night of the convention takes place at the historic Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island.
It is an amazing, huge place, filled with tikis and tropical décor.
It also has a huge patio with one of the best views of the San Diego harbour.
So imagine it is evening, the sun is setting, the moon is rising, the band is playing,
maybe you have a Mai Tai in your hand (I did), and you look out over this crowd.
And there are literally 5 or 6 hundred people all attired in Hawaiian shirts and dresses.
And it is one of the most colourful fun things you will ever see in your life.
It was very fun to be part of a crowd that is all into the same thing.
And who are all dressed appropriately for the party.
It was kinda magical.
Now over the next four days, if you strayed a little from the hotel where the convention was,
you’d still be wearing your aloha shirt, right?
And the thing is: if people knew about the convention, they’d know you were part of it.
They would say, “Here for Tiki Oasis, huh?”
And you would say, “Yah,” because your clothing identified you.
The people knew which party you were dressed for.
Paul speaks of dressing appropriately for a party this morning,
the party that is going to happen when God’s intentions for love and justice and
sharing and healing are fulfilled in this world.
Paul recognizes, as we do, that that time has not yet come yet in all its fullness.
The world still has its fair share of brokenness and injustice, of hatred and violence.
And yet says Paul, in a very hopeful passage, dress NOW for the party that is coming.
Put on the garment of Jesus, for he will be the host of the party that is coming.
Put on the garment of light, for the party that is coming will be a festival of light.
Put on the garment of love,
for the party that is coming will be a celebration and fulfillment of love.
Put on the garment of love.
Wear it wherever you go.
And people will know that you are dressed appropriately for the Party of Love that is coming.
When Paul speaks of the garment of love, he is talking about engaging in loving action,
wherever you happen to find yourself.
Wear your heart on your sleeve – wear the love that is in you like a garment.
Love everyone, Paul says.
Unless you love, you have nothing, he says elsewhere.
Jesus says, love one another as I have loved you.
John says, Whoever loves God must also love his or her brother or sister.
James says, along with Jesus and Paul, Love your neighbour as yourself.
Clothe yourselves with love.
That is how you best prepare for the great day of peace and harmony that God will bring,
by clothing all your actions in loving ones.
By pre-partying, as if the big party were already here.
William Sloane Coffin, who was the chaplain at Yale University for many years,
used to say, “You know, we learn at university, ‘I think, therefore I am.’
But really, I have always believed it should be, ‘I love, therefore I am.’”
This morning, at the children’s time, we thought about our being clothed with love at all times.
We thought about being dressed appropriately for the party that is coming at all times.
Like the Tiki Oasis people, we don’t just wear our aloha shirts at the tiki convention centre,
we wear them everywhere out in the world.
And so, at the Blessing of the Backpacks this morning, we blessed everything we could think
that helps us in our daily work of loving.
It might be a backpack that reminds us that when we are at school,
we are an urban missionary of love.
It might be a pen that reminds us that when we are at work, we are urban missionary of love.
It might be a diaper bag that reminds us that when we are minding children,
we are an urban missionary of love.
It might be a phone that reminds us when we are texting with friends or parents or
children we are urban missionaries of love.
Yes: it might even be a photocopier.
When we leave this place, we are Urban Missionaries, taking the love, the peace, the healing,
the justice, the joy we receive here and giving it away freely out there.
We get ready for the party of love that is coming by doing all these things.
Beloved, clothe yourselves with love.
Together, we are Urban Missionaries, bringing love to a world in need.
So let us keep loving and serving one another in worship, let us keep praying for each other,
let us keep feeding the hungry at food banks and community meals,
let us keep acting in love for friends and family, for strangers and co-workers
and people in our communities.
Let us be agents of God wherever we find ourselves and let us remember:
We are Urban Missionaries of Love.
So together, let us say, “Amen.”
Pastor Michael Kurtz
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