First Lutheran Church
September 26, 2021
“God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday”
Mark 10:13-16 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Sermon
Each year in September congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) come together to perform acts of service with our neighbors on “God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday.”
It’s a Sunday when we change up our usual gathering pattern. It’s a Sunday when we focus not on being in the sanctuary but rather being out there in our neighborhood. It’s a Sunday set aside to celebrate who we are, - “one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.” “God’s Work, Our Hand Sunday” offers us an opportunity to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – “flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.”
Our Bishop Andy Taylor always reminds us, “Because we know that ultimately we are ‘saved,’ we don’t need to worry so much about our own life, we can focus on helping those in need.” In Christ, we know that we are loved, we know that we are cared for, we know what really matters; and this sets us free to love and care for our neighbors. This is what it means to have a “daring confidence in God’s grace! ”So it is that we gather today not to somehow ensure our own salvation, but to be empowered by “the salvation we already have” to go out into the world and make a difference.
And that is exactly what we are going to do!
Over the past month we have been preparing for this day in many ways. This year we chose to partner with “Crittenton Services for Children and Families.” Crittenton is a nationally accredited mental health and child welfare nonprofit, located here in Fullerton, with more than 50 years of experience serving the most vulnerable system-involved children, youth, and families. Greg Eubanks, the CEO of Crittenton, and a member of The Table, joined us a few Sundays ago and told us all about the important and inspiring work that they are doing! Many of you have expressed a great excitement to be partnering with Crittenton, and many of us hope this will turn into an ongoing opportunity for service for First Lutheran and The Table.
In our conversation with Crittenton we discovered what some of the things they need, and we have been collecting them. In particular we have been gathering up card games, Spanish language toddler books, sippy cups, and the ever-valuable soccer balls to replace those who have escaped the fence around their field finding their way into the drainage canal! Today, after our service, we will be bringing these donations over to their campus just down the street from us.
And we will also be bringing lunch!
Today we will be serving lunch and playing games with around 60 teenage boys. Thanks to those of you who made a financial gift to buy pizza, lots of pizza for those 60 teenage boys! And thanks to those of you who made all the dessert cookies for those 60 teenage boys. And thanks to those of you who are able to go over there today to serve the lunch, and interact, play games, with those 60 teenage boys. It’s going to be quite a day, quite an experience for all of us, and for those 60 teenage boys!
It seems that too often our religious life deals with things that can be mostly “philosophical.” We talk about our good theology, discuss great and noble ideals, we learn about God and creation, we investigate the social condition, we discover ourselves in spiritual disciplines, and we act out meaningful liturgical rites. And while all these things are good, I have to admit, I really like it when we get out of our heads and out onto the streets, I really like it when the rubber meets the road, I really like it when we leave this place and go out into the world to serve.
In last Sunday’s appointed Gospel Jesus took up a little child in his arms and said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” In today’s Gospel Jesus proclaims, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” And to my joy, today we will not muse philosophically about these teachings, - we will boldly live them out.
Today we will be seeking out the children in our community who are in need, children who need to be reminded that they are loved and cared for, children who need help finding a place to call home, the children Jesus would have us gather up in our arms. God’s work, our hands! And in this little act of service, we will undoubtably discover the Kingdom of God that belongs “to such as these.” We will come with sippy cups and soccer balls, and they will bless us with the Kingdom of God. Not a bad deal, - for each of us!
And in between this service and our service project we will take a few moments to enter into a Congregational Meeting! Today we will vote on calling a new Associate Pastor. And one of the duties of this pastor will be to help us organize a new emphasis in our Children and Family Ministry.
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”
Today we are blessed to be about these very things, today we are blessed to do the work of God with our very hands, our very hearts. Let us do so with a daring confidence in God’s grace and love. The Kingdom awaits us. Amen.