Loving God, as you opened the tomb and raised Jesus to new life, so open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit that as your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today, and in confidence go forth to live what you show us. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
One of the hardest things for people to grasp about faith and the salvation that arises from faith is the connection between what we do - and what God does, the connection between the work of God in our lives and the work that we must do if God is, in fact, to be in our lives, in our lives in a way that makes a difference to us, in a way that makes a difference to our world.
Our story today from the Book of The Acts of The Apostles tells us that when Paul arrived in Philippi and began to preach the good news there, a woman by the name of Lydia - a dealer in purple cloth (which was an extremely valuable commodity in those days) responded to Paul's message and, with the members of her household - was baptized.
The scripture says this about that event: She was a worshipper of God. And the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
The implication seems to be that it is "God's action that opens people's hearts", that it is God who brings people to faith in Jesus Christ.
Yet, almost in contrary fashion, in the Gospel reading this morning, we hear say Jesus say this:
If anyone loves me, they will keep my word, and God will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
The implication seems to be that if we don't keep God's word, if we don't obey the commandments that God gives us, that Jesus gives us, that God won't love us or make a home with us.
This seems to a problem:
Just how much of faith and love is a result of God's doing and how much is our part? Just how much of the peace God gives comes because God gives it freely, and how much comes because we are doing what God wants.
There is no simple answer to this. In fact I think it is one of the mysteries of our faith; but I think that it is a wonderful mystery; a mystery that both keeps the grace of God held high as a grace, a gift; and the individual's response to grace held high as an important part of what it means to be a believer.
The Methodist tradition - from which our Church, in part, arose, speaks to this issue by talking of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives - by speaking of how the Spirit seeks to lead all people to respond to God's love and to come to a deep and saving faith in him - and in Christ.
This work of the Spirit in our lives - before faith is discovered - is called "Prevenient Grace." God is seen as something like the "Hound of Heaven" - pursuing us - seeking to claim us.
And God - in this view - seeks us all. God seeks to work in all our lives. God seeks to bring all people to an awareness of his love. God desires that everybody comes to a faith that He can use to change their lives.
But persons who are thus called - those who are thus sought - those who are thus desired, and that is all of us here, must eventually respond with Faith, they must make a decision if the fullness of the love of God, the fullness of the peace of God, is to inhabit them; just as one who receives a proposal of marriage must eventually respond, yes or no if they are to enter in the fullness of the love of the one who freely proposes to them and if they are to inhabit with each other in the fullness of the way that only marriage can provide.
In this sense then - Lydia's heart, like our own hearts, is opened by God, to respond to the Gospel. But - in that - it is Lydia who decides to say yes to the message that she finally "hears" through Paul just as we, have responded today - responded to the degree that we are here to listen to the Word of God, to seek God's wisdom - and just as we - to one degree or another - have said yes to the message of God's love - yes - I believe - yes - I want to follow Jesus and to keep his word - Yes - I want to have him, to have God, dwell fully in me.
In short - God is not to blame for those who do not respond to Him, but God is to be praised for opening our hearts, and God is not to blame for those who do not experience the fullness of his presence in their lives, but God is be praised for helping us follow Christ and in that following for dwelling in us and granting us an ever greater sense of peace, an ever increasing ability to love, an ever growing sense of the assurance of our immortality and an ever expanding sense of how God will in fact bring his kingdom to pass and create a new heaven and new earth in which there is no darkness - no pain - no evil.
I recall the story of a little girl who, when trains were popular transportation, was taking her first train ride with her parents. As night descended, the mother took the girl, who was clearly quite anxious, and placed her on the upper bunk of the sleeper. She told her little one that up there she would be nearer to God and that God would watch over her.
As silence enveloped the young lady she became afraid and called softly, "Mommy, are you there?"
"Yes dear," came the response.
A little later, in a louder voice, the child called, "Daddy, are you there, too?"
"Yes dear," was the reply.
After this had been repeated several times one of the passengers sharing their sleeper car finally lost his patience and shouted loudly, "Yes, we're all here, your father, your mother, your brother, and all your aunts and cousins; now settle down and go to sleep!"
There was a moment of silence and then, in hushed tones a little voice asked, "Mommy, was that God?"
Jesus, in offering peace, in offering to dwell within us, does not say, "I'm here, the Holy Spirit's here and God is here, now be at peace!"
The peace that Jesus offers cannot be had simply by desiring it. The peace of God is a gift.
A gift that can only be received as a by-product of faith - as a by product of saying yes, I believe; and yes - I am going to keep your word - I am going to obey you as best I can.
I am going to keep your word, O Lord, knowing that it is in your word and by your word that the gifts you offer to us all arrive.
Keeping the Word of God is not as common as it might be in our world. That's why the world is largely a stranger to the peace of God. That is why there is still darkness. And that is why it is so important to share the word of God with as many people as we can.
By accepting the word, the word comes to dwell in us. By living the word the word lives in us.
And the word that lives in us does what the living word does best, it shines - and it attracts others, It gives them the opportunity to hear - and to see - and to feel - to have their hearts opened, opened to the degree that they decide to say yes to the marriage proposal of God or - no - not at this time - because I do not want to live in the house you have made nor to have you live in my house.
In two week we celebrate the pouring out of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon all who believe; a gift that enables the apostles and disciples of our Lord to move from being men and women afraid to speak the message lest they be mocked, scorned, or killed - to ones who not only speak the message - but speak it in a way that everyone, regardless of their language - or culture - or background - could hear.
In two weeks we celebrate the manner in which Christ - in which God - comes to live with us and in us, and we celebrate what that relationship does for us - and for the world.
What is that God does? And what is it that we must do?
God proposes to us a kind of marriage - and I thank God for that - God does everything God can do to lay the foundation - and then God proposes to me - and to you - and to all people saying: "love me and let me live with you and in you and give to you all that I am, let me change your life. Let me build a wonderful home for you in which we can dwell a home of joy and peace - a home that has room for all who are one with us."
The response - well that is ours to make, and ours to pray for and work for so that others might make it to.
And when we say yes and keep the word of God, the word of Christ - the word keeps us.
I note about Lydia's story what she did after her heart was opened to Paul's message, she did what God wants us all to do - she believed.
She kept his word by being baptised - and then she opened her home to Paul and his companions, saying to them, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house."
Isn't that a fascinating connection with the Gospel reading?
Lydia invites Paul and his companions - strangers to her city - but now brothers to her in faith - to come and stay at her house. In the Gospel today it is promised that God will come to make a home with us.
Both stories point to the faith which is lived as one of hospitality and home making.
As the Spirit makes a home with us, so we are moved to make a home for others. And as we make a home for others - as we keep God's word - so God makes a home with us.
A mystery and a marvel. God loves us - and calls us to himself. God dwells within us and loves us - even as we say yes - and love him.
Blessed be the name of God, day by day. Amen
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