June 26, 2022 – 3rd Sunday after Pentecost

Much of our following of Christ takes place through what we do with our hands – expressing love for God, for each - and doing it together.

Let us bow our heads in prayer.  Loving and gracious God, we give you thanks for the gift of your presence in this time and place, and within each one of us.  Help us now to open our minds, our hearts, our whole lives, to receive the gift of your living Word for us this day.  And may the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

The Gospel reading that we’ve just heard ended with these words of Jesus, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” There is much to dig into and mine in Jesus’ words, but first I want to talk to you about hands – these kind of hands - your hands and mine! Your hands are powerful. Much of what you express of yourself – what’s important to you, what you want to see done – what you do not want to see happen. Your hands are instruments of power to express those concerns and motivations. You can express love through your hands – perhaps by making or buying a gift or someone, helping someone with a task, carrying out an errand for someone in need, writing a cheque to a charity or a church. The motivation to do those things may come from your mind or your heart, or even your soul – the very essence of yourself. But very often, it will be expressed through your hands. And then there’s the most obvious thing you can do is to express love through your hands whether that be a hug or a loving touch.

Of course, the power of your hands can also be used to express evil, selfish motivations. Take a look at that list from the second reading, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. He writes these words, “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” Now some of these are in fact inner attitudes and motivations we may have, but eventually they’ll be expressed, in some way, using your hands.

The Collect Prayer today highlights the love of God and the love of neighbour as fulfilling all that God expects from us.  We prayed these words, “May we love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, and may we love our neighbour as ourselves. Now those of you who were raised on the Anglican Book of Common Prayer will recognize that immediately! Every service begins with “…thou shall love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind, and with all they strength … thou shalt love they neighour as thyself. And while the inner energy and motivation to love in this way comes from within us, in the grace of the Holy Spirit, eventually it will be expressed through your hands. Even in worship, coming in here this morning, opening and holding a service bulletin or hymnbook in order to sing and pray; sharing the Peace in the middle of our service, or even receiving Communion in your hand. We do so much with our hands. We take them, and their actions, often for granted.

When we move back to the 2nd Reading – Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, we often examine ourselves and our loving actions, or lack thereof, by looking at ourselves in isolation. We read some of the lists that we see in today’s 2nd Reading, whether they be works of the flesh – whether they be works of the flesh like I just read a few moments ago, or be the fruit of the Spirit, Paul unwinds it in this way. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” When we examine them in isolation we think this way: “Well I haven’t been idolatrous today. I don’t think I’m jealous. I don’t approve of factions. I use alcohol responsibly,” and so on. But it’s a checklist that we use on ourselves as individuals. But if you look at that letter to the Galatians, and the context of it, Paul is talking about relationships and actions amongst members in the church. ‘Is there enmity or jealousy, or quarrels, or dissensions or factions amongst the people in the congregation?’ That’s what he is challenging them about. And likewise, do we experience love, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control amongst the people of the congregation? This needs to be our focus as evidence of our loving God, and loving one another. This is the most important witness, because this is what will make Christ real and present to us – and to those who come into our midst. While some of this is expressed with our mouths, and what we say to one another, our actions and what we do with our hands will speak much more loudly.

So what is Jesus getting at in the latter part, then, of today’s Gospel reading? There are three instances, according to Luke, of disciples declaring their intent to follow Jesus and, in each case, he replies with a challenge, and then he finishes with “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.” Well, first of all, the saying ‘putting a hand to the plough’ isn’t just about farming. It refers to beginning a new venture in life. In farming, looking back - at least using a hand plough – looking back will result in wobbly, crooked rows. One needs to be singularly focussed on the task ahead – in front. As a metaphor, as Jesus uses it, it means that one must be wholly and singularly focussed on following Christ, and on living into God’s Kingdom.

What a wonderful challenge for All Saints congregation as you take on a new ordained leader. Rob Schoeck will arrive here with his “plough” – ready to get to work with zeal, passion, and commitment – eyes looking forward – ploughing the Kingdom of God as Christ directs. Are you ready to plough with him – not looking back - not waiting until everything just the way it used to be – not looking back to see if Rob’s furrow looks the same as some of the furrows that you’re ploughed before? Are you ready to plough together- taking care to not exhibit Paul’s works of the flesh between you and amongst you, but instead to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in how you live and love, especially with your hands, and in this congregation?

Today’s First Reading from 2 Kings is a story of a religious leader in Israel, Elijah, passing on God’s anointed ministry to his successor, Elisha, which is symbolized in the prophet’s mantle which falls from Elijah to Elisha as Elijah is swept up into heaven in a whirlwind by the chariots and horsemen from heaven. Now when I finish my final service here this afternoon, I’m sure there will be no flaming chariots and horsemen! But a ‘mantle’ will pass to Rob Schoeck, and he will begin his anointed ministry with you.

So there you have it – taking care to live a life of love with each other, using our hands to express the fruit of the Spirit, and putting our hands to our “ploughs”, alongside Rob’s, and looking forward with unwavering focus and commitment. And the most important thing, or one of the most important things, you can do with your hands, is to ask for, and receive, help. In today’s Communion service, we will be singing the Communion Hymn “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” Now it’s often associated with funerals, and with a sense of weakness, of dying – a kind of “Jesus help me into haven.” And there are references in that hymn to a future time when we will pass through death. But it’s about asking Christ to take our hands now – to help us, to guide us. In the first verse we’ll sing, “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand; I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.”

So when we sing that today, make it your prayer now – for yourself and for All Saints. Love God with your hands; love each other with your hands; receive grace and power from the hand of Christ; and do it all together.

Amen.