Sermon

The Law of Love (Sermon July 3, 2016)

Galatians 6:1–16 (NRSV)

Diversity tree hands pattern

Bear One Another’s Burdens

6 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. ⁴ All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. ⁵ For all must carry their own loads.

⁶ Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

⁷ Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. ⁸ If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

Final Admonitions and Benediction

¹¹ See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! ¹² It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. ¹⁴ May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! ¹⁶ As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

So often in communities of faith we are better known for the things we do not do than the things we stand for. It is much easier to speak about the faith traditions of Friends by saying, “we don’t baptize or have communion.” But when we focus on the things we do not do we can miss the richness and fullness of what a community is. The truth is Friends do recognize baptism and communion, we only experience and practice them in ways that differ from other denominational groups. I mention this because much of what Paul speaks about in the letter he wrote to the Galatians could be seen as focusing on the things that the church does not do instead of the things that they practice.

There are reasons for Paul’s defense of the gentile community to reject the traditional laws of the Jewish heritage of the Church. He is not rejecting the importance of the Torah or the prophets, but he is actually providing a way for us to embrace those teachings in a deeper and richer way. If we were take the dietary laws as an example, we could simply take the letter of the law at face value and accept or deny it, but what Paul suggests is something more. He gives us permission to enter into a conversation with God. As the wisdom writer converses with God, “Let us reason together.” What Solomon suggests is to think about why the law is there, to consider how this law affects those that participate or decline to participate in it. So if we were to look at the dietary laws we should ask why God would suggest to an ancient culture to reject the consumption of pork or shellfish, why it is important to refrain from eating flesh of animals that lack hooves even though they chew the cud. If we were to look at this portion of law we could see that all animals that eat meat in their diet are not seen as kosher, and that those that eat greenery but lack a split toed hoof are animals that do not have a segmented stomach and rely on bacteria to assist on the digestion of the cellulose. If we were to reason with God about this we would find that the consumption of flesh eating beasts give a greater risk of prion diseases, as well as parasites. The second group would include an animal such as a rabbit or a horse which are non-ruminant animals. These types of animals have a greater developed cecum. In humans, who do not have a developed cecum we have an appendix, and at times we can get a disorder called appendicitis which is when the appendix is inflamed and becomes filled with toxins, if this ruptures then the body can be filled with these toxin which can lead to death. In these animals that lack the multiple chambered stomachs the cecum can also produce an abundance of toxic bacteria which can poison those that eat their flesh. I remember that when I would hunt rabbits as a child my dad would check the intestines to determine if it was safe for us to eat and if it was not it became food for our cats.

These laws that were given to Moses protected the people of Israel, it kept them safe from the potential health risks of contaminated food that the gentile cultures faced. Yet God told Peter not to call things unclean that he has made clean. This one statement is filled with information, first off there are reasons that things were unclean, and second there are ways that God can redeem things that were previously seen as unlawful.

Paul knew of this because he spoke with Peter and with James when he went to Jerusalem, and he is building on this as he speaks to the people of Galatia. He came to the conclusion that the entire law could be summed up in one statement, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We might recognize that Paul’s summary of the law is similar to the law that Jesus taught, with the exception that Jesus also said that we should love God with all our heart, mind, spirit and strength. Paul is not saying that we only need to love others, because the love for God is inferred, because this is a faith community seeking to express their love for God in their lives. So Paul said if you want to show your love for God this is how you do it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

As he concludes this letter to the Galatians he gives us practical advice to fulfilling the law of Christ. If a transgression is sensed in those within the community we need to approach with gentleness and take care that we are not tempted. Gentleness. This is a difficult concept to actually implement because what is gentleness? To know how to approach another with gentleness we have to know the person, we must know how they speak, how they reason, how they react so that we can approach them in such a way that we set off defensive mechanisms that would distract them from the Spirit. To be able to do this we need to have our own spiritual lives in order. What I mean by this is we must be clothed in Christ. When we are deepening our relationship with Christ and participating in the lifestyle that He showed us in his ministry we will have a lifestyle devoted to worship, prayer and service. Which means that when we sense that someone is transgressing or participating in a lifestyle choice that is distracting them from their relationship with God we will approach them under the influence of Christ. Before we even begin to consider advising them we have been in prayer and are listening for the Spirit to lead us to speak.

Paul also includes a warning with this. “Take care that you yourself are not tempted.” This statement can be seen in a couple of ways. First we can be tempted to overlook and even engage in the participation of the sin. This is probably the view that we often take when we consider temptation. But I think a second view is more likely what Paul speaks about. This view is the temptation of pride, to look at ourselves too highly, or superior to those we are attempting to guide. I believe this is a more accurate look because Paul goes on to speak about humility and the discipline of examination.

Paul then goes on to say that those that encourage the adherence to the law for those who were born gentile encourage this out of pride. It is much easier to determine status within a community if there are standards to make judgment. It is easier to make these judgments if there is little or no examination required of those that seek the status. We can simply say I follow the law, but in this have we missed the ministry that God has called us to participate in? Even the circumcised cannot fully live up to the standards of the law. So to put in legal aspects to our faith we ascribe to legalism, and when legalism is the prime objective of faith we sacrifice relationship and ultimately community. Legalism places people in a cast, where mankind can enter in to make determinations in areas reserved for God. Legalism is directly attached to pride, and pride is attached to the flesh.

Let us then focus of the greater command to love. Love God and love others. Taking on the lifestyle that Christ showed us. Jesus did not come to condemn but to save, he came to provide the path of reconciliation between God and mankind. We ourselves can do nothing, we cannot save someone from their sins because we ourselves are sinners. It is only Christ who can save, and it is only through the Spirit that we have the opportunity to participate in this process with others.

I recently had a conversation with another minister. In many ways this minister is amazing, He planted a church and has been able to fully invest all his time in praying with people and ministering to their needs. He says that he has seen the miraculous at nearly every meeting for worship. But he asked a question, “Can we raise the dead.” Can we cause the miraculous to happen? The others involved in the conversation supported this notion, yes we can raise the dead. I made a statement that no we cannot. And immediately was seen as having a lack of faith. I went on to say that we cannot raise the dead or heal any disease, but only Christ can do this through us. I mention this because there is a fine line there that cannot be crossed. If I say I can heal you, and God’s will is that you are healed in that moment, I can become prideful and take credit for the work of Christ. I then open myself up to the praise of men, because I have this gift, I am a miracle worker and you may not be. I then have status in the community because if I can work the miracle then clearly I hold more weight because who wouldn’t want miracles to happen in our Meeting? A fine line, between obedience and pride. It is only Christ that works through us. It is Christ that can be seen through us. We are crucified with Christ and it is no longer us who live but Christ living in us.

Paul encourages the people of Galatia to focus on the more important things. Focus on the relationship with God. When we are focused on the right things then everything else will fall into place. If we earnestly seek to become a people loving God, embracing the Holy Spirit and living the love of Christ with others, we are not focused on the things of legalism and status within a community. Instead we are focused on God, and what God can do through us if we are obedient to Him. It is the relationship between God and us and between ourselves that is most important. Those relationships are more important than the election, they are more important than our nation and state. Those relationships are more important than our careers and our egos. When we cross that fine line, we begin to mock God. We begin to tell God that we are more important and that I am equal to Him. We become consumed by pride and this again places a barrier between us and our God. And we reap what we sow; if we sow pride and legalism, we will harvest pride and legalism, and if we invest our time and efforts in relationships and encouraging others to seek God, we will assist Christ in His harvest.

We are a community of faith, we are a community of people that seek to honor God and encourage others to seek Him too. We can focus on the does and don’ts of our traditions or we can focus on fanning the flames of the light within all people. Our tradition has a rich history, a history of intimacy between humanity and God. We believe that God really does want to not only save us but to teach us personally and to guide us through our journey of life. We believe that because of this every aspect of our lives are sacred and should be lived as a holy sacrament. It is the relationship that is important. That is why our spiritual ancestors chose to be known as the Religious Society of Friends. Consider that as we enter into this time of Open worship and Communion in the tradition of Friends. God wants us to be His Friends. He wants us to know Him and know His will now and in the future. He wants us to actively participate in the work that He is doing all around us and to share all that we have with the community, so that we can participate in the greatest hope of all the resurrection of the dead. He wants us to join with Him in the restoration of Life and the return of humanity to God. What are we focused on today? Are we focused on the relationships and the encouragement of others along those pathways of faith, or are we focused on the things of our flesh. Are we in communion with God or are we mocking him? “So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith…As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Freedom (Sermon June 26, 2016)

Galatians 5:1 (NRSV)

5 ¹ For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:13–25 (NRSV)

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

The Works of the Flesh

¹⁶ Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Fruit of the Spirit

(Cp Col 3:12–13)

²² By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

This week’s passage is one of my favorites as well as one of the most troubling. This is often the case. You see I truly want to live a life that reflects Christ, but I still struggle. At times I think I know what is best and everyone else is misinformed. Then there are other times where I am able to recognize that in a given situation there is not one clear cut answer, but many answers with varying outcomes that are acceptable in a given situation. This struggle I realize is a struggle within.

Paul, in the fifth chapter of Galatians, begins the closing arguments to this debate that he has been having in regard to the gentile need to become Jewish. Last week Paul said that the Law that was handed down to Moses was like the person that was placed over children to control and protect them. This individual was, for lack of better descriptions, a slave master. Their purpose was to rule over, to dictate, and to ensure the survival of the children. To the children this individual had to be obeyed, there were no other options because if anything were to happen to the children it was this individual that would be held responsible. The slavery image in this situation fails after a time because when the child matures they become responsible for themselves, and the Protector is no longer needed.

When Paul speaks of this he is saying that under the law we are held in bondage, unable to act freely. Our actions and decisions are dictated by others and those that live in this situation are not mature but children. Those that live in this way are not free. They live in a constant state of need. They need someone to tell them what is right or wrong. They need someone to let them know if an activity is beneficial or detrimental to their future. Some might consider this as being judgmental to the Jewish people. This is not the case, but I do want us to consider something. Within the Jewish traditions there are certain Rabbis that are considered authoritative. Their interpretation of the Law is considered the truth and any deviation from their interpretation is considered heresy. The people do not engage the Law itself but they engage the interpretation of the law, their views are directed to singular issues and because of this they are narrow. This however is not something that is restricted to the Jewish faith, in fact it is present in all cultures that have laws dictating human activity. At times it the views can be fairly liberal, in the sense that we have the liberty for self-interpretation, but at other times it can become authoritative.

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” This verse is one of my favorites in all of scripture. What Paul is telling us is Christ came to set us free from those authoritarian view, where right and wrong are determined for us. There is good reason for this, because situations are not always the same. If our views are narrowed by legalism we can look at a situation and miss the heart of what is going on. To illustrate this point; each of our streets have a speed limit, meaning someone somewhere determined that on a particular roadway a specified speed is safest. If we were to drive over that speed we would be breaking the law and could be faced with a fine. But are their times when it is acceptable to exceed the posted speed? Maybe your wife is in labor and you are trying to get to the hospital where the best care will be provided, the road is clear of traffic and she is screaming so you push the pedal down to drive faster.  In an authoritarian culture that situation would not justify the breaking of the law. Life is filled with several gray areas, nothing is strictly black and white. There will always be areas that are an exception to the rule.

Freedom is why Jesus came. The freedom to live as individuals and communities according to our own self-determination. I love this verse. It speaks directly to that individualistic person within me. But there is a drawback to this. If we let people have self-determination what will happen? If we were to read the books of history in the Old Testament most of us would consider the reign of David as being the golden age of the nation of Israel. But this era of their history came after Israel rejected the rule of God and demanded a king like the rest of the world. In many ways the golden age of Israel from God’s perspective would have been during the book of Judges where God was their king and the people of Israel lived with self-determination. But there was a drawback when we look at the book of Judges, people got themselves in a lot of trouble, which is why they desired a king to fight for them. Jesus came to give us freedom so we do not have to submit to yokes of slavery anymore. Under Christ we are again living as individuals and communities with God.

This is wonderful, until someone has a different point of view. Some scholars believe that the trouble with Galatians was not that they desired to become Jewish but that because they could not live in unity under Christ. So to assist them in finding unity the missionaries that Paul opposed were teaching the law to assist them in living with one another. It is a very plausible explanation, but other scholars suggest that it was the missionaries that brought in the troubles. In either case the Galatians were fighting amongst themselves.

“You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love slaves to one another.” Freedom is a wonderful thing. Our nation is built on that very idea. We have this philosophical idea that if mankind is presented with a problem we will figure out a way to overcome. We can see it in our history time and again. Yesterday when we toured Deanna Rose Farmstead we went into their bank. In that bank they said, that in the timeframe represented in the park, the people had to come up with security technologies to protect themselves. So we had the opportunity to look at a cannonball safe, a safe that was said to be robbery proof. This was because it was round so explosives and other cutting devises were ineffective and it had a time lock so you one could not pick it. When people are given the opportunity they can come up with great ideas to overcome their problems. But there is a flip side to the ideas of self-rule. Why did the banks have to come up with security technology?

We have freedom, we can determine our future, at times people can use their freedom to infringe and exploit others because no one will stop them from doing so. Self-indulgence is why nations become more authoritarian. Self-indulgence is where my ideas and desires supersede the freedom of someone else. Again throughout history we have seen this occur. We have freedom in Christ, self-determination is important to God, but selfishness is in opposition to God.

Freedom is Godly, legalism is ungodly. Selfishness is opposed to God while selflessness is righteous. Paul goes on to tell us that the entire law can be summed up in one command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Consider this. Paul is saying that for us to fulfill everything in the law, we need this attitude. If we live by this one statement we will not fall into self-indulgence because we are watching out for our neighbors with the same passions that we are protecting our own freedoms. This form of love is very important, it is the same love that Jonathan had for David, it is the same love that the Apostles had for Jesus. It is soul love or brotherly love. It is a love that passionately protects others as if they are your own flesh. But who is our neighbor? That is a question that the religious leaders asked of Jesus, because nothing that Paul or Jesus said was new. These concepts have been present in the life of faith and life with God from the very beginning. A neighbor according to Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is anyone around you. If they live or visit our community they are part of our community even if they do not agree with us, and we should be passionate about their lives to the same degree as we are our own.

Do we love like that? Paul is not living in a utopian ideology he is very aware that problems will arise within a community. He even give a warning, “If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Humanity is passionate. We cannot help ourselves when we become excited about something we often grab hold and dive head first. In doing so we can lash out at those that seem to have an opposing viewpoint. We bite, we devour, we say things without thinking, and we hear things that were not really said. Be careful, Paul warns, protect the freedoms of all people and above all love them with the same love you have for yourself. Be careful not to consume or be consumed by others, Paul says, be careful because so often in our passions we forget that those that oppose us are just as loved by God as we are and have value to Him. They may be lost, they have views that differ from ours but they are loved and have value. If we are consumed or if we consume others they no longer participate in the community. Even if they remain in the fellowship they stop adding to it because others have broken their spirit.

So how do we live in a community with opposing views, with passionate people and different ideas? We live by the Spirit. If we seek the Spirit, we are entering into the lifestyle that Jesus demonstrated to us; the lifestyle of worship, prayer and service. Or as our mission statement states: Loving God, Embracing the Holy Spirit, and Living the Love of Christ with others. If we truly seek to live by the spirit we will take on this lifestyle because to live by the spirit we need worship to drive us to prayer, we need prayer to hear the Spirit, and when we hear and listen to the Spirit we will be called to live and minister with others. If we live in this way we can oppose the things that separate us from God because our lifestyle keeps us focused on God, our desire is to draw closer to Him instead of fulfilling the various desires of the flesh. And if we seek life with God we will begin to ask questions about how to show the love of Christ to those around us and He will show us.

Over the course of the years I have been here, I know that I am not and have not been perfect. I know that I have offended many, and I also know that I have defended many from bites. Unfortunately I am not perfect. I am human like everyone else. I have desires and needs, and sometimes those needs take me away from the things I feel I need to do for the church. If each of us were to examine our lives we could probably say the same. I personally needed to hear these words from God spoken through his apostle Paul. I need to hear that yes I am free in Christ. I do not have to live a life of legalism, but I still have a responsibility to others. As we enter into this time of open worship I would like us to consider a couple of these verses. First, “If, however, you bite and devour one another; take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Secondly, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” Examine your life and our community in reference to these things and ask the Spirit to Guide you this week.

United in Christ (Sermon June 19, 2016)

Galatians 3:23–29 (NRSV)

²³ Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. ²⁷ As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

This week has been one with a great deal of stress. With constant news reports of hate filled crimes filling the air waves along with the accusations and questions as to what the Christian stance really is. It has been one of those weeks where I personally would like to withdraw to an isolated place to just get away and pray than have another conversation. It is weeks like this where those divisions that we spoke about last week seem more pronounced. But the questions that are asked are asked for a reason. People want to know if there is something real to our faith. Is our faith something to live for or is it just a system seeking to control?

The very fact that people are asking question should let us know that the culture itself is not totally turned against Christ. They are asking questions, they are giving us an opportunity to interact with them and bear witness to the hope that we have. How we respond reveals a great deal about where our faith actually resides.

The Galatian church was one that was in the midst of a divide. Lines were being drawn and people were forced to choose a side. On one hand was those that said that the Gentiles would need to become Jewish to enter the Kingdom. The other camp focused on something else.

If we read through the whole of this letter it is quite easy to recognize what side Paul defends. The book or the Epistle to the Galatians is Paul’s defense. It is written as a defense with structured arguments based directly against the teachings of missionaries that visited the area after him. It is important to recognize that even though Paul passionately opposes the views of others he argues in such a way to encourage and build the church instead of tearing them down.

The passage last week, Paul argues that our faith is not in a system but a person, and in some ways it is not even our faith that provides the hope but the faith of the one that provides the hope for us. When he made this argument, he stated that his conclusions were also the same fundamental conclusions of those leaders at the center of the newly emerging church. Yet there still remained divisiveness within.

We cannot separate the fact that the Church is an assembly that grew out of the long history and heritage of the Jewish people. From the beginning of recorded history God chose one group or nation of people to make his revelation through. This group, though it holds influence, was never what kingdoms of men would call a super power. They remained a small nation that controlled the land linking the cultural empires. Asia, Africa, and Europe all link together along this strip of land we know as Israel. It was the center of the world and in many ways remains the center. God did not chose them because they were great but because they were common. He chose them because their father chose to follow even when it did not make sense. Israel though was not the only group loved by God. If we are to believe scripture then we would have to agree that all people and nations descended from a common source. Beginning with Adam and Eve and then through the children of Noah. All of humanity is God’s, but God chose to provide his revelation through one group, one tribe, and one family within that tribe.

Our faith is not becoming something new or different but it is a returning to what we were intended to be. This is found throughout scripture, even though God chose one group this group was to exist not in itself but for the glorification of all nations. Israel exists so that God can redeem all of mankind through them, mainly through Jesus.

Our heritage comes through this one group but where does that leave us? The argument is if we, or those that were born outside of this group, would have to abandon our cultural identity and become Jewish, would those of us that were born among the “sinners” would have to follow the laws that were given to Moses. Paul then describes what the Law really is. Paul says, “Now before faith came…” Let us just stop there for a moment and let those words saturate our minds. Before faith came. Is he saying that those that came before Christ lacked faith? No, if we were to read the verses prior to this section we would see that Paul spoke a great deal about the faith that Abraham had in God. When Paul is speaking about faith he is speaking not about a system of belief but a person of belief, or the source. Last week I stated that the phase that was translated “Faith in Jesus” could also be translated as “Faith of Jesus” this is similar. When Paul speaks of faith he is saying that Jesus is faith, He is the source and the embodiment of all faith.

“Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.” In ancient cultures there was a particular practice that employed people to guard children. This person was different from that of a nanny, they were quite literally there to keep the children in line and to ensure they safely while they traveled from one point to the next, usually between their home and school. This particular person was the protector, not the teacher. The children were held under this person’s authority until they reached a certain age. They were like a probation officer, ensuring that nothing happened to the children and in many cases making sure the children did not bring embarrassment to the family.

Paul is saying that we were imprisoned by the law that the law was like this person that controlled the children like a jailor, keeping them out of trouble until the appointed time where maturity took over. In essence the Law was there to make sure that this one group would remain for the revelation of Christ. The law was set up to ensure that this one group would survive culturally and spiritually till the advent of Jesus.

If we were to look at the law, 613 laws about diet, architecture, interpersonal relationships and more. Laws about how to treat the people around you, how to trim our hair and clothing we could wear. The law is cold and impersonal. To put our faith in the Law is to remain a prisoner in our own family.

This cold impersonal lifestyle of the law was not the life God created us to live. God created us to be caretakers of his creation, and to walk with Him. Our faith tradition derived its name from a passage of scripture in John 15 that says. “I do not call you servants any longer because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” We were created to be friends of God. We were created to interact and have intimacy with God, to know what he is doing and to join him in that activity. Adam knew God in the garden, he knew that God wanted him to tend the garden and to name the animals. He knew that God wanted and would walk with him in the evenings. The law did not exist in the garden. The only rule was to not eat of a particular tree, because that tree would give mankind knowledge of good and evil, and that knowledge would separate us from God to such a degree that we would lose the breath of life. From that moment on because we could not be trusted, the law began to emerge.

Without the law mankind would have slowly killed themselves off. Waring against one another till chaos would have ruled. The law strictly held one group apart, throughout history so that Faith could come. Once faith came things began to change. Through Jesus the relationship with God was reconciled. Through Jesus we were able to return to the place we were created to be. Sin entered through Adam and through Jesus the wages of sin were paid. In Christ we are restored.

We were once divided but Faith came and united us again. When we cloth ourselves in Christ, when we die to ourselves and Christ lives through us, the things that once divided no longer matter. Because we are restored in Christ. We are not Jews or Gentiles only Christ. We are not slave or freemen only Christ. In Christ there cannot be divisions, only him the true faith.

Those things that we divide over do not matter in Christ. God could care less if you are an American or Mexican. He could care less if you are a democrat or republican or something in between or beyond. He does not care if you are retired or active in a career. He does not even care what gender you are because in Christ there is no difference because in Christ we are one. Consider that, let is seep into your very being. The things that we divide over have absolutely nothing to do with Christ, because Christ is not divided. Those are all aspects of the kingdoms of mankind, and have no place in the Church.

Yet we have division. What does that tell us about our faith? If we cannot see the humanity and that of God in those unlike us where is our faith?  Our faith is on the things of man instead of the things of God. We are imprisoned and held captive. We are not free to be who Christ created us to be. This is what really saddens me. This is why this past week has been stressful to me. Because all around me I hear divisiveness and then am asked where is God in it all?

God is all around us if we take the time to look. He is in the friendships that we have, he is in the joy of shared experiences. He is in the meal shared with another. He is in the tears. He is in the love we have for our children and the laughter following a good joke. Where is God? Slow down, look and listen.

Before faith came we were imprisoned, after faith came we were undivided. In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, no slave or free, and no male and female. There is only Christ the true vine and his branches. There is only one Church with Christ as the head and us as its members. There is only a friendship or captivity. But the captivity is not of our own choosing. We can live in the bondage of a world ruled by the kingdoms of mankind at constant war with themselves or we can live free in Christ. This week I saw mankind ripping itself apart, I also saw children bringing it back together which gives me hope.

As we enter into this time of open worship and communion as Friends consider the words that Paul spoke to us through his letter to the Galatians. Consider what in your life divides and what unites. Which is more important?