Proper 12A - Romans 8:26-39
I would like to express my gratitude to Rev. Edward F. Markquart of Seattle for his research into the significance of Paul’s letter to the Romans. The book of Romans is said to be the greatest book or letter of the Apostle Paul. As the gospel of John is reputed to be the greatest of our four gospels, so the book of Romans is said to be the greatest of our 14 epistles. The book of Romans is the last letter that the Apostle Paul wrote. He was getting ready to travel as a missionary to Spain and on the way to Spain he would stop and visit the church in Rome. The letter to the Romans is an introduction of his theological ideas to the people there. Paul does not introduce himself in this letter. The focus is not on Paul but on his theology.
When Paul wrote this letter he was a mature and wise person and Christian. He was about 55-60 years old. This letter is his “summa theologia”, the summation of his theology. Romans is about ideas, not history. There is no history about Jesus, or parables or narratives about Jesus. Similarly, there are no stories about Paul found here. There are no stories about his conversion, his beatings, his stoning, his time in prison. There are just ideas about God and humans and grace, and in this case, ideas about the Spirit of Christ. Previous to chapter 8 in Romans, there have been only two references to the Spirit of Christ, but in chapter 8 there are 21 references to the Spirit, as if a veritable floodgate had been opened. We hear about the Spirit of Christ igniting and making our spirits alive; about the Spirit of Christ taming our sinful dispositions and natures; about the Spirit of Christ persuading us that we are the children of God living in God’s family and house; about the Spirit of Christ filling us with hope.
Paul’s letter to the Romans was instrumental in propelling Martin Luther into the Reformation. It was central to the conversion of John Wesley, who then started what is now the Methodist church. I would encourage each one present to read it. It can be done in one sitting or over a number of days.
As some of you know, the first UCC church I served was in Mitchell, SD. Several of the members of that church were present at my installation in this room four years ago. I was the interim pastor for that congregation, which, like many congregations, was aging. As a novice pastor, I had a bit of baptism in fire at Mitchell, for in the 9 months that I served them; there were 5 funerals over which to preside. I tell you this in order to speak even more highly of our passage for today. You see, two of the most popular scripture passages selected by families for use in the funeral of their loved one are found in today’s reading. Indeed, they are the bookends of today’s reading.
The opening selection, verses 26 and 27 read in this way. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
I have noticed that families entering into the depths of grief encounter experiences that are indeed too deep for words. Sometimes, as we gently work together toward creating a service to honor their lost one, they will simply stare out the window and sigh. Silent tears will wash their cheeks. In my own life, grief came in waves, overwhelming my whole being at times I could neither predict nor control. Some people make valiant efforts to overcome the grief in the moment, others simply allow themselves to be engulfed by it until it passes. It is something like labor pains, I think, in that a new person is being birthed who must go on without a dear companion. How comforting it is to know that the Spirit is our midwife in these moments. That when we feel as if we have been cast into the universe in a free fall of fear and grief, she waits for us with a blanket and with comfort, and she intercedes on our behalf. We cannot pray at these times, for words have failed us. We rest in God while the Spirit intercedes.
The closing bookend of our scripture passage is also a favorite of those planning earthly farewells. It reads like this: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Perceptive pastors will often add addendums to Paul’s listing from verses 38 and 39. Perhaps they will say, “neither can cancer, nor dementia, nor heart failure separate us from the love of God.” Neither the censure of church officials nor the pain of a difficult marriage and subsequent divorce can separate us from the love of God. And I ask you now, can World Trade Center disasters or suicide bombers in Iraq or Hurricane Katrina or floods in the Midwest separate us from the love of God?
Edward Markquart asked his grandchildren Ben and Kate, ages seven and four, what they could do to stop their parents from loving them. Could they burp at the table? Whine at the top of their voice? Squabble like cats and dogs? Have gross manners? Not eat their food? What could these two children do that was so bad that their parents would stop loving them? The children could not come up with an answer.
We train, as spiritual warriors, as Warriors of the Light, to become like these parents and like their God. “For the Warrior, there is no such thing as an impossible love. He is not intimidated by silence, indifference, or rejection. He knows that behind the mask of ice that people wear, there beats a heart of fire. This is why the Warrior takes more risks than other people. He is constantly seeking the love of someone, even if he means often having to hear the word “no”, returning home defeated and feeling rejected in body and soul. A Warrior never gives in to fear when he is searching for what he needs. Without love, he is nothing.”( Paulo Coelho, Warrior of the Light p.54)
Paul is telling us in the letter to the Romans that God continues to love us in the face of our silence, indifference or rejection of God. Perhaps there is a difficult person in your life right now. Perhaps the thought of continuing to offer love to that person is repulsive to you. Perhaps that person’s behavior is repulsive to you. A Course in Miracles tells us that all action is either based in love or is a cry for love. We are urged to unlearn our reflexive desire to judge people and to see what we would call bad behavior as a cry for love. When we have learned to forgive all the bad behavior in the world, not long afterwards we will be able to forgive ourselves. And then the little wall we have built around our hearts will come down, and we will be able to love as Jesus loved.
Thank you for your attendance here at Wild Rose Church. Thank you for setting up chairs and bringing treats and typing the newsletter. Thank you for volunteering to share bits of your faith journey for the strengthening of all faith journeys. Thank you for designing or practicing Taize music. Thank you for worship music. Thank you for your willingness to teach children our stories of faith. Thank you for your tithes and offerings. In all these ways we acknowledge Jesus who was the Christ, and the Christ consciousness that we nurture in ourselves. Amen
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