January 25, 2026
A couple of weeks ago Emily came to the saving waters of baptism. There she was washed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There she received the laying on of hands and the prayer for the Spirit to fill her life and there she was anointed with the oil of chrism. She received a lighted candle from the flame of the Paschal Candle and was give this charge: “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven.”
Being washed in God’s grace is at the very same time the beginning of a new obedience. One baptism for the forgiveness of sins is at the very same time initiation into the life of the church. Recall that Emily’s sponsors surrounded her and a supportive congregation and we welcomed our newly baptized sister when we said, “We welcome you into the Lord’s family, we receive you as fellow members of the Body of Christ, children of the same heavenly Father, and workers with us in the kingdom of God.”
The Body of Christ. Doing the work of God’s kingdom together.
When Jesus saw Peter and Andrew and James and John by the Sea of Galilee, he called them to follow him together. They were already a community bound together by a common vocation. They were fishermen. By accepting Jesus’ call to follow him they became a brand new community of disciples. Together their lives changed. Without hesitation they dropped their fishing nets. The sons of Zebedee even left their father behind. They gave up everything to follow Jesus. They responded to Jesus’ call by giving up their lives and embracing a very different life. This band of disciples following Jesus were part of a community that struggled to live out what it means to follow Jesus together. The promise is that Jesus would make them “fishers of people,” seeking out neighbors to join them in trusting Jesus.
Jesus has called you. With Peter, Andrew, James, and John you have been called and your call means many things depending upon your gifts and one thing we all share in common. We are called to community. This community, the community of Christ throughout the world that gathers regularly to hear God’s Word and share in the Lord’s Supper.
Though Christianity is often perceived as private or a solo adventure, the life of discipleship is anything but private. We are called to the community called church to live among God’s faithful people.
Last week we heard Paul’s opening words in his letter to the Corinthians where he reminded them that they were called into the community of Jesus Christ. Later, during coffee fellowship, I had a conversation with one of you about being called into the life of the church. We noted that while we often speak of pastors being called to serve congregations, rarely do we speak of the baptized members being called. God has called you here. You are a member of the body. Sometimes when it comes to church we will take as our point of reference the world of work and in doing that we may tend to describe everyone in the congregation as volunteers except the pastor and a few others who are paid. When we see our participation in the life of the church to e merely volunteering, we sort of take the punch out of the call and forget that we are indeed Christ’s voice, hands and feet. Working in the kingdom of God is a far more weighty matter than being a volunteer. You are called into the life of the fellowship. Each of you is called to use your gifts to enhance our life together and our common ministry.
God has called you to this community. To be part of the church is a high and holy calling. I like these words from the FLCWS mission statement that you’ll find in front portion of the annual reports. “In our congregation we believe that church membership is not easy but a high calling to live a life of sacrifice in our witness to Christ’s cross…”
St. Paul spoke at length about this high calling in his letter to the Corinthians. His passion and zeal around reminding them of their call was a matter of urgency. Things weren’t exactly going well at the church in Corinth. There were factions. Swearing allegiance to one of the factions only served to divide the church. Paul was especially furious that one of the factions was dedicated to him. He asked them: “Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” By no means. The quarreling among the Corinthians came from these various factions. Some said they belonged to Christ, others to Apollos, others to Cephas. It is as if each faction was a cult of personality.
Paul calls them back to the center, to Christ. And what makes Jesus different than Paul or Cephas or Apollos or any other personality? What makes Jesus unique and distinct from Paul or Cephas or Apollos is not only his utter fidelity to God but the way he has brought the church together. Jesus made us one, not through charm or charisma, but by dying! We can understand begin drawn to leader who may speak eloquently or impart all kinds of wisdom or even entertain us but Jesus died as a failure and it is this very cross that is the source of the church’s wisdom and strength.
It makes no sense. It seems downright foolish. Yet, it is the sign of God’s self-giving love. Paul is quick to remind the Corinthians that the foolishness of the cross is wiser than human wisdom and its weakness stronger than than human strength. For by all accounts what looks like failure and foolishness is the unique and most extravagant love of God whose self-giving love brings about new life and binds Christians together. Later in First Corinthians, Paul reminds us that love is not arrogant or boastful or rude, it doesn’t insist on its own way, and isn’t resentful or irritating. Far from being a noisy gong, love is patient and kind. Love respects the dignity of every person and calls for mutual love and respect within the body – the community to which you’ve all been called.
Today is our annual congregational meeting, a time to give thanks for the ministry of FLCWS. We certainly give thanks for our common life of prayer, worship, and witness and it behooves us to ask ourselves: “How do we love one another? Where do we fail to love on another? When have we resisted speaking the truth in love, and how is our mutual love a bearing of one another’s burdens as well as shared joy.
Love is the acid test of Christian community. Our calling to be church isn’t about being a successful church with large numbers of people or big and impressive programs. Our call is to serve and our call is a call to faithfulness. Our call is to allow Jesus to be our guide and the source of our faith that we may love one another as God loves us.
Let the cross be reference point for how to live together and how to live in the world of the neighbor. Let it be our guide. The good news is that the cross of Christ is not distant or detached. It was etched on your brows at baptism. Allow the words that accompany this gesture to resound in your ears: “You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” Amen.