John 14:15-21
”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
In Seminary, Tony Everett taught Pastoral Care. Most of the class was about what we SHOULD do as pastors. However, one memorable part was about “What we should absolutely NOT do as a Pastor.” This part is best remembered among alumni for his repeated, admonishing quotes which have become know here in the Berkshires as “The Wisdom Sayings of Saint Anthony.” These include memorable classics like: “If you’re thinking about it… DON’T” “If you’re doing it… STOP!” “No matter what, it’s ALWAYS your fault!”
Now, St. Anthony’s Wisdom Sayings weren’t all dire warnings. Some were just solid reminders for eager Pastors who would soon want to go out and change the world. The most often invoked saying like that was this: “Change... is hard.” Change is hard.
Today’s lesson was set at the Last Supper and there, Jesus told the disciples that literally EVERYTHING was about to change. Jesus ALSO told them at that very same Last Supper that absolutely NOTHING would be changing. THAT… for some reason, left the disciples confused! Go figure!
What Jesus was trying to get the Disciples to understand is that while God’s unconditional and unlimited love for all of creation was NOT changing, the METHOD God would be using to deliver that unconditional love WAS changing. The change from Jesus as that METHOD (which the Disciples thought worked just fine for them thank you very much!) to some new fangled METHOD called “The Advocate” aka “The Paraclete” aka “The Holy Spirit” was extremely confusing. The Disciples didn’t like it. Why? Because… Change is hard!
We all know that feeling. We all get attached to particular METHODS of delivery for God’s love. A particular liturgical setting, a favorite translation of the Bible, hymn language we grew up with, how people dress, a particular congregation’s manner and culture. When those things change… we, like those Disciples, don’t like it. Why? Because St. Anthony of Everett was right… Change is HARD!
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Change is what God does. Constantly. Since the very, VERY beginning God has always been changing up the METHOD used to deliver Divine love. At first that METHOD was the creating all things! From there God changed the METHOD in order to get God’s people across the Red Sea. Then God changed the METHOD to include Commandments, then Judges and Prophets and Kings. Then God brought in a WHOLE new METHOD called Jesus. Which a few people loved but a lot of people HATED! Then God sent the Holy Spirit and then God called Saints and Mystics and then went completely off the rails making Lutherans and Episcopalians, changing hymnals and prayer books and Bible translations and even the Lord's Prayer! Oh my God, God! Stop with all the change already!
God's love is constant. But how that love gets delivered? That changes ALL THE TIME! When I was in Colorado, I started a thing called “Bibles and Brews.” It met in a startup craft brewery with about a dozen people. We shared a meal, checked in with each other, prayed for one another, and talked about scripture. Almost all the people who came to Bibles and Brews had been deeply hurt by a church somewhere. Almost all said they would NEVER set foot in a church building ever again. But I was so deeply tied to the METHOD of “church building”… as THE delivery METHOD for God’s love, I just couldn’t see that God had changed the METHOD of delivery from a church building to a brewery, all so these people could once again receive God’s love! I just couldn’t see it! I kept trying to get them to go back to church! Why? Because… Change is hard!
The truth is, it is simply God’s M.O. to change delivery METHODS so that more and more people might receive God’s unlimited love. The question for us then is not, “When will God stop all this change?” but rather how can we deal with the never-ending changes God is continually making? Because even though it is God who is making the changes… Change is STILL hard!
Well the disciples adapted to that change by locking themselves in a room. So, that’s a choice. The other option would be to do what Jesus suggested and follow Jesus’ commandments to love God and love our neighbors… to tie ourselves tightly to what God is delivering… God’s unlimited, unchanging love... but for the sake of our neighbors, loosen up how tightly we tie ourselves to any particular METHOD of delivery. Tony Everett said that the way to do that was to lean more deeply into prayer, rely more closely on one another within our community, and have plenty of patience along the way, because… you guessed it… Change is hard! Amen.
