Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; I John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19
The Reverend Paul DeLain Allick, St. George’s Church, May 24, 2009

In the language of the Church we hear a phrase often, “God is love” or we address our Maker as “Loving God.” We hear this word over and over referring to God: Love. But what does this mean? I fear that we like that term for God because it makes us feel good inside; it brings to mind warmth and flowers and sunshine. But the love that God has for us is so much larger and more powerful than that. When we say “Almighty God” we are actually referring more closely to the kind of love God has shown for us. As the Bishop reminded us a few weeks ago most of us want a “Savior” but few of us want a “Lord.”

But it is in the very majesty of God’s Lordship over us that we find love. God has done mighty acts that show his love for us. In Christ, God has given us everything. So the love that God shows us isn’t a soft romantic or familial kind it is sacrificial. God in Christ shows this love in his Incarnation: God entered our human experience. This was a great sacrifice for him. He shows his love in his Crucifixion: God gave up his “self” so that we could give up all of our emotional junk and our petty pride so that we could learn how to live eternally. God showed his love for us in the Resurrection: He showed us how to rise above this temporal plain to real and abundant life. God showed his love in the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ: Christ transcended the temporal world and brought our human nature to one-ness with our eternal heavenly nature. Lastly, God in Christ showed his love for us as he sent the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. In the Holy Spirit God has showered us with gifts for our ministry. In the Holy Spirio one another and God in Christ that we show forth in our lives and on our lips the Glory that is the one-ness of the Triune God: Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. That’s the truth we seek: how to live in perfect harmony.

St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote in a sermon about the love of God, “When love has entirely cast out fear, and fear has been transformed into love, then the unity brought us by our Savior will be fully realized.” When we learn how to forgive and live together in harmony unity is realized and the world around us has a bright light of hope shone upon all of the darkness of life.

It won’t be until we understand how to sacrificially love one another that we will understand the love God has given us in Christ. It won’t be until we learn how to really listen to each other and give up ourselves to each other that we will understand the sacrifice God made in passing on his glory to us in the Holy Spirit.

So while the love of God feels good and is unconditional it also is calling us to a great task; to a new way of life.

We are empowered by the Spirit to become the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are One because we live under one Lord, Jesus Christ and we follow God’s will completely. We are Holy because we are sanctified in the Holy Spirit showing forth the Truth of God that open minded and open hearted love is possible. We are Catholic because we are to bring this faith to all people for all time. We bring our ancient Tradition, our Sacraments and Scriptures and Orders of Ministry to all people so that they can taste the hope that has been given to us. We are Apostolic because we take great care to preserve those teachings and traditions which the Apostles of Christ left with us.

When we confess that we believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church we are confessing that we believe that reconciliation with God, within ourselves, with others and with all creation is possible. And we are saying that we have a Tradition that can show us the way.

When we can fully realize this mission then we glorify Christ and return the love he has shown for us.

Reference to St. Gregory: The Liturgy of the Hours, Volume II (pp. 957-58)
Catholic Book Publishing Corp. New York 1976