Sunday Homily - August 12, 2018 - Training in Love: I AM the Bread of Life Pt. 3

The Anastasis (Resurrection of Jesus)

Orthodox Icon

I.

I don’t know if y’all know,
but something very important
happened this past weekend.

It is not something that will necessarily grab headlines
or generate enough electricity
to set social media abuzz.

But, I’ll speak for myself,
it was super important for my mental health.
It was balm for the weary soul.
Because now we are going to have
4 straight months of this
Good News.

That’s right: its FOOTBALL season, y’all!

The NFL preseason just kicked off on Thursday
with 12 preseason games!
It's like Christmas in August!

My hope is that I can explain
why I enjoy this time of the year so much.

You see, the NFL preseason is the time
when you get to see players take the field
who you might not even know about otherwise.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th string players
all vying for a roster spot on the final 53 man roster
all play their hearts out and showcase their skill.

Anyone who has played sports or who has coached sports
knows how much preparation players go through
to be ready for the games.

They all must strengthen their bodies through strength training,
they train their hearts and lungs through running
they hone their skills in throwing, catching,
kicking and holding onto the ‘ole pigsksin.

And then they showcase their trained abilities
through precision drills
coordinate their efforts as a team.

Finally, when all the energy is depleted,
they rest, rehydrate,
and eat a good balanced diet
to recoup their strength for the next day.

You must eat right in order to perform well.
You must choose foods that keep you healthy.

Because, just as football players may have amazing skills,
incredible strength,
unbelievable speed,
none of that matters if you don’t stay healthy.

Maybe that’s why I enjoy the whole of sports and athletics.
Because it is not just whether you exercise
or whether you practice every day.

It has everything to do with the types of food
you put in your body.
Do you eat that which is best for you
to be able to accomplish the tasks
that you have before you?

And the NFL preseason asks this question of the players:
“Will you so commit to your personal training
your corporate practice
your healthy choices of food
that you are shaped
into that which makes you
able to play football at a high level?”

Maybe a question we should ask ourselves more often
as it comes to our relationship with Jesus
follows the same ideas as athletic training:

“Am I willing to so commit myself to personal training,
corporate practice,
and healthy choices of spiritual food
that I am shaped into what makes me
able to be a Christian:
a follower of Jesus?”

Because, interestingly enough,
athletic training and spiritual training
need to effectively cover three areas
in order for us to keep fit
both physically and spiritually.

II. 

What are these three areas?

1) Personal training,
2) Corporate practice,
3) Healthy Food.

You will find numbers 1 and 2 in Saint Paul’s letter this morning,
and number 3 in our Gospel.
So, let’s dive in to the Word!

Number 1: Personal Training.
We believe in a Personal, Incarnate God
who knows what it is like to be made human
and yet not sin.

Jesus, our Great High Priest,
now also invites us to be in union with Him:
               to be so filled with the Holy Spirit
                       that we are transformed into new creatures.

And Saint Paul recognizes this important fact
        as he tells us how we should then live.

In his letter to the Ephesians,
       he makes it pretty simple:

“Be imitators of God, as beloved children,
and walk in love as Christ loves us
and gave himself for us
an offering and sacrifice
unto God.” [Ephesians 5]

Personal Training with Jesus involves imitating what he did,
what he currently does
and what he will continue to do in the world.

And what does that look like?
What does it look like to imitate Him?

You must walk in Love. 
Let love be your Personal Trainer in Prayer:
let Love lead you to constant prayer with God
and intercession for those who need it.
Pray for the sick.
Pray for the healing of the world.
Pray for forgiveness of your sins
and forgive those who sin
      against you.

Let love be your Personal Trainer on the go:
Let Love lead you to opening your hand to the needy,
lifting up the downtrodden.
Getting lunch for someone who is hungry.
Helping that person on the side of the freeway change their flat tire.

Personal Training in Love.

But Personal Training in Love, in our Christian walk,
means that we will also be trained in beloved community.

It means that, by necessity,
we will be trained in Corporate Practice.

We all are part of the corporis
         the Body of Christ,
         and just as iron sharpens iron,
          so also will your brothers and sisters
            sharpen your life in Love.

Corporate Practice is just as important as Personal Training.
And what does Saint Paul have to say
about Corporate Practice?

He says “Walk in Love”:
You will get angry, but don’t let it cause you to sin.
Work with your hands, so that you may have
something to share with the needy.

Don’t let anything evil come out of your mouths.
          Only speak those things useful for building people up in Love.

When you use social media,
         use it for positive change in the world,
                and not for divisive quarreling
                        with strangers on the internet.

And most importantly, in Corporate Training,
you must train yourselves, no matter the circumstance,
to put AWAY from yourselves…

Bitterness toward anyone, even when it is justified to feel it.
Wrath, even when someone may deserve it.
Anger, even though it feels good for the moment.
Wrangling and Slander, even if someone quarrels with you
and slanders you first.
And put away any Malice,
any evil intent that you harbor to get even with someone.

Rather, instead clothe yourselves with Christ and imitate God:
        Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
               hearts broken for each other.

Forgive one another,
just as God in Christ forgave you.
               Walk in Love. 

III. 

But just like Personal Training
and Corporate Practice can be important
for athletes:
it doesn’t matter too much
unless you stay healthy.

We Need Holy Food:
        Unless we partake of Him
        who is our Health and our Salvation,
         we cannot grow in that Love,
         we cannot gain strength in our spiritual muscles,
          unless we are eating right.

Unless we receive the sure and certain grace [BCP Catechism; see "The Sacraments"]
of this Blessed Sacrament of the Altar,
our Christian lives may be good,
but we starve our souls.

Because, just as Jesus says in the Gospel this morning,
He is the Bread come down from heaven.
And we here who partake of him,
he promises to raise up in the
resurrection.

As we need Personal Training and Corporate Practice
to be able to tone our outward actions,
so we also need the Bread of Heaven
to sustain our souls and equip our spirits
to walk in that same Love
that our Triune God
actually IS.

As Christ offered himself as an offering and sacrifice to God,
and as he offers His own self in this Sacrament,
so also do we, in turn, imitate God
as we go into the world.

And we go into the world
Fed with Holy Food for Holy Living.
Corporately Practiced in Love for Each Other.
And Personally Trained in personal relationship
with the God who Loves Us
and gives us the Divine Love for all people.

Remember, friends, your three part training:
Personal Training.
Corporate Practice,
Holy Food. 

Gametime is here, y’all.
Strap on your cleats. Let’s do some work.

In the Name of the + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.