A PARISH IN THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD

sermon
This sermon was given at Trinity, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, May 2nd, 2010.
Fr. Malottke was Rector at Trinity 1959-1962.

(Ra-ta-tata-tah) -- All you need is love.
(Ra-ta-tata-tah) -- All you need is love.
(Ra-ta-tata-tah) -- All you need is love.
Love. Love is all you need."

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love & be loved in return." (From "South Pacific.")

And, in the closing days of a very long life, as the faithful carried him through the streets and into the church, John blessed the crowd with the sign of the Cross & in the elegance of simplicity, spoke only these words: "Little children, love one another."

Then there are the words of a contemporary spiritual song: "They will know we are Christians by our love."

By our love ... wow!

In deepest seriousness and the utmost of reality, I am ready for an entire world-wide religion to be judged or evaluated by one example -- by the life I live? --- by what I do? -- by what I don't do, or leave undone?

There is a wide-spread distrust or even fear of the Moslem world today, and yet, though there is some basis for our attitudes, these are people who pray daily and publically. These are, in other words, actions which indicate that they live their faith in way that we do not. Their willingness to die for their faith does not excuse the willful death of others, but if we look closely at our lives, we can find evidence that we could, in come areas, set a far better example, and display a better testimony to the teaching we hear, and a more compelling witness to the Lord we worship and the teachings he taught.

There's an old adage: that we should pray as though we were saved by faith alone, and act as though we were saved by works alone.

Two nights ago, Bill Moyer presented the last of his journals to be on PBS. His guest was a remarkable philosopher by the name of Lopez. During a far-ranging exchange about the future that awaits our civilization, Lopez remarked: "It is hard to love some people."

Now, in some instance, this is patently obvious. There are Hitler-esque villians in the world. But there are times when we just get on the wrong track with someone. Neither is it of our own choosing or theirs.

The answer?

The answer I have found more and more over the years: Pray for them.

At first, it will be an effort -- a discipline. But if you persevere, you will be amazed at how they (that other "they") begin to change.

(Say, didn't Christ say something about the way to treat our enemies?)

In more recent years, I have thought a lot about various congregations -- this one in particular. I have come to believe that the motto of any local congregation should be that of the Boston bar of the TV show "Cheers": "Where everybody knows your name." Whether this be a literal truth or not, being part of a community of faith and having a role to play with others, this congregation impressed me 50 years ago by it's lovingness.

As at least some of you know, I almost didn't leave here. And now, upon returning, I still find love -- a sense of loving and being loved in return -- a strong sense of family.

Little children, never stop loving nor caring for those who come close to those red doors.