EPC

NETWORK 6.2

"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2.

Have ou ever had a time in your life when everyone in your fmaily was sick and you needed to get food on the table? Have you ever needed somewhere to turn to for help?

To address many issues of disconnect, we are implementing a system for giving and receiving help.

To request support: Call 284.0190 and ask to be connected to Network 6:2 or select mailbox 7 and leave your request. You could also send an email to network62@live.com

To give support: Let the same folks know if you can commit one time or ongoing in one of these areas: child care, transportation, phone calls, special events, repairs, yard work, meals, household chores, prayer or interpretation (Spanish to English).

David talked about Network in a brief sermon:

Betty came to me and asked if I had noticed the difference. I had. A few years ago, Betty was overcome with grief over the death of her husband. She was struggling with chronic pain from arthritis. She was isolated and depressed. The difference was dramatic. Betty still had arthritis but no one would describe her as isolated or depressed. Almost out of desperation, Betty reluctantly became involved in meals on wheels. To many people Betty was their only visitor. She found a calling.
The difference she simply described this way. “Bearing other’s burdens relieved my own.”

Was it that Betty gained perspective as she saw other’s problems? Or had she gained hope as she saw healing take place for other people? Both may be true, but I have a deeper hunch. I believe that in her grief Betty discovered the heart of the Gospel- a heart for service. You see, Christianity isn’t about coming to church, following the rules or not doing certain things. It isn’t even about participating in church programs. It is about giving oneself in love and humility to the service of others.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. As Jesus the Messiah carried the cross for others, so we must bear one another’s burdens. Jesus’ self-sacrificed death becomes our model that illuminates the meaning of love. As we bear one another’s burdens, we repeat Christ’s act of love, played out over and over again in the life of the community, the pattern of self-sacrificing love revealed in his death.

In some ways, it would be easier to live as autonomous individuals, without worry for the well being of others. Easier maybe, but it would not be a life grounded in who Christ calls us to be. The ever increasing pace and mobility of life makes it harder to build a community, yet it becomes more pressing that we do so. The life that God intended for us is not a lonely striving. How can I truly celebrate if I achieve the good life, and you do not? There can be no zone of privacy that protects my material and emotional well-being from your pain and suffering. And yet it is way too easy to be active in church and maintain that zone of privacy and self sufficiency.

Simple daily acts of caring for one another, bearing one another’s burdens. It can be as simple as bringing a meal by or paying a visit or giving someone a ride. It may be donating a basketball goal or it may be making a more sustained commitment such as mentoring.

Strong Communities is launching a new program that provides respite care for a family that has challenges. Most parents want to be good parents but they lack support. The parent may need surgery or help with an addiction or even job training. We might take a child into our home for a fairly short period of time, 30 days or so, so that the parent can get back on her feet. What a powerful gift to let that parent know that they have an extended family that they didn’t know about. And maybe the child avoids getting into the foster care system. A one-time act of kindness, or a more lasting connection, both are needed and both fulfill the law of Christ to bear one another’s burdens. Thomas Merton once said, “A Christian is committed to the idea that love and mercy are the most powerful forces on earth.”

Today, we celebrate the fact that Jill and Pete do not have to raise Fionn by themselves. Being faithful parents is a huge task, but they’re not in this alone. If they are at the end of their collective ropes, and need to gaze into each other’s eyes and whisper sweet nothings to each other, (like they did before children came along), all they have to do is give us a shout over Network 6:2 and it’s done. And I know that the McLeighs will be happy to do the same for you.

Now, I know you guys pretty well. The challenge to Network 6:2 is not going to get people to buy in because I think you will. It is not going to be to get you to bear one another’s burdens because I think when you see a need you will respond with compassion. I think the challenge will be for you to feel like you don’t have to wait for the wheels to come off before you can ask for help. Cast out that demon of self reliance! Tandy and I are not into snake handling but we can do an exorcism. That’s what this is for, a network of care that allows us to bear one another’s burdens.

In closing, I have a question for you. What did Jesus leave behind to enable people to fulfill his mission? A book? A holy place? A creed? A set of laws and teachings? NO!
He left a community, a community gathered for the purpose of demonstrating who God is by bearing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ. Thanks be to God!
Amen!