Here's the sermon I preached on Sunday, June 25, 2023. The lectionary text is Genesis 21:8-15, the story of Abraham and Sarah putting Hagar and Ishmael out of their household. I've titled the message, "God Hears Us When We Cry," and I think there is encouragement for us even though this story has some very disturbing elements in it.
The same Spirit that reversed Babel, fulfilled ancient promises, and launched the early church is still moving today - creating understanding where there's confusion, building bridges where there are walls, and reminding us that we're all part of one magnificent, ongoing story.
Most of us grew up thinking Christianity was about following Jesus – being good, following rules, trying our best to live like he did. But here, Jesus reveals something deeper. He's inviting us into the family circle, into the very heart of divine love itself.
By the time the Spirit reroutes Paul to Macedonia, Lydia has already turned from the Roman gods of her city and aligned herself with the One God of Israel. So when Paul spoke of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, Lydia took the next step in the path she was already walking.
When we love as Jesus loved – across differences, beyond our comfort, despite possible disappointment – we make the invisible God visible. Our love becomes the lens through which others can glimpse the divine reality that holds all things together.