June 11, 2006, 4th Sunday after Lent, All Souls' Episcopal Church          

All Things are Ours
  John 3:1-17

Jack London once wrote, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.” This morning, I wish to talk about “living” as opposed to “existing”. On this Trinity Sunday, perhaps as an objective, we will develop an even better blend of our personal Christianity with God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost with and in the world around us. I have three bits of Scripture to offer  as we talk of “living”.

 The first is from our Gospel when we heard John 3:l6 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” so loved the world…not only the people in it, but His entire creation….our whole created framework in which we live…………or in which we exist.

 Our second Scripture is from St. Paul who wrote to the church in Corinth what in essence could be a road-map for us and give us a fresh thought about how we look at our world, and how we live in our world as a Christian.

 Paul says:

“For all things are yours, whether the world or life or death or things present, or things to come; all things are yours.”

 Combining these first two Scripture verses, we have the world God loved so much that He gave His only begotten Son and then Paul tells us “It is ours!” The question is, “Do we believe what Paul is saying?  Do we live our lives in this belief where we acknowledge God’s gift to us or ………. do we just exist?

 Paul Tillich was one of the twentieth century’s greatest theologians and teachers.  When he was forced out of  Frankfort University by the Nazis, he left Germany and came to the United States where he taught with distinction at various universities.  He also wrote extensively.  In one of his dissertations, he specifically addresses this passage when Paul cries out to Christians that “All things are yours,”  Tillich said: (and I quote…it is a lengthy quote, but I think it will be helpful)

 “The whole world is yours…the whole life, present and future, not parts of it. These important words speak of scientific knowledge and its passion, artistic beauty and its excitement, politics and their use of power, eating and drinking and their joy, sexual love and its ecstasy, family life with it warmth and friendship and its intimacy, justice with its clarity, nature with its might and restfulness, the man-made world above nature, the technical world and its fascination, philosophy with its humility…daring to ask ultimate questions.  In all of these things is wisdom of this world and power of this world and all these things are ours.  They belong to us and we belong to them; we create them and they fulfill us.   Paul’s courage in affirming everything given, his openness to the world, his sovereignty towards life should put to shame each of us as well as all of our churches. We are afraid to accept what is given us; we are in compulsive self-seclusion toward our world; we try to escape life instead of controlling it.  We do not behave like everything is ours.” (end of quote)

 Thank you, Professor Tillich! …… a very provocative article…self-critical.  Tillich says that we are afraid to accept what IS GIVEN US. Is he accurate? Are you…am I…trying to escape life rather than to accept and control it as best we can? Does God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost have concrete relevance in our lives?

 And finally, in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, we have our third and final bit of Scripture where Paul says,

“I can do all things in Christ Who strengthens me.”

On this Trinity Sunday, we must look at our life as only each of us can do…what activities do we do or do we not do because we are really fearful of accepting an opportunity, a challenge, a friendship, another hill to climb. What is God willing us to do? How do these questions apply to you……apply to me?

 The poet, Babcock, adds another dimension to our thought.

                                                                                                
“Back of the loaf is the snowy flour,
And back of the flour, the mill,
And back of the mill is the wheat and the shower,
And the sun and the Father’s will.” 

This is an enormous point! 

Yes, the Father’s Will is behind our whole creation and God so loved the world and yes, all things are ours, things lived and created by the Father in heaven, by the Son who lived in this world, and the Holy Ghost who sustains us in this world. All the marvel and manifold wonder of the world and all its beauty is our…if we have eyes to see them and hearts and minds to appreciate them.  And, if we yield in faith to our makers forming fingers as we let Him use us and shape the rough clay of our lives into monuments of love and dedication for the world to see as we attempt to fulfill His Purpose. We yield to His forming fingers knowing we can do all things in Christ who sustains us. The whole of nature becomes to the Christian a great sacrament that speaks of God and commitment and faith. 

 The “coin of life” has two sides. On one side, we can meditate on the fact that the beautiful relationships and experiences of life of this world are ours in and through this communion with God through Jesus Christ. 

On the flip side of the coin lies the challenges, anxieties, pains and adversities that are inevitable.  We possess these things too, do we not?  We prefer to put them aside, but we obviously can not.   So what do we do?   We use them. We use adversities and challenges.  We turn them to account! As many of us know, suffering can be one the most creative forces of nature. Paul learned to wrestle triumph from his troubles.  Christ crucified had taught him that lesson!!  Paul is quite clear as to God’s purpose for the entire world and for every individual in it.  He is certain that any experience in life no matter what it is if met in the right spirit will minister to that great goal of fulfilling God’s Purpose in this world. The doctrine of the Trinity should not be a mathematical puzzle we attempt to unravel, but should be a flower of experience reconciling the world to each of us.

 Now the inevitable question.  Why doesn’t each of us claim the world for our own?   Answer:  There is a risk…a cost.  We make ourselves vulnerable for rejection and failure.  We must take that proverbial leap of faith. We can’t operate day by day as if life were an “unfired shot!” Many never learn to take this leap. The tragedy of life is really what dies inside a man while he lives. When whatever spark of adventure dies, man starts existing….not living.

 We have adventure when a scientist risks his life for a new discovery in the realm of matter;  a pioneer to establish a new settlement, a miner to extract coal from the earth, a pearl fisher to filch from the ocean an ornament for the beauty of some unknown woman, a traveler to contemplate landscapes, a mountain climber to conquer a bit of earth.  What comparison is there between the result to be obtained and the price of human life which is thus wagered? 

 Well, at each corner of human activity, failure and death lies in ambush.   Where there is no risk, there is no life.  That squandering of the human being is a law of nature; it is also the proof of the confidence, the trust and the elemental love we give every day to the divine principle from which we proceed.

 What happens when we proceed to give ourselves to life saying to ourselves that we can, with Christ, do all things in life….. not trying to escape…not trying to hide behind closed shutters……. where we risk?  Answer:  we find meaning in life.   

 We take every card that is dealt us in the game of life and play it…..seeking to glorify and see God in that card.  We seek to use and risk whatever comes our way and to use life’s situations as Christ would have us use them.  May we see God in every aspect of life; Father, Son and Holy Ghost ….Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. We need all three Persons of the Trinity! May we enter into His Mind and live our lives in faith. We do not huddle in the corner with our problems; We look the world in the eye with Christ at our side.  We use any suffering, trouble or problems.  Then….. we find a vital meaning that so many people let pass them by.  And no, we do not fear death.  Death is a simple continuance of life.  We are in eternity now. 

 The Glory of God is in man fully alive. If you feel that you are existing more than living and if you do decide to “live” more (your decision alone, of course), my prayer is that you will. Please remember that you are anointed with Christ. Step out in faith!! You already possess all you require in order to break through any spiritually bound barrier you might have.  You are able to push through into a life of more love, more goodness, more vitality, more peace, more adventure with Christ at your side all the way.  All you need, all any of us need, allowing the Power of the Trinity in our lives, is to have the persistence to do it. May we each, never just “exist”……but live fully alive. Yes, all things are ours!…………….because………... we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us!!

AMEN