What’s the difference between right and wrong? There are times when we don’t even think about it. We know what’s right and we know what’s wrong. It is always easier to think in terms of absolutes when a choice is at arms length – when it doesn’t directly affect us. It is much more complicated when we look close at hand. This is especially difficult when we raise children and we want to teach them right from wrong. We can write up a list pretty easily, but almost as soon as they can talk our children ask us, “Why?”

         It’s not always the rules that are the problem. It is the living and the doing that is difficult. We would have no trouble here listing all Ten Commandments. I’ll bet many of you could recite the greatest commandment as given by Jesus. We probably know the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The trick is to live by that rule.

         When we first hear that rule we are apt to think of it in a negative way. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want done to you. Don’t step on my foot because you wouldn’t want me to step on yours. Jesus urges us to think a little more positively. We should actively seek to live in such a way that we would want others to act towards us. We want to help our neighbors because we would want them to help us in time of need. This is just how Jesus describes the obedient and disobedient son in the parable. It is the one who worked that obeyed.

         Even here I think we limit the scope of what God wants for us. God wants us to do more than to be nice and kind. Jesus wants us to die. I know that this is not the most popular way to express what we believe. We come to church for comfort and strength. We hope to meet our friends and we want to be uplifted and inspired by our time together. We also come here to die.

         We are really longing for something different than what we know. As much as we seek help and support, we are really looking for a new world. We want a new heart and a new spirit. We want to live new life – eternal life – resurrected life. To get this we have to die first. The people of Israel had to put to death all the old definitions of themselves so that they could stop being slaves and become the children of God. The tax collectors and prostitutes had to repent and turn their hearts to enter into a new relationship with God (a new relationship to which the chief priests and elders were also being welcomed into.) When we baptize a child, we are declaring sacramental death so that we can also proclaim resurrection. The child dies in the waters of baptism so that they can be born again.

         We don’t use the language of death, but we are forever trading old expectations for new ones. If we look on an infant just before they are baptized we don’t see a dying soul, begging for new life. We don’t see loss or sin or failure. We see the future and our hearts are filled with hope.

         The child may look perfect in our eyes today. Tomorrow is different. We know the child will grow. We know the child will learn right from wrong and that he or she will often choose the wrong. The first time the child willingly chooses to do the wrong thing, it is a little death for the parents. They know that their perfect child is not perfect. This death of perfection is a blessing because it opens the deeper path of learning about why we choose the right thing and not the wrong. It is the first step in that child learning what it means to say that they are sorry and receive real forgiveness and be restored in a new way to their family.

         The day when that child tries to play baseball and can’t throw or catch, it may also be a little death for the parents. They discover that their child will not grow up to pitch for the Red Sox. That little death opens the way to discover the gifts that God is already growing in that young person. Some day the baby will grow up and go to his or her first prom. Maybe they have a great date and we hope the relationship blossoms, but the young couple breaks up. It is painful and there are many tears. The death of that relationship is the beginning of a new understanding of what it takes to be in relationship with another person. They learn for the first time that it is what they give that brings them closer to another, not what they can get out of another.

         In the letter to the Philippians, Paul is encouraging the church to continue in their sacrificial support of others. He reminds them that it is this emptying that leads to life. We often think it is the other way around. We think that if we surround ourselves with more and better stuff, our lives will be enriched. Jesus shows us that the true direction is completely opposite.

         Even though Jesus “was in the form of God, (he) did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

         As we raise our children and as we find our way we discover that we are not in an unending race to get more for ourselves. Our race is to give away as much as ourselves as we can while we can. The result is not the stress and anxiety over scarcity that mark our age. The result of giving ourselves to others is that we find life – and if we are lucky, we help others find life as well.

         Our call today is to teach the rules to those given into our care – and then to go beyond the rules. God wants more for us than to be merely good. God wants us to live. In the waters of baptism we have already died. The freedom to live our resurrection is at hand. Let us follow the tax collectors and prostitutes who have gone before us walking the way of the cross that leads to life.

          Today we celebrate the gift of the Spirit by proclaiming the gospel in many languages. I thank everyone who has shown courage by trying to remember their high school French and Spanish. It is unusual for many of us to have to think about how to say something. Most of us speak English in an English dominant culture. We have a thought and we can expect that what we say will be understood. The great miracle of Pentecost is how the Spirit gave many languages to the disciples. They were so full of joy that they went out into the city and shared the news about Jesus – and people of every nation understood what they had to say.

         Maybe the gift isn’t language but understanding. It’s nice to be able to speak another language. It’s a great gift to learn another culture and another way of thinking about the world. The greater gift is to be able to express yourself and be understood. Then there is communication. Then there is the possibility of relationship.

         The Spirit gives every gift in order to help us do the work of God. We are given the work of helping people to be reconciled to God and to one another. God desires that we all grow in gifts that give life and meaning. So our stuttering attempts to speak another language may not reconcile anyone to God just yet, but we are on the right track. God calls us to reach beyond – to take risks and to exercise new gifts to bring others to God. It takes courage to step outside of our familiar ways of doing things. We have to stretch to welcome the stranger. It’s uncomfortable, but it is how we grow in our faith.

         We have many obvious challenges at St. John’s. Today we will vote to borrow some money from the Diocese to replace our boiler. We have to do some work on the organ. We’re all worried about money and members. We wonder how we’re going to keep everything going. Now I would be very pleased if all of you pledged more money or more time. It would be great to fill the pews and pay all the bills. I would sleep much better if I knew I could count on a secure paycheck for years to come.

         The church does not exist for my job security. The church doesn’t exist for our comfort. We are all gathered here to hear and proclaim the good news about God’s love (even those parts that challenge us.) We’re gathered as a community to encourage our common growth in faith and good works. Then we are called together to go from here and speak about and show the love that has transformed our lives. We bear the gift of God’s word to the world.

         All this requires new vision and the use of new gifts. The things we used to do won’t work anymore – because the world isn’t the same anymore. We can’t keep using the same old words with the same old message. The truth of God’s love is ancient and everlasting, but the ears that need to hear it live in the present – with all of today’s challenges. We need to be filled again with the Holy Spirit to proclaim the word of God in ways that people can understand. We need to seek that Pentecost moment when the people marveled, “in our own language we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power!”

         The vision is not far from us. God has given this body many gifts. We heard gifts of language. We also have gifts of praying and singing, serving and helping. There are leaders who guide the vestry and work on the budget. There are others who keep the property in order and still others who are working to define a new vision for our community. Many of you work to keep the church clean and others make sure we have refreshments and still others are working to welcome the visitors among us.

         Today we are welcoming a new member into our church through baptism. She has parents and family members who work to care for her and raise her. Someday other members of the parish will teach her about God. She may become an acolyte or sing in the choir. She will discover her gifts and use them to show God’s love to the world. As we think about our dreams for our youngest member, we are encouraged to think about how we serve God in this place.

         What are the gifts you carry today? How has the Spirit filled you? What message or service do you offer that makes people marvel that they have seen God through what you do? Perhaps these questions seem too exceptional. We think we have no gifts – or if we do they are humble. We think we can’t do anything that anyone would notice.

         We are engaged in God’s work wherever we are and whatever we are doing. We are disciples of Jesus when we raise our children and when we drive to work. We are disciples of Jesus as we interact with co-workers or students or strangers. Since we know that all people are children of God, we will treat them with the respect we would treat any other sister or brother. Since we have eternal life, or faith will be shown in the choices we make about our money and our time.

         We live inspired by the Holy Spirit. We live God-directed lives. If you are uncertain as to your own spiritual gifts – if you do not think that you have a calling – then it is time to seek it. We start by praying for God’s wisdom and direction. We are worried about this church. We start by praying for God’s vision. There are no easy solutions. We are called to a lifetime of service – an eternal lifetime. We will make mistakes and learn from them. We will look foolish as we follow. And we will one day find ourselves in a place where our relationships are restored. We will know and share forgiveness. We will know others fully just as God knows us fully. We will not be ashamed and we will rejoice.

         Between then and now we have boilers to worry us, and the raising of our children. And we have been given everything we need to live as God has called us. We have the gifts that all have been given. We have the power of God to live new lives and welcome others along the way. And we will get there together.