7th Sunday of Easter – May 31, 2025

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened” (Acts 16:25-26).

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation,
I hear the sweet, tho’ far-off hymn
That hails a new creation;
Thro’ all the tumult and the strife
I hear that music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

Can you imagine Paul and Silas sitting there in that jail cell and singing? Our faithfulness to God requires – demands – us to be open to change. And at the same time, we have to be open to experiencing God in ways we never imagined. We have to be open to moments in which God comes to us in our world, giving us a larger perspective, inspiring hope, and energizing action. Because our authentic faith breaks down barriers, goes beyond polarization, and expands the circle of concern to embrace enemies as well as friends.  Authentic faith inspires songs and praises in troubled times.  If we have a song in our heart, the powers and principalities and their minions cannot defeat us.

No doubt, Paul and Silas have fears and are feeling the pain of having been whipped, but they are experiencing the reality of the ever-present faithfulness of God. Years later, the apostle Paul would write, “whether I live or die I belong to God” and “nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul and Silas lived in a world of conflict – and so do we. We often feel at risk, personally and institutionally, and worry about the future of our congregations, nation, and the planet. We tremble in fear as we ponder our future.

What tho’ my joys and comforts die?
I know my Savior liveth;
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Love is lord of heav’n and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

We also feel anxiety at the rise of threats that attack ideals that we hold dear. We are mortals and we – and those we love – may face painful and debilitating illness, and the dying process itself. The refugees helped by our congregation are feeling the American dream giving way to nightmare scenarios. And yet, even in troubled times, we may discover a greater Power and Wisdom – the Power of God – greater than anything the world can throw at us.

We can live trusting God to supply our deepest needs and provide resources for confronting our sense of powerlessness. God is giving us courage and wisdom when we have none and receiving us into God’s presence at the hour of death. Belief in our role in a larger story does not turn us away from this world and the quest for justice. It is the inspiration to trust God with the large issues of life as we tackle what’s right in front of us, affirming that God’s peace – God’s vision of wholeness – will be the final word.

“What must we do to be saved?” is a perennial religious question. And the faithful answer is, “Nothing!” Nothing more than recognizing that we are already saved. We are in God’s hands, now and forever. God is always reaching out to us, and we find wholeness in receiving God’s grace, letting it flow in and through us, and becoming instruments of the grace we have received. The gospel proclaims amazing grace that motivates us to join God’s cause of healing the world. We are one in God’s grace, despite how the world acts. We need to claim and live out this unity, challenging divisiveness and seeking healing.

Psalm 97 describes the awesome glory of God. God’s power aims at justice. It is not power for its own sake or to massage God’s ego, but power to bring forth beauty and support the righteous in trying times. Our human pretenses will pass; in contrast, God’s vision of truth, goodness, and beauty, will have the final word – and that word is love that heals and redeems persons and nations.

The words of Revelation proclaim that God is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. God moves towards the earth, embracing humanity in its pain and weakness. God offers living water to all. God’s ever-flowing grace is available to all. Anyone who thirsts will receive refreshment. We simply need to say “yes” to the grace that already sustains us, living by grace now, and not fear, despite the challenges of life. The waters of salvation are here, so come to the waters, regardless of your journey’s meanderings.  God will outlast.  God’s vision of justice will prevail.

In John 17, Jesus is praying for us! Jesus’ prayers radiate through the ages calling us to unity. We are one in the Spirit, joining diversity with loving unity. Jesus is visualizing all who will come after his first followers and is praying that we be one with him, with God, and with one another. The love of God for Jesus is intended to shape our identities, preserving our unity and inspiring our own love for the world God has created.

We can sing and gain the courage to respond to crises because God is with us, our deepest reality, inspiring and sustaining us, and calling us to align ourselves with peace:

I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
and day by day this pathway smooths,
since first I learned to love it.
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing;
all things are mine since I am His–
how can WE keep from singing?